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The Tale of Two Loas
Evening Loa is done. She’s stepping over the stray toys, the sink is filled with dishes, and she’s tempted to just turn off the lights and pretend the living room doesn’t exist. The mental load of the stuff, and the physical energy it takes to clear it, feels like too much to deal with at the end of a long day. There’s actual science behind why that pile of laundry feels like a personal attack, studies show a direct link between visual clutter and cortisol levels in parents.
But then there’s Morning Loa. Morning Loa doesn’t care about perfect counters or matching socks, but she does care about being able to find the coffee scoop and a clean mug without a scavenger hunt. Decluttering isn’t about “finding calm” in a magazine-spread kind of way; it’s more about being kind to your future self so you don’t start your day already behind.
It’s about reducing the friction in your everyday life so you have the energy to find your “spark” again. Read more about the reality of how I create a mindful, magical home, even when the dishes are still in the sink.
The Resourceful Edit
There are hundreds of decluttering articles, videos, and advice out there, so I’m not getting into all the different tactics you could pick. The main goal here is making sure your home, and your life, are working for you. Instead of the “toss it all” mentality, look at what actually serves your life right now.
- The Eco-Friendly Exit: We aren’t just filling landfills, or dumping unusable stuff to a donation center to deal with. Use local Buy Nothing groups to give things a second life, or just put a free pile out front (if you don’t have an HOA or other things like that to deal with). Clearing the physical weight of ‘stuff’ is just one part of the eco-conscious shift, much like the steps we’re taking for reducing microplastics in our daily routines.
- Past-Self vs. Present-Self: If an item feels like a “to-do” list from a version of you that doesn’t exist anymore, it’s okay to let it go.
Three Steps to Reduce Mental Load Starting Today
- The High-Impact Area: Focus on the one place that bugs you the most. If you get that sorted, the next steps will feel easier. This may be your entryway, or an especially cluttered kitchen cabinet. Pick one area that’ll feel like a big win and go from there.
- One-In, One-Out: A simple, mindful boundary to keep the stuff from building back up.
- Reclaiming your spark: What would you do with 20 minutes of saved “tidying time” each day? A walk outside, enjoying time with your kids, art???
One mental trick I use is to visualize the finished project. I can see how clear the kitchen counters and sink will look, and how much better I will feel once it’s done and that helps me more than just staring at the mess and wishing.
When I’m especially lacking in motivation I use Newton as inspiration and remind myself, “An object at rest stays at rest, an object in motion stays in motion.” If I just get up off the couch and do one thing, I can snowball it from there!
If you find that clearing the physical clutter gives you more time, but you’re still losing it to your phone, check out my notes on intentional screen use.
It’s a Practice, Not a Project
A home is a living thing. It’s going to get messy again, and that’s fine. The goal isn’t a museum; it’s a space that doesn’t drain your battery before you’ve even had breakfast.