Spring Clean Your Home & Mind in 4 Easy Steps!

In this episode, we’re diving into a fresh take on spring cleaning—decluttering not just our homes but also our minds! We will walk through four simple steps to clear mental and emotional clutter, create space for growth, and invite more peace into your life. Whether it’s releasing old habits, letting go of emotional baggage, or setting new intentions, this episode will help you step into spring feeling lighter, freer, and more fulfilled. 

The 4 easy steps are:
 ✅Assessing what's taking up space
 ✅Clearing out and simplifying
 ✅Letting go of emotional baggage
 ✅Organizing your mindset and your home for growth
 

So let’s spring into spring and clear out your mind to allow buds of peace to start to grow!

Transcript

Welcome to episode 15 of Little by Little, Peace by Peace, the show where we explore personal growth, wellness, and creating a life that feels lighter, freer, and more fulfilling.And today, we’re diving into a topic that we all know and love—or sometimes dread—spring cleaning for your home but let’s also talk about spring cleaning for your mind in 4 easy steps! So let’s spring into spring and clear out your mind to allow buds of peace to start to grow!

 I’m Shirley B and I’m so happy you’ve chosen to spend some time with me, I really do appreciate each and every one of you because you’re what I’m here for and it’s each of you that keeps this podcast going. Spring just officially got here in the Northeast yesterday at least on the calendar and hopefully in the weather department too because these last couple months have felt years long with the bitter cold and I’m so ready for spring! But in today’s spring cleaning, we’re not just talking about cleaning out closets and scrubbing floors. We’re talking about spring cleaning and decluttering our minds and our lives. Maybe you’re listening because you’re a loyal listener, and if so, then welcome back and thank you. If you just discovered these little nuggets to help you grow, then welcome aboard and thank you as well. But maybe you’re listening because someone cared about you enough to share this episode with you Now don’t be thinking, wow they must think I’m a mess at home, or a mess in my mind...no...we all should be growing and cleaning out on a regular basis in our homes and our minds so be thankful someone cared about you enough to suggest this. How beautiful that you have people who do that for you!

So let’s dive in. Spring is the season of renewal, a time to clear out the old and make space for the new. Just like we tidy our homes, we need to do the same for our thoughts, emotions, and daily habits. Because let’s face it—when our minds are cluttered, our lives feel chaotic. But physical clutter contributes to the same feelings of clutter in our minds...the physical clutter is a visual reminder of what we’re feeling sometimes. Like life is out of control, we’re feeling overwhelmed and the thought of cleaning up, cleaning out...we don’t even know where to start in our home or in our minds. Home is a place we should be coming to in order to decompress from the day, a place where we can relax and rest, a place we wake up to and feel at peace. but if we come home to physical clutter, if we wake up to a pile of dishes, laundry, things you just didn’t have the energy to deal with the night before, it can have the opposite affect and instead create even more stress. And if you work from home, seeing the clutter day in and day out, it can feel self defeating.

So, how do we declutter our minds and lives so we can move forward with clarity and purpose? Let’s break it down into actionable steps.

Step 1: Assess What’s Taking Up Space

Before we declutter anything—whether it’s a physical space or our mindset—we need to take stock of what’s there. Go to that space in your home that’s feeling cluttered or not attended do. Stand in the middle and look around...really look around. Maybe open up the closet doors, the drawers or the cabinets. Are the things you are looking at giving you joy, are you excited about seeing them? Or are you looking at these things and thinking...ugh...I just can’t. Are you purposely avoiding areas in your home because of what’s there? Are there places in your home you can’t even get to because of the stuff that’s in the way, or drawers don’t close because there’s too much stuff? Look around and break down the biggest areas...maybe instead of thinking of the spare bedroom as a whole, think of it as the extra closet, the bureau that’s in there, what’s under the bed. You don’t have to tackle everything at once...you can just empty one bureau, one drawer. Small wins can add up to big and better feelings of peace.

And do the same for your thoughts. What thoughts are you constantly dwelling on, what are you constantly seeing on the floor of your mind that you keep stepping over? Are they serving you, or are they weighing you down heavier than the physical clutter you are seeing? Are there relationships in your life that feel toxic or draining? What habits or routines no longer align with the person you want to become and sometimes that’s all it is...you’ve allowed things to continue in a certain way for so long that it is simply habit and not an intentional way of how you are living. If you become more intentional with your decisions and actions throughout the day, the changes will come.

Just like you don’t need to keep broken appliances or expired food in your home, you shouldn’t hold onto thoughts, relationships, or behaviors that no longer serve you. Maybe even Write them down as a way of organizing and identifying them...get them out of your head and onto paper so you can better determine and help you decide what stays and what goes.

Step 2: Clear it Out and Simplify

It sounds so simple doesn’t it? And it is really...the hard part is that if there is physical clutter, the work of the simple thing to do feels like it becomes tenfold. When you have to do laundry but first you have to go around the house and pick up all the clothes or sort thru what is dirty and what is clean, the simple act of doing laundry just became harder because of the physical sense of overwhelm in trying to get organized first. Now while the physical declutter is easy, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily quick. it could take time depending on what you need to do. Your clutter didn’t happen overnight and it certainly won’t be resolved that way but just start...if you’re looking for dirty clothes and don’t know what’s clean and what’s not, well, what’s the harm in washing them all? Would it help you more to just wash whatever you can grab and free up some space and feel like you’ve at least accomplished something? And maybe when you go to fold them, ask yourself if you saw this in a store, would you pay money to buy it? If not, put it in a donation bag right away and keep the bag in your car. As soon as you have a few things in it, just donate it...there are plenty of those bins all over that you can stop at and just throw the bag into. So not only are you clearing out for yourself but you’re helping someone else you don’t even know. Now look around and figure out where the majority of your dirty clothes end up...and put your laundry basket there. It doesn’t matter if that’s the middle of the living room because you take off your clothes at the end of the night to get comfy on the couch. If that’s where your clothes end up, then make it simple and put the laundry basket where the laundry collects. If someone comes to visit, it’s much easier to move one laundry basket than collect piles all over. Stop making it harder than it needs to be and stop doing things that others say you should do or how you should do them...do what works for you. 

And do the same for your mental space...We often carry mental clutter—negative self-talk, overthinking, worries about things we can’t control. These things take up space that could be used for creativity, peace, and joy. So help to clear out your mind as well...you may not fully flush your thoughts but giving them space and looking at them to try to understand why they are there sometimes is enough to do that mental laundry. Take a few moments each day to sit in silence and observe your thoughts. Recognize them without judgment and just let them go.If your mind feels messy, putting your thoughts on paper can help. Think of it as clearing out a junk drawer—you need to see everything before you can organize it so writing down the things in your mind, whether you choose to do anything with them or not is besides the point. Just getting them out of your head and down on paper can be enough to say, I see you, I hear you. I can’t do anything about you right now but I see you there. You don’t have to have a plan for everything. And while a cluttered mind often comes from trying to control everything, you’ve got so much going on that you leap from one thought to another but accepting that life isn’t perfect, and that’s okay. Just recognizing and reflecting on what is causing you to feel overwhelmed can be a start and once your mind is clearer, you can look at your list and ask yourself:

• Where am I overcommitting? 
• What responsibilities am I carrying that I don’t need to? 
• What’s truly important to me? 

Decluttering your schedule and your inbox is just as important as decluttering your thoughts. Say no to things that drain you and say yes to what truly adds value to your life. Remember to stop thinking about that you’re saying no to someone else...instead start saying yes to yourself more so that you recharge and have more to offer those that you care about in a more complete and intentional way.

Step 3: Let Go of Emotional Baggage

Just like we hold onto clothes that no longer fit, we hold onto past experiences that no longer serve us. Old regrets, grudges, and disappointments clutter our emotional space. And many times it’s our own misconceptions and stories that we tell ourselves over and over that no longer fits. Its not the actual situation or action that causes the suffering...it’s the story and how we sometimes see it that does. So forgive and move on. Holding onto anger or resentment only weighs you down. Forgiveness doesn’t mean excusing bad behavior—it means freeing yourself from its grip, finding the meaning or the lesson and moving on so you can grow. 

Then Release or accept What You Can’t Change: Not everything needs closure. Some things simply need to be let go. My last episode specially spoke about letting go of what you can’t control and accepting how things are. You may not like it, you don’t have to think it’s right, but accepting that it is what it is can help lighten the baggage attached to it.

And remember, just because someone leaves their baggage at your door, doesn’t mean you have to take it on or pick it up. You can leave it right where it was dropped and keep on walking past it.

Step 4: Organize Your Mindset (and your home) for Growth

Now that you’ve cleared space, in your home and in your mind, it’s time to fill it with thoughts and habits that empower you. Set Clear Intentions: What do you want to focus on moving forward? Maybe you still have more sorting and organizing to do...take it one corner of the room, one shelf, one counter at a time...again small wins are still wins and can help keep you motivated vs looking at the whole house and giving up. Write down your top priorities for your home and for your mind...what little steps can you take to keep moving forward...maybe get some extra sleep, maybe make time for reading, maybe just deep breathing just for 2 minutes. It’s a start. S

Surround Yourself with Positivity: Just like a clean, organized space lifts your mood, so does a supportive environment. Spend time with people who uplift you. Create a Mental Maintenance Routine: Just like you wouldn’t let your house go back to being a mess after cleaning, don’t let your mind clutter up again. Regularly check in with yourself, journal, and practice mindfulness. Growing, learning, cleaning out your home or your mind should be done regularly to keep moving towards your peace and joy.

And the last thing comes from someone that I know that regularly says, : Let Your Mess Become Your Message and I love that thought.

As you continue to grow, remember that your struggles, mistakes, and past chaos can serve a purpose. The mess you’ve worked through can become a powerful message to inspire and uplift others. Embrace Your Journey: Instead of feeling ashamed of your past clutter—whether mental, emotional, or physical—use it as proof of your growth. Share Your Story: Someone else out there is struggling with the same things you’ve overcome. Your journey can be a roadmap or stepping stones for them. Use Your Lessons to Help Others: Whether it’s offering advice, creating something meaningful, or simply leading by example, your past mess can shape the way you contribute to the world. your mess is not something to be ashamed of—it’s part of your story, part of your growth, and maybe even part of the message you’re meant to share with the world.

We don’t need to be perfect to be impactful. Sometimes, the biggest transformations happen because we’ve experienced the clutter and chaos ourselves. Growth isn’t about having a spotless past—it’s about learning to clean up as we move forward. When we let go of the mental and emotional clutter, we create space for peace, clarity, and joy.

So here’s my challenge for you: While you’re thinking of organizing your basement, cleanup up the yard, Pick one area of your life to declutter this week. Maybe it’s clearing out negative self-talk, letting go of an outdated belief, or simplifying your schedule. Whatever it is, take one small step toward a lighter, freer life. And remember, if this episode helped in any way or you know someone it could help, share it with a friend who might need to hear it. And if you haven’t already, subscribe and leave a review—it helps us reach more people and spread this message of renewal and growth.

Until next time, keep clearing out what no longer serves you, and make space for the life you truly want to live, little by little and peace by peace.