Lighten Your Load: 4 Gentle Ways to Begin Decluttering Your Life

This month, I came across a video by Ryan Holiday on the topic of Decluttering Your Life. Throughout history, humans have gathered both physical and emotional clutter, often holding on to things that no longer serve us.

Here in Australia, we're stepping into autumn — a time of slowing down and letting go — while much of the Northern Hemisphere is embracing the renewal of spring. Inspired by the energy of “spring cleaning,” I wanted to share the first four ways you can begin to declutter your life, free yourself from the weight of excess, and make space for what truly matters.

I'll be sharing the final four ways in next month’s min blog, so stay tuned.

Get Rid of Your Stuff

This one might seem simple, but it's often much harder in practice. Over time, we accumulate far more than we need, and our attachment to possessions can quietly create stress. The fear of letting go often weighs more heavily than the object itself.

Decluttering isn’t just about tidying up a room — it’s about lightening your load, mentally and emotionally. By owning less, fewer things own you. When we loosen our grip on material things, we find ourselves with more space to breathe, think, and simply be.

Get Clean

Throughout life, we pick up habits, desires, and sometimes, unhelpful patterns — things that begin to control us instead of us controlling them. As Ryan Holiday says, “The only way to stop is to stop.”

Pause and reflect: What has a grip on you? What habits feel less like conscious choices and more like obligations? Could you go without that daily scroll or morning coffee?

True freedom is found when you know you can do something but choose not to. Recognizing the habits that have power over you is the first step in reclaiming your energy and your autonomy.

Make Amends

Are you holding onto grudges, tension, or lingering conflict? We can’t control whether someone else apologizes or makes things right — but we can choose to soften our own hearts.

Sometimes, making amends isn’t about waiting for an apology, it’s about putting down the burden we've been carrying. What can you take responsibility for? What are you ready to release?

Making peace isn’t just for the other person — it’s a gift to yourself. In letting go, you create space for peace, lightness, and clarity.

Limit Your Inputs

“Garbage in, garbage out.” What are you allowing into your mind and heart every day? Many of us consume a steady stream of noise — the news, social media, endless scrolling, or conversations that leave us feeling drained.

This season, try pausing to notice: What inputs bring peace and inspiration? What ones stir up stress, comparison, or overwhelm?

Think about the last time you consumed media — did you feel nourished afterward? Or unsettled? Curating your inputs is like curating a garden — you get to choose what grows.

I hope these first four steps help you reflect gently on what you might want to release this season. I’ll share the next four in next month’s newsletter.