Clean Home, Clear Mind: Baby Steps to a Happier Space with FlyLady

Home organization, cleaning routines, and mental well-being

Feeling like your house is already a mess this year? (No judgment — same here!) It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when life’s clutter starts to pile up. But you don’t have to tackle it all at once. The FlyLady system is all about taking baby steps, and it’s a total game-changer for your home and your mental health.

Why a Little Clutter Feels So Big — Clutter messes with more than your space; it messes with your head. If you’re like me, walking into a messy, cluttered space feels overwhelming and chaotic. It’s hard to think clearly and be effective with the things that matter. But not to worry, the FlyLady knows the struggle. And she knows how important it is to be kind to ourselves instead of beating ourselves up for letting things get this way. Her system has tips and tricks to help you push through the overwhelm and get on top of the clutter.

Here are 3 Simple FlyLady Habits I’m using this week to help me take control of the clutter:

  • The “Shiny Sink” – I know, it can be overwhelming to walk into a kitchen with every surface covered and a sink full of dishes. Where to start? The Shiny Sink! Let’s find your sink back and give it some love. Load those dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Dishwasher full? Then quickly transfer the dirty dishes into a wash tub or bowl off to the side. The point is to get back to an empty sink. Then grab some dish soap and scrub that sink to get it back to a clean slate. Why? Because getting your sink fresh and clean gives your mind a reset too. It gives you a quick win to help build some confidence and momentum. Now you can focus on the dishes, and before you know it, you’ve hit the reset button on the heart of your kitchen! Each night, do your best to go to bed with an empty, shiny sink. In the morning you’ll be greeted by that beautiful sink, ready to take on the day, and maybe the next pile or two on the kitchen counters. It’s a small habit that can snowball into big results!
  • 15-Minute Declutter – The point here is to make a little progress each day, without getting overwhelmed, or worse, giving up completely. Plus, we’re learning the magic of using a timer! If you’re like me, often the hardest part of overwhelming projects is just getting started. Enter the Magic Timer. There’s just something about setting my timer for 15 minutes – suddenly my brain knows it’s time to get to work and get it done before the timer goes off. suddenly I’ve tackled the next pile of clutter and made some real progress, in way less time than I expected! And guess what, when the timer goes off, I get to stop. So maybe I didn’t quite get through that pile, what to do? Well I get to decide based on my mood and my time. If I have the time to keep going a few more minutes and I’m close to finishing, I’ll just take the extra 5 minutes to finish up. But if I’m tired, stressed, or out of time, I just leave it for the next session. Either way, I made progress! I used this method to get through decluttering 62 Boxes in my basement! If you want to declutter along with me for some motivation, check out my Playlist on YouTube. Pro Tip – try a 5-Minute or a 10-Minute Declutter. You’d be amazed what you can get done in 5 or 10 minutes. You’re the boss, you choose what works for you that day.
  • The power of small, daily resets – from resetting your Shiny Sink to resetting your mindset, there is so much power in a fresh start. And creating small habits of resetting as you go through your day builds the foundation of making real changes for the better. Sometimes, it’s just resetting my attitude, being kind with my self-talk, and giving myself some Grace in the moment. Other times, it’s taking a few minutes to reset a room at the end of the day. The FlyLady reminds us to reset as we go through our days and weeks so that we’re always keeping up with things and nothing gets too far gone or too overwhelming. Going through my Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Routines give me an easy structure to keep my home a warm, peaceful, and welcoming space. Check out my FlyLady 31 Babysteps Playlist for more inspiration.

Why Home Care = Self-Care — This is about more than chores. When your space feels lighter, you feel lighter too. And when your attitude is kinder you’ll feel encouraged to take care of yourself and your home with a few simple babysteps each day. Start with one small thing — maybe that kitchen sink — and see how much lighter you feel. Babysteps for the win! You’ve got this!

Want to dive into the FlyLady System, check out her website www.flylady.net


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