Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Mind Over Clutter summary
Nicola Lewis
Cleaning Your Way to a Calm and Happy Home
15 mins
Brief summary
Mind Over Clutter by Nicola Lewis is a practical guide to decluttering and organizing your life. It offers effective techniques and advice for simplifying your surroundings and creating a more peaceful, productive home.
Topics
Table of Contents
Mind Over Clutter
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
A cluttered home is a stressful home.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your possessions? Have piles of paperwork, clothes, and household objects taken over your home? If the answer to these questions is yes, then it’s time to declutter both your home and your life!
Modern living is complicated, and a tidy house won’t solve all your problems. But it can definitely help. That’s because your physical environment has a big impact on your state of mind. Unpleasant surroundings can actually damage your mental health.
A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in 2009 showed that living in a cluttered home can raise the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body.
The key message here is: A cluttered home is a stressful home.
These findings are bad news for untidy people; high cortisol levels can lead to an increased risk of depression and anxiety and can also cause concentration lapses. Not only that, but elevated cortisol is associated with physical problems too, such as headaches and insomnia.
So clutter makes us unhappy. But we still avoid reorganizing our homes. Why? Well, for some people the thought of tackling the mess can seem overwhelming – or perhaps too time-consuming.
Although the prospect of decluttering might fill you with dread, the good news is that you don’t have to do everything at once! Start by making small, gradual changes, and over time they will make a big difference.
You could start decluttering right in your bedroom. Step one: begin each morning by making your bed. Completing this simple daily task will mean you’ve already accomplished something before breakfast! This will set a positive tone for the day ahead. Even better, research has found that people who make their bed every day are 19 percent more likely to sleep better than those who don’t!
You could then move on to other manageable tasks, such as sorting through your cupboards. Clutter starts to accumulate when you shove items into drawers and forget about them. So every week, set aside a regular time slot to look into your cupboards. Be ruthless, and throw out anything you no longer need.
But how do you identify the things you don’t need? Well, there’s a simple rule: if an item doesn’t bring you joy, it’s not worth having. So that pair of jeans that no longer fit you? Take a deep breath, and throw them away!
Want to see all full key ideas from Mind Over Clutter?
Key ideas in Mind Over Clutter
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Mind Over Clutter about?
Mind Over Clutter (2019) explores simple tips and techniques for keeping any home free from clutter. These blinks also reveal the impact of mess on your mental health and explain how you can approach housework in a more eco-friendly way, without the need for harsh chemicals.
Mind Over Clutter Review
Mind Over Clutter (2022) by Nicola Lewis is the ultimate guide to conquering clutter and creating an organized space. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers a step-by-step decluttering system that is practical and easy to follow, helping readers transform their living spaces.
- The book provides insightful tips and strategies to tackle different types of clutter, making it a valuable resource for anyone striving for a clutter-free life.
- With its personal anecdotes and relatable stories, this book brings a refreshing perspective on clutter, making it definitely not boring.
Best quote from Mind Over Clutter
Theres little point buying a natural organic bath oil if you pour it into a bath thats been cleaned with harsh chemicals.
—Nicola Lewis
Who should read Mind Over Clutter?
- Minimalists looking for a fresh angle
- Messy people hoping to change their ways
- Neat freaks seeking inspiration
Categories with Mind Over Clutter
Book summaries like Mind Over Clutter
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Mind Over Clutter FAQs
What is the main message of Mind Over Clutter?
Mind Over Clutter teaches us how to declutter our physical and mental spaces for a more organized and peaceful life.
How long does it take to read Mind Over Clutter?
The reading time for Mind Over Clutter may vary, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Mind Over Clutter a good book? Is it worth reading?
Mind Over Clutter is worth reading as it offers practical strategies to create order and harmony in our lives.
Who is the author of Mind Over Clutter?
The author of Mind Over Clutter is Nicola Lewis.
What to read after Mind Over Clutter?
If you're wondering what to read next after Mind Over Clutter, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
- The Joy of Less by Francine Jay
- Let It Go by Peter Walsh
- Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
- Hinch Yourself Happy by Mrs. Hinch
- The Body by Bill Bryson
- Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
- Beyond Tidy by Annmarie Brogan and Marie Limpert
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
- Stuffocation by James Wallman