Hey friend! Can we talk about something that’s been on my mind lately? I’ve been noticing how much lighter I feel when I let go of stuff I don’t need. Not just physical clutter, but all the mental baggage we carry around too.
You know that feeling when your closet is bursting at the seams, but you still feel like you have nothing to wear? Or when you’re scrolling through your phone for the millionth time today, feeling more stressed than relaxed? Yeah, I’ve been there too. And honestly, embracing a more minimalist approach has changed everything for me.
I’m not talking about living in an empty white room with just a mattress on the floor (unless that’s your vibe, no judgment!). I’m talking about making intentional choices that give you more breathing room in your life. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive into these tips that have seriously helped me feel more free and way less stressed.
1. Start with One Drawer
Listen, I get it. The idea of decluttering your entire house feels overwhelming, right? Like, where do you even begin when everything feels like too much? So here’s my advice: don’t try to tackle everything at once. Just pick one drawer. Any drawer.
Your junk drawer is perfect for this because let’s be honest, we all have one. It’s that chaotic space where random batteries, old receipts, mysterious keys, and that one screwdriver somehow all live together. Or maybe start with your sock drawer, where you’ve been holding onto socks with holes in them for way too long.
Set a timer for 15 minutes. Pull everything out and actually look at each item. Ask yourself: Have I used this in the past year? Do I even know what this is? Does it actually work? Keep only what you genuinely use and love. Everything else gets tossed, recycled, or donated.
Here’s the beautiful part about starting small: that one organized drawer becomes your proof that you can do this. Every time you open it and actually find what you need without digging through chaos, you’ll feel this little spark of accomplishment. That feeling is addictive in the best way, and it’ll motivate you to tackle the next drawer, then maybe a shelf, and before you know it, you’re on a roll. Small wins create momentum, and momentum creates change.
2. Try the One In, One Out Rule
Okay, so you’ve started decluttering, and your space is feeling better. But here’s the thing: clutter has this sneaky way of creeping back in if we’re not careful. That’s where the one in, one out rule becomes your best friend.
The concept is super simple: every time you bring something new into your home, you commit to letting go of something similar. Bought a new sweater? Great! Now choose one piece of clothing you already own to donate. Got a new coffee mug because it was too cute to resist? Pick one from your overflowing cabinet to pass along to someone else.
This rule does two powerful things. First, it keeps your stuff from multiplying like rabbits. You maintain balance instead of constantly accumulating more and more. Second, and this is the part I really love, it makes you pause before buying something. When you know you’ll have to let something go, you start asking yourself: Do I really need this? Do I love it enough to trade something else for it? Is this purchase actually worth it?
It’s like a built-in reality check that helps you become a more intentional consumer. You stop impulse buying as much because there’s a consequence, not a bad one, just an honest trade-off. And over time, this habit trains you to be more mindful about what you bring into your life. You start valuing quality over quantity, and your space stays manageable without constant decluttering marathons.
3. Digitize What You Can
Let me paint you a picture: stacks of old magazines with one recipe you wanted to try. A pile of kids’ artwork that makes you feel guilty for even thinking about throwing away. Bank statements from three years ago. Birthday cards. That user manual for a coffee maker you don’t even own anymore. Sound familiar?
Paper clutter is real, and it takes up so much physical and mental space. But here’s the good news: we live in a digital age, and you can keep the memories and information without keeping all the paper.
Start with your phone’s camera. See a recipe in a magazine you want to try? Take a picture of it. Your kid made an adorable drawing? Photograph it, maybe even create a digital album specifically for their artwork. You get to preserve the memory without storing boxes of paper in your garage. Some people even make photo books of their children’s art at the end of each year, which becomes a beautiful keepsake they’ll actually look at.
For important documents, invest in a simple scanner app or use your phone’s scanning feature. Bank statements, tax documents, warranties, insurance papers, all of this can be scanned and stored securely in the cloud or on an external hard drive. Create folders that make sense to you: Finances, Medical, Home, Car, whatever categories match your life. Then shred or recycle the originals (except for things like birth certificates and passports, obviously keep those).
The beauty of going digital is that everything becomes searchable and accessible. Need that warranty information? Search for it on your computer instead of digging through three different drawers. Want to make that recipe from two years ago? It’s right there in your photos, organized by date. Plus, digital files don’t take up physical space, don’t collect dust, and can’t be destroyed in a flood or fire if you’re backing them up properly.
4. Unsubscribe Like Your Inbox Depends on It
Because it does, friend. It really does. Let’s talk about email, that modern source of low-grade anxiety that pings at us all day long.
Think about how many times you’ve opened your email to 30, 50, maybe even 100+ unread messages. How does that feel? Probably not great, right? Now think about how many of those emails you actually wanted or needed to read. I’m guessing the number is way smaller.
All those promotional emails from stores you shopped at once three years ago, newsletters you thought you’d read but never do, daily deal sites, notifications from apps you barely use, they’re all just noise. They’re digital clutter that buries the emails that actually matter, and they add to this constant feeling of being behind, overwhelmed, and stressed.
Here’s what I want you to do: set aside an afternoon, put on some music or your favorite podcast, and go on an unsubscribing spree. Open each promotional email and scroll to the bottom. There’s almost always an unsubscribe link in tiny gray text. Click it. Confirm you want to unsubscribe. Move to the next one. Repeat.
Yes, it takes time upfront. But imagine waking up tomorrow to an inbox with 5 new messages instead of 47. Imagine actually being able to see the important stuff without scrolling past a bunch of sales you don’t care about. That’s what we’re going for here.
Be ruthless about this. If you haven’t opened emails from a sender in months, you don’t need them. If a newsletter stresses you out because it’s one more thing to read, unsubscribe. If you can’t remember signing up for something, definitely unsubscribe. Keep only the emails that genuinely add value to your life, whether that’s information you use, deals you actually want, or content that brings you joy.
And here’s a pro tip: when you shop online from now on, look for that checkbox that says “send me promotional emails” and uncheck it. Prevention is easier than cure.
5. Create a Capsule Wardrobe (Or Just a Smaller One)
Let’s talk about your closet. You know that experience of standing in front of a packed closet feeling like you have absolutely nothing to wear? It’s frustrating, right? And kind of ironic when you think about it. How can we have so many clothes and still feel like we have nothing?
Here’s what I’ve learned: more options don’t equal easier choices. In fact, they usually make decisions harder. Decision fatigue is a real thing, and starting your day by sorting through 50 shirts to find one you want to wear is exhausting before you’ve even left the house.
This is where the concept of a capsule wardrobe comes in. Now, don’t let the term scare you. A capsule wardrobe is just a smaller collection of clothes that you actually love and that all work together. Think about it like this: instead of 100 pieces you sort of like, you have 30 to 40 pieces you absolutely love.
Start by pulling everything out of your closet and dresser. Everything. Then sort it into piles. One pile for clothes that fit you right now and make you feel good. One pile for things that don’t fit or you haven’t worn in over a year. One pile for maybes.
Be honest with yourself here. That shirt you keep because it was expensive but you never wear because it’s uncomfortable? It needs to go. Those jeans from ten years ago that you’re keeping in case you fit into them again? They’re taking up mental and physical space. Let them go. If you do lose or gain weight, you’ll probably want new clothes anyway that fit your current style.
The goal is to keep clothes that fit your actual life right now, not the life you think you might have someday. If you work from home, maybe you don’t need ten blazers. If you never go to fancy dinners, you probably don’t need five cocktail dresses. Keep what serves your real, everyday life.
When your wardrobe is smaller and more intentional, something magical happens. Getting dressed becomes faster and easier because everything works together. You stop wasting money on clothes you’ll never wear. You actually wear and enjoy what you have instead of letting it languish in the back of your closet. And bonus: laundry becomes less overwhelming because there’s simply less of it.
6. Set Boundaries with Your Screen Time
Okay, real talk time. How many hours did you spend on your phone yesterday? If you’re like most people, it’s probably more than you’d like to admit. And I’m not here to shame you because I’ve been there too. But our phones, while amazing and useful, can also be one of the biggest sources of stress in our lives.
Think about it. Every notification is an interruption. Every social media scroll can trigger comparison and inadequacy. Every news alert can spike your anxiety. We’re constantly connected, constantly available, constantly consuming information, and our brains weren’t designed for this level of stimulation.
Setting boundaries with screen time isn’t about going completely off the grid or becoming a luddite. It’s about being intentional with your technology so it serves you instead of you serving it.
Start by checking your screen time stats. Most phones have this built in now. Look at how much time you’re spending and on which apps. You might be surprised. If you’re spending three hours a day on social media, that’s 21 hours a week. That’s almost a full day of your life every single week just scrolling.
Now, create some phone-free zones or times. Maybe your bedroom becomes a phone-free zone after 9pm. This one’s huge for better sleep because the blue light from screens messes with your melatonin production, and scrolling before bed keeps your brain active when it should be winding down. Get an actual alarm clock so you don’t need your phone by your bed.
Try putting your phone in another room during meals. Actually be present with your food or with the people you’re eating with. Notice how different it feels to have a conversation without checking your phone every few minutes.
Use app limits if you need to. Set a timer for 30 minutes on Instagram, and when it’s up, it’s up. Turn off non-essential notifications. Do you really need to know every time someone likes your post or comments on a thread? Probably not.
Consider having a phone-free morning routine. Don’t check your phone for the first hour after you wake up. Instead, maybe you make coffee slowly, do some stretching, read a few pages of a book, or just sit quietly. Start your day on your own terms instead of immediately reacting to what everyone else needs from you.
The goal is to make your phone a tool you use intentionally, not a habit you can’t break. When you create these boundaries, you’ll notice something beautiful: you feel more present, more calm, and like you actually have more time in your day.
7. Learn to Say No (Without Guilt)
This one might be the hardest tip on this whole list, but it’s also one of the most important. Let’s talk about your schedule and your time, because minimalism isn’t just about physical stuff. It’s about everything you allow into your life, including commitments and obligations.
How many times have you said yes to something and immediately regretted it? Agreed to help with a project you don’t have time for? Joined a committee because you felt obligated? Attended an event you really didn’t want to go to? We’ve all done it, and here’s the truth: every yes to something you don’t really want to do is a no to something you might actually value.
Think about your time and energy like a bank account. You have a limited amount, and when it’s spent, it’s gone. If you’re constantly spending it on things that don’t matter to you, there’s nothing left for the things that do. You can’t show up for the people and activities you care about if you’re exhausted from all the things you said yes to out of obligation.
Learning to say no is about protecting your resources and honoring what’s actually important to you. It’s not selfish. It’s self-aware. It’s healthy boundary-setting.
Start small if this feels uncomfortable. When someone asks you to do something, instead of immediately saying yes, try this: “Let me check my schedule and get back to you.” This gives you time to actually think about whether you want to do it, whether you have the energy for it, and whether it aligns with your priorities.
Then, when you do say no, keep it simple. You don’t need to over-explain or justify. “I appreciate you thinking of me, but I can’t commit to that right now” is a complete sentence. Or “That sounds interesting, but I need to protect my time for other priorities.” You don’t owe anyone a detailed explanation of why you’re declining.
Notice how I said “without guilt” in the heading? That’s the hard part. You might feel guilty at first. You might worry people will think you’re flaky or unhelpful. But here’s what usually happens: people respect your boundaries. And the ones who don’t? That tells you something important about the relationship.
When you start saying no to things that drain you, you create space for things that energize you. More time for hobbies you love. More energy for relationships that matter. More presence for the activities that align with your values. Your schedule becomes a reflection of what’s truly important to you instead of a chaotic collection of other people’s priorities.
8. Keep Surfaces Clear
Here’s something I want you to try right now: look around the room you’re in. How many surfaces have stuff piled on them? Your kitchen counter, your coffee table, your desk, the top of your dresser? Now notice how you feel looking at all that stuff. Does it feel calm and peaceful? Or does it feel a little bit chaotic and overwhelming?
There’s actually science behind this. Our brains process everything in our visual field, even when we’re not consciously paying attention to it. When we see clutter, our brains register it as unfinished tasks, things that need to be dealt with, problems to be solved. It’s like background noise that’s constantly running, creating this low-level stress we don’t even realize we’re experiencing.
But when surfaces are clear? Ahh, that’s when our brains get to rest a little. Clear surfaces signal to our nervous system that things are under control, that there’s order, that we can relax. It’s visual breathing room, and the impact on your stress levels is bigger than you might think.
Now, I’m not saying your home needs to look like a furniture showroom with nothing on any surface ever. That’s not realistic or even comfortable. But aiming to keep your main surfaces mostly clear can make a huge difference in how your space feels.
Start with your kitchen counters. Those tend to accumulate the most stuff, right? Mail, keys, school papers, random items that don’t have a home. Create a system where everything has a designated spot that’s not your counter. Get a mail organizer, a key hook by the door, a charging station for devices. When things have homes, they’re not sitting out creating visual clutter.
Move to your coffee table. Maybe all you keep on there is a candle and your current book, or a small tray with the remote controls. Not a collection of old magazines, empty cups, random toys, and yesterday’s mail.
Then tackle your desk or workspace. At the end of each day, spend five minutes clearing it off. Put away supplies, file papers, toss trash. Starting your next work session with a clear desk makes such a difference in your ability to focus and feel calm.
Your bedside table and dresser tops are also prime real estate for clutter. Keep only what you actually use daily. Everything else finds a home in a drawer or somewhere else.
The trick to maintaining clear surfaces is creating homes for the things that usually pile up there. If your mail always ends up on the kitchen counter, you need a specific spot for mail that’s easily accessible. If your kids’ school papers cover the dining table, create a homework station in another area. If your clothes pile up on that chair in your bedroom (we all have the chair), hang them up or put them in the hamper each night.
Make it a habit to do a quick surface sweep before bed. Just five minutes of putting things back where they belong. You’ll wake up to a calmer space, and that sets a completely different tone for your day.
9. Buy Experiences, Not Things
Let me ask you something: think back to a year ago. Can you remember what you bought? Maybe a few big purchases, but probably not most of it. Now think about experiences you had, trips you took, concerts you went to, dinners with friends, adventures you had. Those stick with you, don’t they? You can probably remember details, feelings, conversations.
This is the heart of why experiences beat things almost every time. Things give us a brief hit of happiness when we buy them, but that excitement fades fast. It’s called hedonic adaptation, and basically it means we get used to our stuff really quickly. That new shirt or gadget that seemed so exciting? In a few weeks, it’s just another thing you own. It doesn’t light you up anymore.
But experiences? They actually get better over time. We remember them fondly, we talk about them with other people, we look at photos and smile. They become part of our story, part of who we are. They don’t clutter our homes, they enrich our lives.
The next time you’re tempted to do some retail therapy because you’re bored or stressed, pause. Ask yourself: what if I saved this money for something experiential instead? Maybe instead of buying three new shirts you don’t really need, you save that money toward a weekend camping trip. Instead of another kitchen gadget, you put it toward concert tickets to see a band you love. Instead of more toys your kids will play with for a day, you plan a day trip to somewhere new where you create memories together.
Experiences don’t have to be expensive or elaborate, either. Sometimes the best experiences are free or cheap. A picnic at a park you’ve never been to. A hiking trail you’ve been wanting to try. A movie night where you actually go to the theater instead of watching at home. Taking a pottery class or trying a new restaurant. Meeting up with friends you haven’t seen in a while.
The point is that these experiences fill your life in ways that stuff just can’t. They create stories, build relationships, teach you things about yourself, and give you genuine joy that lasts way longer than the excitement of a new purchase.
Plus, when you shift toward valuing experiences over things, shopping becomes less appealing. You start seeing purchases differently. You think, do I want this item, or would I rather use this money to do something memorable? More often than not, the experience wins.
And here’s a bonus: experiences often bring you closer to other people. Things are usually solitary, but experiences are often shared. That connection, that time spent with people you care about, that’s what actually makes life rich and fulfilling.
10. Embrace “Good Enough”
Okay, this last one might hit home for my fellow perfectionists out there. Let’s talk about the impossible standards we set for ourselves and how they’re keeping us stressed, exhausted, and stuck.
Perfectionism is sneaky because it disguises itself as high standards and excellence. But really? It’s often just fear. Fear of judgment, fear of failure, fear of not being enough. And it keeps us in this constant state of striving, never satisfied, always finding something that could be better.
In the context of minimalism and creating a calmer life, perfectionism is absolutely the enemy. Because here’s what happens: you decide you want to declutter your home, but you feel like you need to do it perfectly. You need the perfect organizational system, the perfect aesthetic, the perfect everything. So instead of just starting, you research endlessly. You buy organizing supplies. You watch YouTube videos. You plan and plan and plan. And meanwhile? Your home is still cluttered and you’re still stressed.
Or maybe you want to start a morning routine that’s calm and intentional. But perfectionism says it needs to include meditation, journaling, exercise, a healthy breakfast, no phone time, and probably some affirmations too. That’s a two-hour routine! So you try it for a day, it’s unsustainable, and you give up entirely. When really, a good enough morning routine might just be making your bed and drinking your coffee without checking your phone. That’s it. Simple, doable, and it still improves your day.
Here’s the truth about good enough: it’s actually where most of the magic happens. Good enough gets done. Perfect never does because perfect doesn’t exist. Good enough allows you to make progress, to try things, to learn and adjust as you go. Perfect keeps you stuck in planning and overthinking.
Your home doesn’t need to look like a minimalist Instagram account with perfectly styled shelves and everything in matching containers. It just needs to be functional and peaceful for you. Your closet doesn’t need to be a capsule wardrobe with only 33 pieces in a carefully curated color palette. It just needs to hold clothes you actually wear and like. Your dinner doesn’t need to be a gourmet meal made from scratch. Sometimes good enough is a simple pasta with jarred sauce and a bagged salad.
Start embracing good enough in small ways. Clean your kitchen until it’s good enough, not until it’s spotless. Organize a space until it’s functional and better than it was, not until it’s perfect. Send the email when it clearly communicates your point, not after you’ve rewritten it seventeen times.
Notice the mental space that opens up when you stop chasing perfection. All that energy you were using to obsess over details? You get that back. All that anxiety about whether something is perfect? It melts away when you decide good enough is genuinely good enough.
This doesn’t mean lowering your standards to the point where nothing matters. It means being realistic about what actually matters and what’s just perfectionism in disguise. It means asking yourself: is making this perfect worth the time, energy, and stress it’s costing me? Usually the answer is no.
When you embrace good enough, you’ll find you actually get more done, feel less stressed, and enjoy your life more. You’ll spend less time agonizing over details and more time actually living. And isn’t that the whole point of minimalism anyway? To strip away what doesn’t matter so we can focus on what does?
Wrapping It Up
So here we are, friend. We’ve talked about ten different ways to bring more minimalism into your life, and I hope at least a few of them resonated with you. Maybe you’re feeling a little overwhelmed right now, looking at this list and thinking, “That’s a lot to tackle.” And you’re right, it is. But here’s the beautiful thing: you don’t have to do it all at once. You don’t have to do it perfectly. You don’t even have to do all of it.
Pick one thing from this list. Just one. Maybe it’s that drawer we talked about at the beginning. Maybe it’s setting one boundary with your screen time. Maybe it’s simply starting to say no to one thing this week that you’d normally say yes to out of obligation. Start there. See how it feels. Notice if it creates a little more breathing room in your life, a little less chaos in your mind.
Because that’s really what all of this is about. It’s not about having less for the sake of having less or following some minimalist rulebook. It’s about intentionally creating space in your life for what actually matters to you. It’s about reducing the noise, both physical and mental, so you can hear yourself think. It’s about having the energy and time for the people you love and the things that light you up instead of constantly managing, organizing, and stressing over stuff that ultimately doesn’t matter.
Minimalism looks different for everyone because we all value different things. My version of minimalism doesn’t have to look like your version. Maybe you’re someone who finds joy in a large book collection, and that’s your exception to the “less stuff” rule. Perfect! Keep the books. Maybe you’re someone who needs a lot of variety in your wardrobe for creative expression. Great! Your capsule can be bigger. The point isn’t to follow someone else’s rules. It’s to figure out what adds value to your life and what just adds clutter and stress.
As you start making these changes, be patient with yourself. Minimalism is a practice, not a destination. Some days you’ll nail it. Other days you’ll impulse buy something you don’t need or say yes to something you should have declined. That’s okay. That’s being human. Just notice it, learn from it, and keep going.
And celebrate the small wins, okay? That organized drawer matters. That cleared counter space matters. That evening you spent reading instead of scrolling matters. Those little moments of peace and freedom you create? They add up to a completely different way of living.
I genuinely believe that we’re all carrying around way more than we need to, physically and mentally and emotionally. And we don’t have to. We can set it down. We can choose differently. We can create lives that feel spacious and calm instead of cluttered and chaotic.
So here’s to lighter living, friend. Here’s to more freedom and less stress. Here’s to keeping what matters and letting go of what doesn’t. Here’s to good enough being truly good enough. Here’s to waking up in a space that feels like a breath of fresh air instead of a source of anxiety.
You’ve got this. Start small, be kind to yourself, and trust that every little step toward a more minimalist life is a step toward more peace and presence. And really, isn’t that what we’re all looking for?
Now go tackle that drawer. Or don’t. Maybe just sit with your coffee and think about what you want your life to feel like. That’s a perfect place to start too.