One of my go-to stress-reduction hacks for families is to declutter. Decluttering our physical spaces, our digital spaces, and our schedules can have tremendous positive impact on our mental health and overall well-being.
One of my intentions for the new year is to “let it be easy” (an idea you can read more about here). Decluttering is a guaranteed way to simplify your life. Small changes can have big impact.
Here are some of my favorite 5-minute challenges that make a big difference despite their small time commitment.
Restricting it to 5-minutes keeps us from being overwhelmed and makes it more likely we can actually accomplish the task. It’s amazing what we can do in 5-minutes!
Declutter Challenge: Set a timer for 5 minutes and decide what you want to clean up. Here are some ideas (all of which have been tested by my family).
1. Ask your child(ren) to take 5 minutes and find at least two toys that they are ready to donate (bonus if they have time left to throw out any broken toys along the way).
2. Tackle a small space to clean such as your bedside table or that catch-all drawer in the kitchen.
3. Declutter your inbox by unsubscribing from any newsletters that no longer serve you (but keep this one! I promise more goodness to come!)
4. Sort through your clothing and donate or sell any clothing that doesn’t fit or you haven’t worn in the last corresponding season.
5. Look at your family’s schedule of activities and see what you can eliminate. If taking your child to karate lessons creates more conflict than benefit, perhaps it’s time to let go of that activity. Freeing up space for families to slow down, connect, and engage in free time can have a hugely positive impact on everyone’s mental health.
Let me know which one you choose! Better yet: take a picture of the before and after and share with me or tag me on Instagram @drtamarasoles