A focus on decluttering your home, office, and mental space to prepare for the busy holiday season.
As the year begins to wind down and the holiday season approaches, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the clutter—both physical and mental—that tends to build up. Fall is the perfect time to hit reset, clear your space, and make room for more intentional living before the hectic holiday months arrive. Whether you’re prepping for holiday hosting, focusing on year-end goals, or just craving a sense of calm, a fall declutter can set the stage for a more peaceful and productive season.
Here’s how to get started with a fall declutter that simplifies both your space and your mind:
1. Start with a Clear Goal in Mind
Before you dive into decluttering, take a few moments to reflect on what you want to achieve. Do you want to create more space in your home? Simplify your daily routines? Clear out mental distractions so you can finish the year strong?
Setting a clear goal helps guide your decluttering process and ensures that every item you keep or let go of serves a purpose. Whether your focus is physical space, mental clarity, or both, having an intention makes the process feel more meaningful and less overwhelming.
Pro Tip: Write your goal down and keep it somewhere visible to remind you of your “why” as you go.
2. Declutter One Space at a Time
It’s tempting to tackle everything at once, but decluttering is much more manageable when you focus on one space at a time. Start with a specific area that’s been causing stress—whether it’s your kitchen, office, or closet—and go from there.
Kitchen: Clear out expired food, reorganize your pantry, and make space for holiday meal prep.
Closet: Donate clothes you haven’t worn in the last year and make room for cozy fall essentials.
Office: Clear your desk of papers and digital clutter, and refresh your workspace for a more focused, productive environment.
Breaking it down into bite-sized tasks keeps you from feeling overwhelmed and ensures steady progress.
3. Embrace Fall’s Cozy Minimalism
As the leaves start to fall, take inspiration from the season’s natural shift towards simplicity. Fall is a season of letting go—so let go of the items that no longer serve you. This could mean:
- Removing excess home decor that feels overwhelming.
- Donating or recycling items that don’t bring joy or function.
- Clearing countertops and surfaces to create a sense of spaciousness.
The goal isn’t to get rid of everything, but to make space for what truly matters. With the upcoming holiday season, this will also give you more breathing room for decorations, gatherings, and hosting—without the chaos.
4. Tackle Mental Clutter
Physical clutter can often mirror mental clutter, so while you’re simplifying your space, it’s a great opportunity to clear out your mind as well. Use this time to reflect on the mental load you’re carrying and how you can lighten it.
Start by:
- Journaling: Write down any lingering thoughts, worries, or to-dos that are taking up mental space.
- Prioritizing: Identify which tasks or commitments you can say “no” to as you prepare for the busy months ahead.
- Creating a Fall Mindset: Shift your focus to slowing down, practicing gratitude, and embracing the present moment. Fall is a wonderful time to ground yourself in the now before the holiday rush begins.
By releasing mental clutter, you’ll feel more focused, clear-headed, and ready to handle the rest of the year with intention.
5. Digitally Declutter, Too!
Our digital spaces need just as much attention as our physical ones. The fall is a perfect time to clean up your digital life before the holiday hustle and bustle. Here’s where to start:
- Email: Unsubscribe from newsletters you don’t read, clear out your inbox, and organize important emails into folders.
- Phone: Delete apps you no longer use, clean up your photo gallery, and organize your files.
- Social Media: Consider unfollowing accounts that don’t bring value or joy and limit screen time to give yourself more mental space.
A digital declutter can significantly reduce the feeling of being “plugged in” 24/7, helping you create more space for presence and mindfulness.
6. Prepare for the Holidays Early
One of the biggest benefits of a fall declutter is that it sets you up for a smoother holiday season. Clearing physical and mental clutter now means you’ll have more bandwidth to handle year-end projects, holiday shopping, and hosting without the stress.
Take this time to:
- Organize holiday decor, gifts, and wrapping supplies so you’re ready when the time comes.
- Create a calendar or plan for upcoming events, family visits, and celebrations to avoid last-minute stress.
- Revisit your budget and start planning holiday expenses ahead of time, ensuring you stay on top of your finances during the season.
When you plan and declutter in the fall, you can enjoy the holidays more mindfully, knowing that you’ve already laid the groundwork for a peaceful season.
7. Make Decluttering a Seasonal Ritual
Fall decluttering doesn’t have to be a one-time event—it can become a seasonal ritual. As nature cycles through its seasons, so can we. By regularly checking in and clearing out physical and mental clutter, you create space for what’s truly important in your life. In fact, we did an entire Spring Cleanup inside my online fitness group, WILD, where we did exactly what’s in this post.
Use this time each year to reset your space and mindset, so you can enter the holidays and the new year feeling refreshed, calm, and in control.
By simplifying your space and clearing your mind, a fall declutter can help you feel more grounded and ready for the rest of the year. It’s not just about getting rid of things—it’s about making room for the things that matter, both physically and mentally.