How to Declutter Your Mind & Simplify Your Life Without Guilt

At 25, I worked three jobs in order to barely stay current on my bills. I didn’t have enough money to put food on the table. I had a 7-year-old daughter to feed and ran up my credit cards to stay afloat. 

With growing credit card debt, big car notes, a child to feed, and bills constantly going late or unpaid, my mind ran in circles All. The. Time. 

I couldn’t plan for the future or take time for myself. Something was always on fire. I always needed more money.

My desperate thoughts kept me awake into the morning hours. I began taking melatonin every night just to fall asleep. 

That never-ending cycle was my life. 

Have you ever had a moment like that where you’d give anything just to quiet your mind? 

It’s a terrible feeling that I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but if you’re there right now, then this post is for you. 

The key to getting out of that rut and creating inner peace is decluttering… your mind.

What Is Decluttering? 

Decluttering is when you remove unnecessary items from an untidy or overcrowded place. You can declutter anything - imagine your workspace, your kitchen drawers or your attic. 

In this case, we’re talking about decluttering your mind. That means that we’re going to remove all of the unnecessary things that take up space in your mind to add worry or anxiety to your life.

Why Should You Declutter Your Mind?  

There are three main reasons to reduce your mental clutter: 

Reduce worry and anxiety.

The art of decluttering simply means that you’re going to take away the things that do not bring you joy. 

That could be the car note you’re struggling to pay or the notifications constantly pinging you, adding a sense of urgency to your life which annoys you. You could even remove the relationships that are stressing you out.

Once you start to remove those things, you’ll have fewer things to worry about on a daily basis.

Increase happiness.

When you remove the people, responsibilities, and things that do not bring you joy, what’s left? Only the things that you love. 

Each time you remove something you don’t like, you increase your confidence in your ability to choose what matters. You worry less, which means you savor life more on a daily basis.

Increase abundance in your life. 

What happens when you don’t have to worry about the constant fires and bill collectors calling to stress you out?

You simply have less stress. When you have fewer things on your mind, you free yourself to think about your future, the bigger picture, and where you want to go versus than where you are today. 

You can be more productive in your life because you no longer have to split your time between things that matter and things that don’t. You’ve removed the unnecessary, so all that’s left is the important - the joy.

How Do I Know What To Keep?

I know it can be hard to think about removing things from your life, especially if this is your first attempt at decluttering. 

But don’t worry, I’ll hold your hand through it ;) 

The beauty of decluttering is that you have control over what you remove - and you only remove things you don’t absolutely want to keep in your life.

Understand that decluttering is removing the unnecessary, the stressors, the negative and the anxiety-inducing things that have likely migrated into your life. 

Decluttering requires you to be intentional about your life and choose what you want. Everything you remove if your choice. What could be more powerful than that?

Decluttering only seems scary because you don’t want to get rid of something and realize “oh my gosh, I really wanted that!” 

I want you to repeat after me… “If I remove something from my life, I can always bring it back.”

I removed the TV from my life and realized quickly that I didn’t need a TV to be happy. On the other hand, I stopped hanging out because I wanted to save money and I realized that it made me incredibly unhappy. I need to spend time with friends, even if it will cost me because that interaction truly brings me joy.

When should I declutter?

I’m a firm believer that you can start anytime. You don’t need to wait for “the right time” to start removing the unnecessary from your life. In fact, you can do this several times a year. 

However, some great times to do this are: 

1. During a big life change. New babies, retirement, purchasing a new home or even a break up can shift your responsibilities and your priorities. This can be a great time to realign with what matters to you and remove the things that no longer serve you.

2. When you’re ready for a fresh start. In my life, I was tired of being tired. I couldn’t continue working three jobs, being too exhausted for loved ones, and being unable to pay bills. I needed a fresh start asap. 

3. When you’re overwhelmed with life. Overwhelm and anxiety are signs that you need to reduce complexity. Decluttering your life can help you reduce the number of things you have to think about on a daily basis.

How To Declutter Your Life Without Guilt

Clarify your priorities.

Take some time to decide what your biggest priorities are. Make a list. Do some journaling. Go for a long walk to think. Meditate. Take the time to decide what is MOST important.

Remove things that are not a priority.

Start saying no to events on your calendar that don’t bring you joy or aren’t on your priority list. Put some better processes in place at home to save you time on household tasks so you can spend that time doing things that ARE on your list.

Let go of the outcome.

You can’t make everyone happy. And not everyone will be happy with what you’ve decided to prioritize. Let go of what everyone else thinks about your decisions. This is YOUR life. No one else has to live it but you.

Make a decision… and follow-through.

Whatever you decided on, go for it. You can always go back and tweak your priorities. Just start. Find out what works for you.

Slow down or take a break.

Sometimes slowing down or taking a short break can be the exact thing that you need in order to recharge and start climbing forward with your priorities.

How To Start Decluttering Your Mind Today

You can start small by decluttering your physical space. You can choose to declutter a drawer, a closet, your office, your kitchen, or the whole house. 

If you’re afraid of losing something that you may end up wanting to keep, start by placing everything you’d like to remove in a box. Tape the box up and place it in the basement or a closet that you don’t use often. 

Leave the items in the box for 30 days to 6 months before throwing it out (depending on what feels comfortable for you). If you notice that you don’t touch the box during the entire time, then you truly don’t need those items. If you do need to go into the box, then you can take the items that you need. 

This is a small step to learn how to declutter your space. Once you get started, you might want to remove bigger things - like your TV, annoying smartphone apps, or soul-sucking relationships. 

Decluttering is not about getting rid of things. It’s about getting rid of the things that do not contribute value or joy to your life.

This allows you to make room for opportunities that you enjoy and the things that matter most. When you remove the excess, you’re able to enjoy the moment, be present, and appreciate the life you’ve intentionally created.

What’s one thing you’re ready to remove from your life right now?

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

The Definitive Guide To Improve Your Intuition in 2022

After the first month of being “exclusive,” I felt a nervousness that something about the relationship wasn’t right. 

Maybe it was that time we ran into one of his co-workers at a restaurant and he introduced me as his “friend.” 

Maybe the way he made me feel like a small child during an argument (or the fact that he was really 37 and I’d just graduated college.)

Maybe it was the time I found a ring on his finger after three months of serious dating (I’d known him for two years - and never knew he had a wife.) 😳

I was 22…

And that 22-year-old girl convinced herself that love conquers all. 

The feeling in my gut gently nudged me to run. 

I ignored it. 

Over time, that little nudge became a huge kick. 

I ignored it. 

Then I found another woman in our bathroom. 

And honestly, I wasn’t surprised at all.

I had a feeling this would end horribly, but I ignored it Every. Single. Time. I accepted his excuses and clever show of affection over my intuition. 

And I paid for that mistake with my broken heart. 

What’s intuition and how does it work? 

Your intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. It’s that feeling in your gut that tells you something about this situation isn’t right.

Your instincts tell you something is, even when you have zero evidence to prove it. 

It’s like when your gut tells you to run far away from a guy that seems perfect. Or not to hire that freelancer that never answers emails. Or stay far away from the hairdresser whose prices are too good to be true. 

Who can use intuition? 

Everyone has these instincts, but many people choose not to pay attention to them. You’ll have a feeling that things aren’t right, but you’ll rely on the facts that you can see.

Sometimes those facts aren’t as compelling as your instincts. 

In my terrible relationship, I paid attention to his presence, the dinners, the great conversations we had, the way he listened to me and took actions based on my requests, and (because I was a huge sucker) the way that man looked in a suit. 

I knew he wasn’t right for me the whole time.

I simply ignored my intuition. 

Can intuition be learned? 

Yes. Like anything else, your intuition is like a muscle, the more you use it, the better you get at hearing your inner voice and following through on it. 

Believe it or not, I didn’t learn to trust my gut after that relationship.

It took a few more years of hiring people who did poor work, saying “yes” to partnerships that ended in disaster, and following someone else’s script for my life before I realized that my instincts are always right. 

How to develop your intuition

Don’t be afraid to ignore logic

One of the scariest things about intuition, when you first start listening to it, is that you may not have any evidence that you’re making the right choice. 

In this case, I want you to take a look back at all the times you ignored your intuition.

Use that as your evidence for listening to that gut feeling!

Journal

Journaling gives you a blank and totally non-judgemental space to listen to yourself. It’s your space to write what you want and feel your emotions - whatever they are. 

In that honest space, you may see your intuition showing up more than in the real world where you have to worry about other people’s feelings and reactions.

In your space to be honest with yourself, you’ll hear your inner voice louder than ever. 

Meditate

Meditation gives you the opportunity to separate yourself from the world around you - the social media gurus telling you what you should do with your time, or mentors and family members with advice - and gives you a chance to be still. 

In stillness, you can only hear yourself.

There, in that silence, you’ll be able to find more clarity in your desires and confidence in your choices.

Learn From The Past

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t have a story that sounds like this: 

“Something told me this wasn’t right but…” followed by a decision that turned out horribly wrong.

Think about your “something told me this wasn’t right but…” story. (I know you have one!)

For me, it was definitely that terrible relationship. I knew the relationship wasn’t right but it felt good to date someone so freakin’ fancy. The super swank restaurants, nice car, and THOSE SUITS clouded my judgment.

Sleep on It

When you have a big decision to make, you might want to go with the bad choice and “just go for it!” One of the best things you can do for yourself is to take a step back from the situation and ask yourself “Is this what I really want?”

Taking a night to step away from the decision and give yourself some space will allow you to see clearly if it’s something you really want. 

Get on the “No” Train

Earlier this year, I took Marie Forleo’s B-school, a course for online business owners. The one general rule I learned in the course is “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no!”

This phrase means that if a request or opportunity doesn’t light you up and get you super excited, then you’ve got to say “No” to it. It’s a simple way to follow your gut without thinking too deeply about it. You’re right - end of story.

How To Take Action Right Now

1. Create a reminder for your future self. Write down 3 times that you didn’t trust your intuition and what happened as a result. 

2. Trust yourself. Write down this affirmation and place it somewhere you can see it daily “I trust myself to make the right decisions for me.” 

3. Just do it! The next time you have a gut feeling, follow it, no matter how crazy it seems or how little facts you have. 

Following your intuition can seem off-putting or scary at first, but as you develop your ability to hear yourself and trust yourself, you’ll realize that YOU make the best decisions for your life. You do know what’s best for you, it’s up to you to take action on your deepest desires. 

In the comments, tell us the last time your intuition helped you do something amazing.

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!