When we take time to declutter, letting go of anything that no longer serves us, it makes space for the new to flow in.
And when I say ‘declutter’, I don’t just mean your physical environment – your home and workspace. There are some not-so-obvious areas that can make a BIG difference to the way you feel energetically, freeing you up so you can receive what you desire (oh yes!).
So, here are my top 11 areas to declutter in order to attract more abundance into your life (even if you only have a few minutes):
If you have 5 minutes
1) Just one drawer
Pick a drawer, any drawer, and tell yourself that’s all you have to declutter for now.
Take everything out of it and only put back things you need or really want. Everything else can either be sold, given away or thrown out.
The important thing is that this will get you into declutter mode. You’ve started.
2) Handbag
If you’re anything like me (and most women I know) your handbag can become a bit of a black hole!
It doesn’t seem to matter how often I clear my bag out, a few days later I’m finding old receipts, tissues and all sorts in its depths. That’s why it’s the perfect area to declutter – you’ll notice a big impact after a short investment of time.
When you declutter your handbag, you’ll immediately feel lighter and freer.
If you have 15 minutes
3) Car
If your car is an area that feels cluttered and untidy, it will bug you every time you get into it. You’ll find your shoulders dropping as soon as you climb into the driver’s seat.
Take 15 minutes and clear out any rubbish or anything you’ve been ‘storing’ in your car (I once had three boxes of stuff I was planning to donate to charity in my car for weeks before I finally took it to the donation centre!)
If you want to give yourself an extra treat, get your car professionally valeted. You’ll feel like a VIP every time you get into it.
4) Kitchen cupboards
Our kitchen cupboards can often be places that get neglected. As we buy new food, the old cans and jars get pushed to the back, never to be seen again.
It’s time to explore those dark recesses!
Take everything out of your kitchen cupboards (start with just one if the thought of doing them all at once seems overwhelming).
Go through and throw out anything that’s out-of-date or you’re not likely to use.
Be ruthless and only put back into your cupboards food you actually want.
5) Facebook
When you log onto Facebook (or any other social media), do you feel bombarded with the content you see there?
If that’s the case, then it’s time to have a declutter!
Recently I found that I was getting bogged down with notifications as I’m in a number of different Facebook groups. So I’ve made the decision to consciously choose which groups I want to remain a member of.
Unfollow any pages, groups or people that don’t add anything to your life.
If you have 30 minutes
6) Expenses
This is where we move out of the physical domain and into energetic decluttering.
It’s time to look at your expenses (and if you’re feeling resistance here, it’s completely natural. Just notice it and choose to take action anyway).
Give yourself just 15 minutes initially to check your most recent bank statement and go through each item that you’ve spent money on.
For each item ask yourself, ‘Do I really need this or want this?’
If the answer is, ‘No’, then it’s time to let that expense go.
Often we’re paying for subscriptions, services and memberships that we’re not actually using (and just seeing the payment go out each month makes us feel bad!)
Make a list of any payments you want to cancel or amend and do this as soon as you get to the end of your 15 minutes.
Then congratulate yourself as you are now a conscious spender!
7) Email
Is your inbox filled with a seemingly never-ending stream of emails?
I am SO with you there!
Follow these simple steps to clear out your inbox?
- unsubscribe from any emails that you no longer find helpful (you always subscribe again at a later date if you want to)
- delete any emails you don’t need to action or respond to,
- take action on any emails that require a response as soon as you can – don’t leave them sitting in your inbox,
- set up folders to store important emails for future reference (when you think about it, there probably won’t be that many you actually need to keep)
8) Computer files
We often have loads of ‘stuff’ stored on our laptops and PCs that we no longer need. This both slows down our systems and makes it harder for us to find the information we need.
Give yourself 30 minutes to go through your files and delete any you no longer need.
Set up folders for any important files you want to keep.
You (and your computer) will feel SO much clearer.
For more reflective decluttering
9) People
Eek! This can feel like a tricky one.
The people you surround yourself with have a HUGE impact on your energy.
Ask yourself this question, ‘Do the people I spend time with (either online or in person) lift me up or bring me down?’
For anyone who seems to drain your energy rather than adding to your life, resolve to spend less time with them from now on.
I’m not suggesting you completely cut old friends out of your life (although you may choose to do this with some people), just resolve to be more conscious of who you spend your time with from now on.
10) Mind
Oh yes, your mind! This is what I spend most of my time working on with my clients.
Resolve to become more conscious of your thinking.
Meditation is a great place to start (and it can be super-simple).
Take some time to sit and get quiet.
Bring your attention to your breath – watch as it flows into and out of your body.
After a few breaths, bring your attention to your mind.
Notice any thoughts as they drift into your mind.
Just observe your thoughts, as if you’re watching them from a distance.
Notice how you can allow any thoughts to drift and float away from you until they’re out of your awareness.
If you do this for just a few minutes each day, you’ll find that you’re able to observe your thinking more easily and let go of any unhelpful or worrying thoughts, leaving you with a clearer mind.
11) Work
Do you currently spend your time mostly doing things you LOVE, or is much of your time spent doing work that doesn’t light you up?
It can be easy to fill your time with work (and other activities) that you don’t find rewarding (either emotionally or financially).
At the beginning of this year, I made a decision to let go for some regular work I was doing for a retreat company. Although I enjoyed the client work when I was there, it involved a lot of travelling for me and it took up valuable space for me, both energetically and in my diary.
Although I was apprehensive about letting go of this regular work, as soon as I made the decision, I started to attract more of the ideal clients I love working with.
Think about the work you’re doing right now and be honest about which aspects of it you love (you’re going to keep hold of those!) For anything that doesn’t go on the LOVE list, think about whether you can let it go completely or delegate it to someone else.
When you do this, you’re making it clear to The Universe about what you want to focus on in your life (and you’ll be rewarded accordingly).
So, there you have it – my 11 top decluttering tips. Which one are you going to do first? Comment below to let me know and benefit from some powerful public accountability.
Here’s to clearing a space for the new to flow in!
Love this to bits Nicola!! As you know, decluttering is a very important and often overlooked ingredient to Cosmic Ordering .And certainly as far as attracting wealth is concerned, I’ve had my biggest payouts right after a bout of decluttering of either a physical or mental nature. But the danger is so often we think it’s a big and painful job and so we put it off – so I adore your categorising what you can do in as little as 5 mins!! So doable and every little bit will start the energy shift. Awesome – now, where’s my handbag????
Thanks so much Ellen!
Absolutely fab article, this has really inspired me to get decluttering!! Xx
SO pleased you like it Vikki! Keep me posted with how the decluttering goes. Xx
Another great post and very important subject Nicola. Mr B and I are always decluttering. It’s so key to let go of the old when bringing in the new! The fridge is a big bugbear of mine! I try and clear out old food and clean shelves each time I go shopping – doesn’t always happen but I feel good when it does! xxx
Fab article, Nicola.
I try and do 15 mins decluttering somewhere!
Really loved your car idea, and I think I have got the results of a previous de-clutter in the boot too! Will definitely tackle that next and reward myself with a VIP valeting. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the article Nicci! Love the idea of rewarding yourself with a VIP valeting. 🙂