Having a long holiday weekend is a wonderful way to temporarily change the pace of life. That extra time allows you to engage in fun activities, recharge, and break from your usual schedule. It also presents an array of opportunities to calm your mind clutter.

Perhaps your thoughts aren’t intrusive, and you don’t have unproductive worries and thought loops. However, if you experience these challenges regularly or occasionally, I have some ideas to help.

Reflecting at the end of this long leisurely weekend, I realized how my experiences decreasing mind clutter could be valuable solutions for you.

3 Ways to Calm Your Mind Clutter

1. Observing

One of the things I enjoy doing is taking photographs of nature. I love framing images that capture the larger landscape. I also enjoy taking details, like a bee pollinating a flower. Over the weekend, I felt inspired to take pictures with so many gorgeous flowers in bloom. While these photos only take a moment, intently looking helped me focus like the camera lens I look through. In an instant, I see the vibrant colors nature offers or notice details of leaf veins, flower filaments, or light sparkling on the water’s surface.

And guess what? My mind isn’t racing or cluttered with thoughts when I'm present and observing. Maybe taking photos isn’t your thing. That’s absolutely OK. Activate the skill of observing to calm your mind clutter. What do you see in front of you at this very moment? What details are present?

2. Sensing

I am sensitive to the physicality of how things feel. For instance, I will only wear clothes with smooth, not itchy textures. I love the feel of velvet, velour, and other soft fabrics. I also enjoy the feeling of the sun or a cool, gentle breeze on my skin. If I’m in a store ‘window shopping,’ I like to touch things. It helps me see and interpret them in another way.

This weekend, my husband and I visited Field + Supply’s spring makers' market in Kingston, NY. Our daughter, Allison, had a booth for her Level Up Project with a cohort of eight small businesses. We enjoyed walking around, seeing beautifully crafted pieces, and meeting the makers.

We needed a break from the visual and auditory input at one point, so we sat on the lawn to snack and relax. I took off my sandals, and my feet enjoyed the feeling of the cool grass beneath them. Noticing, touching the grass, and acknowledging that pleasant sensation, helped me be in the moment. My mind clutter disappeared.

What sensations are you experiencing now? When you focus on physical sensations, does it distance you from your thoughts and calm your mind clutter?

“Activate the skill of observing to calm your mind clutter. ”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

3. Watering

I’m not talking about watering plants or hydrating yourself. Instead, I use ‘watering’ about being near or in the water. I love doing anything water-related, and kayaking is one of my favorites. There is something so grounding about being on the water, sitting low, and in a boat. I can float and drift or actively paddle to locomote from one part of the river to the next. All the while, I’m surrounded by the ambient nature sounds- water whooshing, birds singing, and the breeze blowing.

Paddling through the water becomes a kind of mindfulness meditation. At the same time, it makes me feel strong and calm. My arms pulling the paddle through the river brings me to the present. My thoughts are focused on precisely what I’m doing. There’s no mind clutter, no mind wandering, just pure enjoyment in the kayak on the water.

Does water have a mind-decluttering effect on you? Maybe kayaking isn’t your thing. How about swimming, jumping waves in the ocean, or taking a bubble bath? Can you use water to calm your mind clutter?

There are many ways to reduce your mental clutter. What resonates with you? Are there other strategies you prefer? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

One of my obsessions, which you might not know about, is “tiny houses” and the tiny house movement. I am in awe of living with less (less space, less stuff) and how small spaces are designed. I love watching the Netflix show, Tiny House Nation, adding images to my Oh, So Tiny Houses! Pinterest board, and reading about people living the tiny house lifestyle. My fantasy is to sell our home (and most of our stuff) and move into a tiny house.

My husband, Steve, doesn’t share my enthusiasm for this idea. He has expressed many times, “I don’t want to live in a tiny house and get rid of all of my stuff. I like my stuff. Where would I put all of my signs?”  Steve is a collector of many things, including large porcelain advertising signs.  Then he clarified that if we did move into a tiny house, we’d need two of them to “keep the peace.”

In the early summer, with tiny house fantasies and vacation planning on my mind, I discovered a unique place in the Catskills. A Tiny House Resort, where we could experience firsthand what tiny home living was like. Steve was game and knew this would be fun, but also help me experience viscerally what tiny living was all about. I booked us an adorable 350 square foot little house complete with a full kitchen, bathroom with five-foot tub, space to sleep four people, fire pit, pergola, and outdoor gas grill. What fun! This family-run resort is situated along the Catskill Creek, has beautiful walking trails, a waterfall, and an outdoor heated swimming pool. There are farm animals, including goats (available for Goat Yoga,) sheep, free-range chickens laying fresh eggs that guests can have, vegetable and herb garden to pick from, giant-sized (not tiny) outdoor chess, and checkers, and so much more.

Four Tiny House Life Lessons

Life Lesson One: Defining Too Cozy

My ah-ha moment came when I approached our tiny house, opened the door, and walked in. I knew in an instant that I could never live full-time in one. Why? It was too small. I told Steve, and he smiled- well, maybe he belly laughed. While it was fantastic spending a long weekend there with him in this cozy and unique space, it is not how I want to live all the time. Although we both agreed that we could if we had to.

Life Lesson Two: Not So Small Afterall

The second ah-ha came when we returned back to our own home, which we’ve always called “small.” Our home felt spacious after four days of living in the tiny house. This realization reinforced that my tiny house fantasy is just that- a fantasy. I am happy and deeply grateful to live in our rightly sized home. I felt very much like Goldilocks when she sat in the “just right” chair. I discovered that our house is “just right” for us.

“I want to prioritize being and doing over acquiring and managing. ”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Life Lesson Three: Live With Less

I also recognized that even though I no longer aspire to live in a tiny home, which is defined as between 100 to 400 square feet, I am interested in living with less. It was so apparent how little we needed when we stayed at the tiny house resort. Instead of 30 drinking glasses, there were four. Instead of silverware for 40, there were 4 spoons, forks, and knives. We had just enough, but not more than enough. It felt liberating. 

So when I returned home, I started to not just think about editing my stuff. I actually began letting go. A bag of books was filled and donated to the library. I went through my files and filled up three large bags of paper to recycle and shred. That’s just the beginning. My plan is to go through each room and find things that no longer have value, are taking up space, or have overstayed their welcome. 

I don’t feel pressure or have a specific timeframe for doing this. It will be a relaxed and ongoing process.

Life Lesson Four: Clarifying My Why

Our tiny house experience inspired me not to move but to discover what living with just enough feels like. I’m hyperaware of the 80/20 rule and frequently share this with clients. We only refer to 20% of the papers we file, wear 20% of the clothes we own, read or refer to 20% of the books on our shelves, use 20% of the kitchen gadgets, and so on. I want to review and potentially let go of close to 80% of the things I never use, access, or need. I recognize this is ambitious, but I am open to the process. Why should the stuff I collected and don’t use take up valuable physical real estate and emotional energy? Why should I leave the things I no longer want for our kids to have to sort through when I’m gone? I acquired these things. It’s my responsibility to decide their future.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, our tiny living weekend allowed us the freedom to live and not spend much time caring for the physical stuff of life. Less time cleaning and decision-making meant more time for kayaking, walking in the Catskill Creek, hanging out by the waterfall, swimming, picking peppers and basil from the garden, preparing and eating meals together, and enjoying our time together. Yes. I get that we were on vacation. But even so, going forward, I want to prioritize being and doing over acquiring and managing. We only go around once. 

Have you considered tiny house living? If so, do you need help editing? Do you feel overwhelmed by your things, or do you have just enough? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

When we think about how we spend our time, we often associate feelings with describing them further. For instance, we might think about being with the family at the beach as a happy time or a time when a loved one died as heart-wrenching. However, time is not only a container that includes appointments, events, and milestones, but it also is flavored by the emotions that arise. Lately, I am more aware of the connection between what happens at a given period and the feelings that accompany them.

Why does this matter? By making the connection, we can better understand why we are motivated to engage in certain activities yet procrastinate with others. This can help us to get unstuck or extend some grace when we need it most. Our emotions are clues to our inner experience. We might not always have the words to describe what we’re feeling. Instead, we can notice sensations in the body like tightness in the shoulders, a clenched jaw, or butterflies in the belly. These sensations indicate how you are feeling at that moment in time. 

4 Lessons I Learned About Time and Feelings

Feeling Late

You’re right. Late isn’t an emotion. But that uncomfortable feeling I experience with being late is. Due to a series of events and happenings, my blog post is going live today, a Wednesday, instead of the typical Sunday. I could have skipped this week, but I won’t be able to post next week. So, I decided to break from my pattern and just go for it, even though it’s late. But you know what? I’m doing it, but it feels strange. I prefer being punctual and consistent.

My lesson learned:  Stretch outside of my comfort zone. While I regularly post on the same day each week, it’s OK to make an occasional exception to my own rule. That’s being flexible.

Feeling Anxious

Life is opening up again after a year of lockdowns, restrictions, and closings. This is a positive development on all fronts. However, the speed at which things are reopening has created some discomfort. Some of us are ready to do everything at full throttle, while others (like me) feel more cautious. I’m experiencing so many firsts all at once. They include having the annual doctor visits I missed last year, staying in a hotel, eating in a restaurant, being mask-less in public, and entertaining people IRL (in real life!) These were accompanied by trepidation and anxiety.

My lesson learned: Doing something for the first time or the first time in a long time can feel scary and anxiety-producing. However, I survived, and the next time will be so much easier.

“Time is not only a container that includes appointments, events, and milestones, but it also is flavored by the emotions that arise.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

Feeling Relaxed

My husband gifted me a kayaking date as my Mother’s Day present. I love kayaking, and he knows it! What a wonderful feeling to be on the Croton River with the bright sun, warm air, and soothing water. While there is paddling involved, I also spent time in the kayak just floating. It was during the non-paddling time that I felt especially relaxed. I wasn’t trying to get anywhere or exert physical energy. I simply glided gently along the water.

My lesson learned: Even during exertion, you can find relaxation. It’s there in the stillness and the pause.

Feeling Excited

Other than taking a walk around the house or block, many of us stayed put last year- no traveling, overnights, or day trips. We kept close to home with a few exceptions. While I’m not ready to get on an airplane or use public transportation, I am looking forward to some car trips. This summer, we scheduled some vacation time. It’s with excited anticipation that I’ll have time with family and friends at beaches, rivers, mountains, and cities.

I’m looking forward to exploring new and familiar places, face-to-face conversations, and all of the hugs.

My lesson learned: There is gratitude in waiting. Missing provides an opening to be thankful for the people and places I so sorely missed.

Have you noticed a connection between your time and emotions? Do any of these resonate with you, or have you discovered other patterns? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.