How to Simplify Life and Get Rid of Stuff – 4 Key Areas to Focus on as a Busy Mama

Welcoming children into our lives is an honour and a blessing. We open our hearts to love more, open our minds to learn more about these little ones in our care and we also open our homes to a whole lot more stuff! It is so important to learn how to simplify life so that we can focus on what matters most.

4 Key Areas to Simplify Life

Over the years, we welcome bottles, diapers, toys, adorable outfits & shoes to match, parenting books, children’s books, sports equipment, crafting supplies, stuffed animals and those pesky plastic toys that come with happy meals and kinder eggs.

When we add all of these things to an already full house, the clutter can begin to feel overwhelming and can rob us of peace and joy.

Continue reading to discover how to simplify life – your physical space, relationships, calendar and self care routine.

1. How Do I Get Rid of Stuff and Simplify Life?

the amount of stress women experience at home is directly proportional to the amount of stuff they and their family had accumulated. (Motherly)

So, how does a busy mom with a full calendar begin the process of decluttering?

Visualize your ideal space

Imagine walking into your home in its best possible state. How would you feel when you walk through the front door? What would you see as you walk through each room? What specific items are on display that bring you feelings of peace and joy?
Do this visualization exercise in the space you are choosing to declutter first.
Feel free to jot down key words in a notebook or on your computer.

Having a clear vision of where you are going in your decluttering process will motivate you to keep going!

Build momentum with a clean sweep

Set a timer for 10 minutes, grab a garbage + recycling bag and a bin to collect miscellaneous items and get ready to do a “clean sweep‘.
Be ruthless and throw out or recycle any items that are broken, expired, no longer work or serve a purpose and are not in good enough condition to sell or give away.
Use the bin to collect the miscellaneous items that do not belong in this space.
At the end of the 10 minutes, give yourself a pat on the back and take the items in the bin to the rooms they belong in.
Repeat this process on a daily basis for a week in the same room or in different rooms in your home.

Start small

Does a cluttered kitchen have you running to the pantry to eat all the sugary things rather than deal with the mess on the counters? Is your closet busting at the seams with clothing that no longer serves you? Do you have a toy room that is so full of stuff, your child doesn’t have a place to sit and play?

Start small and decide to declutter one drawer, cabinet or bin at a time to keep overwhelm from creeping in.

Struggling with emotional attachment? Ask yourself these questions to simplify your life:

Has this item served its purpose?
Can someone else love it and use it instead of it just sitting and collecting dust on a shelf or in your closet?
Is it an item that brings you a feeling of joy when you hold it? If yes, where can you display it?
Would you be able to sell this unused item and put the money toward something that matters to you and your family in the season? (That trip you are saving up for, that class you’ve been wanting to take, etc.)

2. How Do You Get Rid of Stuff With Your Family On Board?

Embracing a “less is more” attitude gives you space, time and mental energy to invest in what matters most: fostering relationships with our loved ones & enjoying experiences that contribute to a greater sense of well-being.

Having order in our homes reduces stress and allows us to whole heartedly focus on fostering healthy and happy families.

Schedule 10-minute decluttering blocks into the family calendar to make it feel more like an important engagement than just another task to complete. Planning ahead gets everyone on the same page and mentally prepared for the task! And, you may find that momentum builds and those 10 minutes can turn into 30 minutes of focused decluttering time.

How to simplify your life by getting your family on board with organization

Involve your children in the process of decluttering!

Make it fun! Turn on some upbeat music and give them small tasks to do such as sorting the play food into a bin, bringing you items that no longer work or are broken and choosing which items they would like to donate
Lead by example and encourage their efforts often with verbal affirmation and high fives!
Decide on a fun activity or reward to enjoy once your decluttering session is complete

Communicate with a spouse who isn’t quite as eager as you to declutter:

Set aside some time to talk about how clutter is affecting your emotional and physical well being and how having their support is important to you
Ask your spouse what tasks or spaces in the home they would prefer to declutter
Provide them with a manageable checklist that they can complete at their own leisure

There is something so rewarding about checking off a short & focused to do list! It gives you an immediate feeling of accomplishment.

3. How Do I Declutter My Calendar?

Rather than letting life happen to you, use a digital calendar and paper planner to create your best life!

Think on the things that bring you the most joy, the experiences that fill you and those aspects of your life that will matter most when you look back on your life as a little old lady.

Prioritize the important stuff of life and then schedule in appointments and your daily to do list after.

I’m so passionate about an intentional calendar that I wrote a whole post on it! Check out 5 important questions to ask yourself today to reclaim your calendar.

4. How to Simplify Your Self-Care Practice

Friends, I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t give on an empty tank!

When you give constantly to others without making time to meet your own needs, feelings of stress, resentment, anger, and extreme fatigue can begin to surface.

Create the time and space for a self care routine

Schedule in a block of time each week where you will focus on you
Set your alarm to wake up earlier than your kids – having even 10 minutes of quiet time in the morning can set you up for a more focused and peace filled day
Ask your hubby to watch the kids for half an hour or take advantage of nap time so you can enjoy a bath, get a quick workout in, phone a friend or read a book
If budget allows, book a facial, massage, or pedicure
Create a self-care station at home that includes a diffuser or a candle, a journal, a plant and a speaker to play some relaxing tunes

I hope today’s post has encouraged you to take the first step toward reclaiming parts of your life that may feel overwhelming. You are not alone in this process! Pretty much every mom has had feelings of anxiety over all of the mental and physical clutter that comes with having a family.

If you are an overwhelmed mama who is ready to ditch chaos and clutter so you can focus on what matters most, the OWK Group Coaching Community is for you!

Get unstuck and simplify the demands of motherhood with a family centred approach to organization and time management. Experience transformation in our weekly “Empower Hour” group coaching session. Gain access to my simple step-by-step system in the SORT Method Course.

Discover the JOY of an organized home and simplified life with kids!

Be sure to pin the photo below to save this post for later and check out our other decluttering posts for specific areas in your home!

Organized With Kids

How to Simplify Your Life With Kids