Declutter Your Space, Declutter Your Mind

Let’s be real: every time you open a closet, you’re opening a time capsule. You might discover a high school prom dress (still limping along, like an ex who won’t die) or a trove of unloved socks that would send any laundry connoisseur into a scream. The mess we leave in our spaces tells stories we never wanted to hear. You likely have a whole shelf of spices past its expiration date that could probably survive a zombie apocalypse. So let’s sort through this mess and get to it, because as they say, a clean environment is a clean mind — unless you’re a cat person, in which case that mess is mostly fur, so godspeed!

Let’s begin with the psychological warfare that we bring to our possessions. It’s like a bad relationship. We don’t let go of what no longer serves us because, duh, we are emotionally attached. That dusty trophy from a third-grade spelling bee. It’s time to let it go. You’re not exactly going to win spelling bees anytime soon, and even if you did, you probably wouldn’t want to display that relic from your past. That means it’s also the time to Kondo that relationship if your ex-lover is in your closet! Look around and ask yourself, “Does this spark joy or taunt me for my failure to detach while commandeering space?”

Now that we’ve agreed to break from the past, it’s time to discuss strategy. You could go full ninja mode and attack the whole casa in one fell swoop, but please; that would guarantee that you end up binge-watching some form of reality television instead. Start small! Choose one drawer, one shelf or even one lonely little corner that appears to have been hosting a dust-bunny convention. As you glide through the peaceful process of decluttering you soon absolutely come to the conclusion that 85% of what you own is merely stuff that magically multiplies when your back is turned. It’s like they’re auditioning for some reality show: “Survivor: Clutter Edition.”

Once you’ve gotten rid of your unwanted things, you’re left with a wonderful expanse of space. So you have two choices, you can refill it with junk, or you can organize what’s remaining. Invest in some nifty storage bins or design a color-coding system that will give a bit of gratification to even the most chaotic of characters. What a satisfying thing organizing can be. You are likely to parade around your own living room like a cock of the walk, preening and admiring the work you’ve done. Just be careful — your cat may think you’ve built them a new play space!

So, what now? And as you sit in your decluttered surroundings, you will realize something miraculous: You can think! There’s a clarity that comes with a clean space, right? You are unhinged, an unconfined butterfly breaking from a chrysalis of clutter. And who knows, if they witness how “cleaned up” you are, they might even request you’d be their coach in their lives — or at least inquire how you cleared your own loud mess. Who knows? You might be the de-cluttering guru you didn’t know you were!

Declutter Your Mind

Once we’ve made our physical space a palace of peace, let’s make a play to head out the other way, right to our minds, which can be a cacophony of thoughts, worry, mental machinery and existential dread that would put a three-ring circus to shame. High time to dispose of that mental rubbish, and yes, it’s as important as throwing away that pair of jeans you haven’t fit into since the Bush administration and are “absolutely going to fit into again.” Spoiler alert: That day is probably not coming. So let’s take our metaphorical broom, and start weaving together the cobwebs of the anxiety and the stress and that one time you sent a text to the wrong person.

Similar to your living space, your mind has a tendency to accumulate junk — negative feelings, past failures and all that neck-craning gunk for which you’re unable to find a time slot because it constantly seems to surface at 3 a.m. when you’re attempting to sleep. We have to address those thoughts and ask ourselves: “Is this thought serving me, or is it really a mental version of a half-eaten sandwich that’s been sitting in the back of the refrigerator gathering dust?” The thing is, not every thought is worth paying attention to. Turns out, some thoughts are dear friends who refuse to leave the party. But it’s time they get kicked to the curb — with a firm, polite “thank you, next!”

The practice of mindfulness is one of the best methods to clean and declutter your mind. That doesn't mean you need to sit cross-legged on top of a mountain chanting “Om” in hemp sandals (unless you enjoyed tha... Small moments of awareness throughout the day are a great way to teach your self mindfulness. Whether it’s pausing to breathe before replying to an aggravating email or savoring the first sip of coffee as if it were the elixir of life, those little moments can help create some space in your mind. It’s all about being in the moment and enjoying the now — because who are we kidding? The past is set in stone and the future is likely to be filled with emails.

Another effective method is performing a brain dump. Grab a piece of paper and jot down all the stuff crowding your mental freeways. Your shopping list, the existential questioning of what all this is for and the random, “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop” thought — just say it! Once it’s on paper, you can sift through the insanity and figure out what actually merits your focus.” And you get the satisfaction of looking at the clutter in front of you and realizing it is not as unmanageable as it seems in your mind.

And what about the gift of laughter! Take a break from the stuff of life; watch a standup comedy routine or a funny movie. Laughter is major cardboard box purification for your mind. It releases all those suppressed emotions and allows you to take a step back and see your panic through a new lens of absurdity. Who gives a rat’s ass that you forgot to call your mom back? At least you can laugh about that time last week when you waved at someone who wasn’t there and knocked over a plant.

Finally, remember that decluttering your mind isn’t a matter of one-off actions, it’s something you do every day. Just like that closet you cleaned out, your mind will need maintenance. Make time to check-in, evaluate your thoughts, and let go of thoughts that no longer serve you. It’s a practice, not a goal, and you’ll find that the more you do it, the easier it becomes. So start the imaginary Hoover and do the dusting. Your brain — and your sanity — will thank you!

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