Summer has this magical way of inviting us to shed what we no longer need. Maybe it’s the longer days that give us energy to tackle those neglected corners, or perhaps it’s the natural rhythm of the season that whispers, “It’s time to lighten your load.” Whatever it is, August feels like the perfect moment to practice the art of letting go.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially after our July conversations about realigning mid-year and having the courage to course-correct. While I was celebrating the wins and recalibrating my goals, I couldn’t ignore the weight of all the things I was still carrying that no longer served me. Old commitments that felt heavy. Mental loops that kept me stuck. Even physical items that cluttered my space and, honestly, my peace of mind. It turns out that giving yourself permission to realign isn’t just about adjusting your goals. It’s also about releasing what’s blocking your path to those goals. If you’re feeling that weight too, you’re not alone. And if you’re ready to create some breathing room in your life, let’s talk about decluttering not just our spaces, but our minds, bodies, and souls.
Why Decluttering Goes Beyond Your Closet
When we think about decluttering, we often picture sorting through clothes or organizing our desks. But true decluttering (the kind that transforms how we feel and move through the world) goes so much deeper. It’s about releasing the mental clutter that keeps us spinning in circles. It’s about letting go of relationships that drain rather than fill us. It’s about saying goodbye to commitments that were born from guilt rather than genuine desire to serve. This summer, I challenge you to think of decluttering as an act of self-respect. Every time you release something that doesn’t align with who you’re becoming, you’re making space for what does.
Decluttering Your Mind: Creating Mental Clarity
- Start with your thoughts. What stories are you telling yourself on repeat that aren’t serving you? Maybe it’s “I’m not good enough” or “I should be further along by now.” Write them down. See them for what they are – just thoughts, not truths.
- Practice the brain dump. Every morning for the next week, spend five minutes writing down everything swirling in your mind. Don’t edit, don’t organize, just dump. Then look at what you’ve written and ask: “What here actually needs my attention today, and what can I release?”
- Curate your information diet. Unsubscribe from newsletters that stress you out. Unfollow social media accounts that make you feel inadequate. Your attention is precious – protect it like the valuable resource it is.
- Create boundaries around worry. Set a timer for 10 minutes and allow yourself to worry about whatever is weighing on you. When the timer goes off, close that mental file and redirect your energy to something within your control.
Decluttering Your Body: Honoring Your Physical Space
- Start small and build momentum. Choose one drawer, one shelf, or one corner of a room. As you sort through items, ask yourself: “Does this add value to my life right now?” If the answer is no, thank it for its service and let it go.
- Apply the one-year rule. If you haven’t used something in a year and it’s not a sentimental keepsake, it’s probably time to release it. Someone else could benefit from what’s just taking up space in your life.
- Consider your energy levels. Notice how different spaces in your home make you feel. Does your bedroom feel restful? Does your workspace inspire productivity? Sometimes we need to declutter not just things, but entire energy patterns in our environment.
- Don’t forget your digital spaces. Clean up your phone’s photo library. Organize your computer files. Delete apps you never use. Our digital clutter affects our mental state more than we realize.
Decluttering Your Soul: Releasing What Weighs You Down
- Examine your commitments. List everything you’ve said yes to in the past six months. Which commitments light you up? Which feel like obligations? It’s okay to gracefully step back from things that aren’t aligned with your values or season of life.
- Evaluate your relationships. This doesn’t mean cutting people off, but it does mean being honest about which relationships energize you and which consistently drain you. You have permission to invest more deeply in relationships that are mutual and life-giving.
- Release old versions of yourself. Who did you think you had to be to be accepted or successful? What expectations are you carrying that aren’t actually yours? Sometimes the most powerful decluttering we can do is releasing who we thought we should be to make space for who we actually are.
- Practice forgiveness – especially self-forgiveness. What mistakes are you still carrying around? What disappointments are you replaying? Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, but it does mean choosing not to let past experiences define your future possibilities.
Your Summer Decluttering Journey
Ready to put this into practice? Start with whatever area calls to you most – your mind, your physical spaces, or your soul. You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Sometimes the most powerful changes happen when we focus on one area and let that momentum naturally flow into the others. Consider creating a simple system for yourself: maybe it’s dedicating 15 minutes each morning to mental decluttering through brain dumps, or choosing one small space to clear each day. The key is consistency over perfection, and progress over pace.
The Freedom on the Other Side
Here’s what I’ve discovered about letting go: every time I release something that isn’t serving me, I create space not just in my physical environment, but in my capacity to show up fully for what matters most. When we declutter our minds, we can think more clearly and make decisions from a place of intention rather than reaction. When we declutter our spaces, we can breathe deeper and move with more ease. When we declutter our souls, we can love ourselves and others more freely. This isn’t about perfection or having a social media-worthy life. It’s about creating breathing room for your dreams, your relationships, and your growth. It’s about honoring the person you’re becoming by releasing what belongs to who you used to be. And speaking of becoming… once you create this space, once you clear away what’s no longer serving you, something beautiful happens. You start to reconnect with what truly lights you up. You begin to remember what brings you alive. Which is exactly what we’ll explore in our next conversation.
Your Turn
What’s one thing – a thought, a commitment, a physical item – that you know you’re ready to release? Start there. Start small. Start today. Remember, decluttering isn’t about having less for the sake of having less. It’s about making space for more of what brings you alive. And that, my friend, is worth celebrating. Here’s to creating space for all the beautiful things waiting to bloom in your life.
What will you choose to release this summer? I’d love to hear about your decluttering journey – share in the comments or reach out. You don’t have to do this alone.