Less is the new more: How to curate your environment for easier mornings and better relationships
Oct 04, 2024
From 2024 resident scholar Brittnei Gaudio, owner and head nester of wellnested Living Co.
Sometimes, the simplest answer is the right one. There can be so much complexity and nuance to our adult lives that when presented with a simple way out, it feels like a bit of a rouse. We expect to struggle, we anticipate challenge and yet when it comes to curating a home that curbs overstimulation, overwhelm, and conflict (for everyone under that roof), the answer is almost always to simplify.
Unlike so many other problems we are presented with in motherhood, this is one area in which we are not encouraged to buy more, try more or spend more. Quite the opposite, actually. If you and/or your partner find yourselves avoiding certain zones of your home, picking fights over cluttered kitchen counters, incessantly nagging about stair piles, feeling your energy reserves plummet just walking in the door or opening your eyes each morning, the answer is simple. Have less.
The less you have, the less you have to manage, tidy, clean, fold, clear, find and organize. The less you have, the less that can be on the counters, the stairs, the floors and the bedroom chair. The less you have, the less your nervous system has to react to. In fact, less is the new more.
The answer is simple, but there is a hard part. Letting go of what already exists. See, you’ve already spent the money, you’ve accumulated the things, and to let them go now just feels… wasteful. Right?
So I ask you this: what is the cost of not [letting go]?
The peace and simplicity that come with less are profound and home-agnostic, and the best times to commit to decluttering and paring down are:
- Changing seasons
- Changing routines
- Changing relationships
Let me explain.
Changing seasons
Humans feel an intuitive pull to shift our environment with the environmental seasons—most notably the spring clean and the fall hibernation prep. But we also experience seasons and chapters of life that can necessitate these shifts, too, like growing littles whose interests and needs are ever-evolving, gifting holidays when the volume is at an all-time high, a big move or a new job. These are all good times to take pause and evaluate our inventory levels to free up our physical and mental environment for the changes that lie ahead.
Changing routines
New routines can necessitate a shift in how we use our home and our stuff—they also happen to be great for new habit adoption, allowing you to make tweaks to nagging roadblocks and simplify where you can when everything is still so new. Changes like back to school or a new school, a new commute, the start of daycare/return to work, a new home or pending move, a new family member, a new pet, the start of extracurriculars, new work demands, etc. And the good news? When routines shift, we often outgrow or negate the need for items within our space, making the decluttering process easier.
Changing relationships
Our relationships are constantly shifting and evolving; this we know, but there are some key changes that can necessitate a deeper dive into our home and its contents. The shift into parenthood for the first time, or making space for a new member, is a big notable one. Strain in our relationships over stuff, chaos and mess, as well as separation, divorce and custody changes. In my experience, when our relationships shift, our environments need to shift, too—almost like a physical manifestation of what we are sorting through internally. Use these times to clarify what is adding value, function, and ease… and what is not.
If you see yourself in any of these notable categories, I can make this simple for you. I invite you to join our upcoming FREE decluttering challenge, Clear the Chaos: Fall Edition. This challenge can revolutionize the way you approach the simplification process. You will pick ONE space within your home to reclaim, and over the ten days together, I will give you guidance, prompts and support to let go with more ease. We kick off on Monday, October 14th, with a live group call (recorded), followed by ten days of challenges. Throughout, you will have access to a group text chain for accountability hosted by me, Brittnei, a professional organizer and your resident MomHalo scholar.
Claim your spot here, and let’s do this—together.
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Britt is a corporate escapee turned professional organizer and home care specialist. As a mom of two, she intimately knows the challenge of curating a home environment that is both functional and calming. As Owner and Head Nester of wellnested Living Co., she strives to help busy parents and professionals reclaim their space and their sanity with in-home and virtual organization services. Learn more and catch some awesome transformations here: https://www.instagram.com/well.nested.living/
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