Mind Over Clutter summary

Waking up in a home you love can inspire you to do great things each day. And when you return in the evening, a comfortable home should welcome you with open arms. Transforming your home into this inspirational, welcoming space is easier than you might think. In fact, it only takes four steps. 

The first step is to remove every single thing from the room. No, not the furniture, of course – your wardrobes can stay! This is about smaller items, the little things that pile up to create a big mess. 

Your home should be your ultimate safe space. But, worryingly, our homes have become distinctly unsafe. And that mostly comes down to how we clean them. Many of the common household cleaning products are packed with toxic chemicals. These chemicals are called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. And they can be disastrous to your family’s health. 

Volatile organic compounds release invisible gases into the air. Unfortunately, these gases hang around for a long time after you’ve finished cleaning. The result? For some people – especially children – this exposure can cause liver and kidney problems and can even damage their nervous system. In fact, cleaning products with VOCs are so bad that they often make the air inside your home more polluted than the air outside! 

How can you make your home a better place while also making our planet a better place? We live in a consumerist society, and our shopping habits are having devastating consequences. Whenever we indulge in shopping therapy, we contribute to global warming, polluted oceans, and growth of toxic landfill sites. Our insatiable hunger for new products is taking a heavy toll on the natural world. 

But don’t lose hope. You may have been part of the problem, but you can become part of the solution. The answer is to find new ways to use what you already have. Repurposing things in this way is known as upcycling. For instance, instead of throwing empty tin cans in the recycling bin, why not use them to grow herbs or flowers on your windowsill? You could even paint those cans your favorite color and use them to store your cooking utensils. 

How do you pack for your vacations? If you’re anything like most people, packing for your dream trip can easily turn into a nightmare. What should you take? Have you packed enough clothes? How do you make sure you haven’t forgotten anything important? There’s so much to think about, which is why packing can drive anybody mad. But don’t panic! You can take your decluttering tips and tricks to the airport, too. 

An organized approach toward packing starts with making a comprehensive list of all the items you’re going to need.