How to Downsize Your Life Without Losing Your Mind

If you’ve ever stared at a closet, a garage, or an attic and thought, “What even IS all this stuff?” we see you.

A few years ago, we were working around the clock, chasing that so-called “American Dream.”

Spoiler: it came with a storage unit, stress-induced insomnia, and way too many coffee mugs. We were also on a loop of purchasing things to impress people we didn’t even like.

Downsizing saved our sanity and helped us actually live.

Whether you’re thinking of moving, minimizing, or just craving less chaos, here’s our real-life guide to downsizing without losing it.

Yes, you, too, can downsize your life and feel great about it!

Why We Downsized (And Why It Wasn’t About Stuff)

This wasn’t about jumping on a minimalist trend. For us, it was about freedom. Time. Mental space.

And also not tripping over dog toys or unopened Amazon boxes.

The best decision we ever made was to sell everything and move to the coast!

How to Downsize Your Life

Downsizing is a breeze for some. It can feel refreshing as if a huge weight has been lifted. For others, it can feel like you are just going to have too many emotions flowing out.

Both can be true, but we will provide you with the steps on how to do it without extremes.

Step 1: Start With a Plan (Not a Pinterest Board)

We created a simple checklist, nothing fancy, but it saved us. Here’s the one we used and still share with friends:

Our Downsizing Checklist:

• Designate “Keep,” “Donate,” “Sell,” and “Toss” zones
• Tackle one category at a time (not one room)
• Schedule donation pickups ahead of time (so you have to let go)
• Label boxes clearly, don’t trust your “I’ll remember what’s in here” instinct
• Create a “Do Not Touch” bin for emotional/meaningful keepsakes

Don’t get all caught up in aesthetics with your boxes. Remember, The Home Edit shows you how to store your stuff in pretty containers. The Home Edit Doesn’t Actually Edit.

Step 2: Decide What Matters (This Is Where the Magic Happens)

Here’s how we made decisions without spiraling:

• Ask the hard questions:
  • Do we use this?
  • Would we repurchase this?
  • Does this align with the life we say we want?
• Limit sentimental “keepers” to one small container per person. No, your high school debate trophy doesn’t count if you haven’t seen it in a decade.
• Set a number limit for categories. (Example: We each kept three favorite mugs. The rest? Rehomed.)

Step 3: Prepare for Emotional Curveballs

This part? Sneaky. You think it’s just stuff, but then a pair of shoes you haven’t worn in years brings you to tears. Totally normal. Here’s how we got through it:

• Name the emotion. Guilt? Nostalgia? Fear? Just calling it out helps.
• Remember your “why.” You’re trading clutter for clarity.
• Give items a second life. Knowing something is being used (and loved) by someone else makes it easier to part ways.

Step 4: Downsizing Isn’t One-and-Done

We’re years into this journey and still find ourselves reevaluating our approach. Living with less is a mindset, not a one-time purge. Let it evolve with you.

What We Gained

For starters, we gained a lot more time. Time is the best currency we all have!

We also have less stress, that’s a gain! We now have more room for adventure. And a whole lot of “why did we ever keep that?” laughs. Downsizing gave us the life we were too busy to notice we needed.

Ready to Start?

Get rid of the too much stuff, not enough space mentality. That is just a lie we all tell ourselves when we allow our stuff to rule us.

Take the steps toward a better future for yourself. Downsize your life so you have room for what truly matters.

We offer a free 30-day Declutter Challenge as a jumping-off point.

And if you’re in the “I want to but don’t know where to begin” phase, you’re not alone. That’s precisely where we started. You’ve got this.

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions