How to Declutter Your Life This Summer: The Lazy Girl's Guide to a Soft & Sacred Reset {podcast ep. 387}

Hi gorgeous.

If you opened this tab because your home feels heavy, your brain feels louder than it used to, and you're whispering "I need a reset" to yourself between your protein iced coffees — I see you. And I promise this isn't another listicle telling you to Marie Kondo your spice drawer at 6 a.m. before a green juice.

This is permission to do summer differently.

We're going to declutter your life the lazy girl way: slowly, intuitively, and without performing wellness. By the end of this post you'll have a 7-day summer reset framework, the three layers of clutter most women miss, and a free printable workbook you can actually use (not just save and forget about).

Pour something cold. Let's begin.

Listen to this podcast episode for more:

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Why Decluttering Is Really About Energy, Not Stuff

In a consumer-driven society, possessions become a stand-in for status, security, and even identity. We hang on to clothes that don't fit, shoes that pinch, and the dreaded "junk drawer" of cords-from-electronics-we-no-longer-own just in case.

But here's the thing that nobody told us: every object in your home carries an energetic charge. The Asian principle of feng shui has known this for centuries — clutter creates stagnant energy. Stagnant energy makes you feel uninspired, irritable, foggy, and stuck in your manifestation.

When you clear what no longer serves you, three things happen at once:

1. Your nervous system softens. A clear space lets your body finally exhale.

2. Your brain stops associating your worth with your stuff. Studies show experiences make us happier than possessions.

3. You make room for what's coming. Abundance can't enter a full container.

This is why summer is the season for a reset. The longer days literally invite you to circulate energy — open windows, lighter clothes, slower mornings. It's a season-coded invitation to release.

Related Reading: 15 tips for a mindful & memorable Summer

The 3 Layers of Clutter (Most Women Only Address One)

Most decluttering advice stops at "donate three trash bags to Goodwill." That's surface work. To actually feel different, we need to address all three layers.

1. Physical Clutter

Your stuff. Your countertops. Your closet. The 14 hair products you bought during one TikTok rabbit hole and have not touched since. Your skincare graveyard. The summer clothes that don't fit the woman you are now.

This layer is the easiest to see — and the most satisfying to clear because the results are immediate.

2. Mental Clutter

A cluttered mind is agitated, unfocused, and stuck in either rumination (about the past) or anxiety (about the future). Both pull you out of the present moment, which is the only place you have power. When your mind is cluttered, you cannot manifest the life you're dreaming about — your signal is too noisy.

Mental clutter is the layer most women skip because they don't know it's clutter. They just call it "being busy."

3. Emotional Clutter

Old resentments. Friendships you've outgrown. The negative self-talk loop that runs in your head when you look in the mirror. Energetic agreements you never consciously signed. This layer is the deepest and the one with the longest payoff once you clear it.

The summer reset I'm walking you through hits all three. Slowly. Intentionally. The lazy girl way.

The Lazy Girl Framework: 4 Rules for Decluttering Without Forcing It

Before we get to the 7-day reset, internalize these. They're the difference between a sustainable change and a productive Sunday that doesn't stick.

Rule 1: Listen to your intuition over your mind. If your mind says "I might wear this in 2027," but your body contracts when you hold it — your body wins. The body never lies.

Rule 2: This is not about perfection or rushing. You are not preparing your home for a magazine spread. You are tending to your sanctuary.

Rule 3: Only print what you'll actually use. This applies to the freebie below, but also to your life. Curate ruthlessly.

Rule 4: One layer at a time, one room at a time. Multitasking is a lie. The human brain isn't built for it. Pick one zone, finish it, then move.

The 7-Day Summer Reset (Save This)

Here's the cleanest, least overwhelming way to declutter your entire life this summer. One zone per day. Most days take under 60 minutes.

Day 1 — Pantry & Flat Surfaces

Toss expired food. Wipe every flat surface in the kitchen. Donate any "specialty" item you bought for a recipe you never made. Your kitchen counters set the energetic tone for the whole house.

Day 2 — Summer Wardrobe

Pull out every summer piece. Try things on if you can. Three piles: keep, donate, repair. Anything that doesn't fit the woman you are right now — out. Bonus: organize bathing suits in one place so you can grab and go all season.

Day 3 — Beauty & Bath

Expired products are real. SPF expires. Mascara expires. That serum from 2023 expires. Clear every flat surface in your bathrooms. Restock with the 5–7 products you actually love and use daily.

Day 4 — Bedroom & Linen Closet

Switch to lighter summer bedding. Donate the throw blankets and pillows you don't love. Your bedroom should feel like a sanctuary, not a storage unit. Vacuum, change sheets, and add a small bouquet of seasonal flowers if you can.

Day 5 — Outdoor & Porch

Toss broken pool supplies, sad outdoor decor, and gardening tools you don't use. Set up your porch or balcony as a soft space you'd actually want to journal in.

Day 6 — Mental Declutter

This is where most plans stop. We're not stopping. Today is internal. You'll find six powerful strategies in the next section.

Day 7 — Soft Self-Care Reset

A bath. A long walk. Journaling. A "no plans" Sunday. This day exists so the work integrates. Reset complete.

Want this 7-day reset as a printable checklist? It's inside the Lazy Girl's Guide to Life De-cluttering, my free 17-page summer workbook. Grab it here →

6 Strategies to Declutter Your Mind This Summer

These are the practices I keep coming back to. Pick two — not all six. Lazy girl rules apply.

1. Use to-do lists, not memory. Stop trying to hold everything in your head. Outsource the cognitive load to paper or an app.

2. Journal daily. Writing about your thoughts and emotions helps you process, integrate, and move past unpleasant experiences. Even 5 minutes counts.

3. Stop multitasking. Despite what hustle culture sold us, the human mind is not designed for it. One thought, one task, one moment.

4. Limit your information intake. Social media, news, ambient noise. Filter ruthlessly. What you consume becomes what you ruminate on.

5. Establish small rituals. Morning routines, what you eat, what you wear — pre-deciding small things saves enormous mental space for the things that actually matter.

6. Meditate. Even 5 minutes. Focusing on your breath gives your mind a rest from the chaos.

25 Summer Journal Prompts for a Cluttered Mind

Print these out, drop them into your phone notes, or use one a day for the next 25 days.

1. What are your top three destinations for summer, and why?

2. Describe your perfect summer day from morning till night.

3. What personal goals do you want to achieve by the end of summer?

4. List five things you want to learn this summer.

5. Imagine your ideal summer vacation. What would you do, and who would be with you?

6. Write about a past summer that had a big impact on your life.

7. How can you bring a vacation vibe into your daily life this summer?

8. Plan a summer budget — what financial steps do you need to take?

9. Create a bucket list of books to read over the summer.

10. How do you want to feel by the end of summer?

11. What foods do you associate with summer, and why?

12. Draft a summer fitness plan you'd actually enjoy.

13. Who do you want to reconnect with this summer?

14. Write about your favorite summer tradition (or one you'd like to start).

15. Describe a summer evening you look forward to.

16. What summer fears or anxieties do you have, and how can you address them?

17. Build a playlist of songs that define summer for you.

18. Plan a summer garden, real or imagined.

19. What summer events or festivals are you excited about?

20. Design your own summer-themed retreat.

21. How can you take advantage of the longer days this summer?

22. What would make this summer successful?

23. Compare what summer meant to you as a child vs. now.

24. What skill do you want to master by summer's end?

25. Write a love letter to your future-self at the end of the season.

The full prompt collection plus the morning journal template is inside the free printable workbook.

A Self-Care Challenge to Pair With Your Reset

While you're decluttering your physical space, run this in parallel — micro-acts of self-care that take less than 10 minutes each. Pick one a day.

A 10-minute walk outside. Five minutes of deep breathing. A glass of water. A beginner yoga flow. Your favorite song on repeat. Five minutes stretching. A healthy snack. Ten-minute meditation. A call with a friend. A power nap. A quick decluttering session. A funny video. A few pages of your book. A quick workout. A soothing cup of tea. A new recipe. Five minutes journaling. A random act of kindness. A relaxing bath. An hour off your phone. The sunrise or sunset. A mini DIY project. Words of affirmation in the mirror. A dance break. A reflection on your day before bed.

The full bingo-style challenge is in the freebie too.

How Long Does a Summer Reset Take?

Honest answer: a weekend if you sprint, a full week if you breathe, a month if you go layer-by-layer. The 7-day plan above is the sweet spot for most people. Pick one zone a day, give yourself permission to skip a day, and do not — I repeat, do not — try to do this in one Saturday while exhausted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between cleaning and decluttering? Cleaning is the maintenance: wiping, vacuuming, washing. Decluttering is the editing: deciding what stays, what leaves, and what no longer fits the life you're building. Clean what's left after you declutter — never the other way around.

How do I declutter when I'm overwhelmed by everything? Start with one drawer. Not one room — one drawer. The mistake most women make is starting with the messiest area, which is the most dysregulating. Build the muscle on something small.

What should I do with the things I'm getting rid of? Donate good-condition clothing, books, and toys to local charities. Sell higher-value items on resale apps. Recycle expired beauty products properly (most stores accept them now). Trash what cannot be reused.

Is a summer reset really better than a New Year's reset? For many of us — yes. New Year's energy is performative and dark. Summer energy is expansive, slow, and ripe for sensory engagement. Your nervous system is already in a more receptive state. Use it.

How often should I do a full life declutter? Twice a year is plenty. A summer reset and a winter one. The rest of the year is light maintenance — five-minute tidies and one-in-one-out shopping rules.

Get the Free Printable: The Lazy Girl's Guide to Life De-cluttering

Everything in this post — plus the daily matrix, the morning journal template, all 25 prompts, the decluttering checklist, the cleaning checklist, the 32-item summer idea list, and the self-care challenge — is inside my free 17-page printable workbook.

It's the exact tool I use to keep my own life together every summer.

Click here to download — it's free →

You'll get the PDF instantly + a few love notes from me with seasonal rituals to keep you grounded all summer long.

If this post helped you, save it to your "summer reset" or "decluttering inspiration" board on Pinterest. And if you want a friend in your inbox who actually gets it — grab the freebie above.

You may also like:

🌹 11 things to declutter that will change your life

🌹 How to finally become a securely attached woman

🌹 10 morning habits to help start your day with clarity + intention

🌹 12 feminine energy books every woman should read

🌹 44 things to do on a Sunday to start your week off right

Please feel free to email me at ashlina@thedecorista.com if you have any questions!  I’m always happy to help with decorating, life advice or even picking out a specific perfume!  Have an amazing day!!

Also, check out my Amazon shop HERE to shop all my favorite things, tips and tricks. You can also download the free LIKETOKNOW.IT app and follow me HERE.

STAY IN THE KNOW:  Don’t forget to sign up for my exclusive Love Letters for STYLE TIPS, LIFE ADVICE, COSMIC TEA, AND MUCH MORE!

As always, thank you so much for stopping by today, I truly appreciate all of you! xo, Ashlina

My Morning Ritual for a Harmonious Work From Home Space (2026 Guide)

Updated for 2026 | Originally published 2017

I remember the early days of working from home like they were yesterday.

I was exhausted. Scattered. Completely reactive — letting emails, client messages, and the noise of the outside world dictate my entire day before I'd even had a sip of coffee. I had big dreams, a creative mind, and zero boundaries around how I started my mornings.

Sound familiar?

Here's what I've learned after nearly two decades of working from home, building multiple income streams, and coaching hundreds of women to do the same: your morning ritual is the single most powerful business tool you own. And the physical space you create it in? That's the container that makes it all possible.

In this post I'm sharing my full morning ritual for creating a harmonious work from home space — the step-by-step flow I use to move from sleep to fully activated, clear, and ready to create. I'm also sharing how feng shui and intentional space design support everything, because your home either works for you or against you. There's no neutral.

Why Your Morning Ritual Changes Everything (The Science + The Woo)

Before I walk you through my ritual, let's talk about why this matters so much.

Research on what's called the Endowment Effect shows that when you start your day by taking one intentional action — any action — you create positive momentum that carries through everything that follows. You're not just making your bed. You're telling your nervous system: I am in charge of this day.

From a feng shui perspective, mornings are when the energy of your home is the most malleable. The space has been resting. It's quiet. What you bring into it first — your intentions, your rituals, your sensory environment — sets the energetic tone for every hour that follows.

And from a purely feminine energy standpoint, a slow, intentional morning is an act of self-respect. It's choosing yourself before you choose your inbox.

When your morning ritual is grounded and your space supports it, everything changes:

• Your ideas become clearer

• Your confidence rises

• Your work feels less like hustle and more like flow

• Your nervous system stays regulated throughout the day

• And yes — your income follows

I've experienced this firsthand. The months where I protect my mornings are always my best creative and financial months. Always.

Setting the Stage: Creating a Sacred Work From Home Space

Before we get into the ritual itself, let's talk about the container. Because a sacred morning ritual deserves a sacred space.

You don't need a dedicated office or a lot of square footage. What you need is one intentionally designed area that signals to your mind and body: this is where I come to reconnect with myself. Here's how to create it.

Choose your anchor spot

Pick one corner, one chair, one window nook — somewhere that can hold your morning ritual consistently. Consistency in location trains your nervous system to drop into a calm, receptive state faster every time you return to that spot.

Apply these feng shui principles

After years of studying feng shui and working with clients on their spaces, these are the principles I return to again and again for work-from-home harmony:

Face your power position. In feng shui, the power position is where you can see the door without being directly in line with it. Sitting with your back to a wall (not a window) while facing the entrance to the room puts you in command of your space — and psychologically, you'll feel more secure and confident.

Clear the clutter first. Clutter is blocked energy. Before any ritual, any crystal grid, any candle — clear the surface you're working with. A clean surface signals to your brain that space exists for new ideas and possibilities.

Activate your wealth corner. In the bagua map, the far back left corner of any room (from the entrance) is your prosperity zone. Place something intentional there — a plant with rounded leaves, a bowl with crystals, a piece of art that represents abundance to you. You don't have to believe in it fully for it to work. Just try it.

Bring in living elements. Plants, fresh flowers, even a bowl of fresh fruit near your workspace activates the wood element in feng shui, which is associated with growth, creativity, and new beginnings. This is one of the easiest and most powerful upgrades you can make.

Scent sets the space. Your olfactory sense bypasses the analytical mind and goes straight to the limbic system — the emotional center of your brain. A consistent morning scent (a candle, a diffuser, a linen spray on your meditation cushion) creates a powerful ritual anchor. Over time, simply smelling that scent will drop you into your morning state.

My Step-by-Step Morning Ritual (6:30 – 9:30am)

This is the full flow I've refined over nearly two decades. You don't need to adopt every piece of it — start with one section and build from there. But I do recommend doing them in order, because each stage prepares you for the next.

6:30am — The First Five Minutes (Before You Touch Your Phone)

The first thing I do when I wake up — before my phone, before social media, before anything — is make my bed.

My grandmother instilled this in me and I've never stopped. It takes three minutes. It's a declaration that you are taking charge of your physical environment. It activates a small hit of dopamine (task completed) that primes you for more intentional action.

After making the bed, I lightly mist my pillows and linens with a linen spray. This single sensory ritual signals the transition from sleep to wakefulness in the gentlest way. It smells like the beginning of something beautiful.

Why this matters for your space: A made bed transforms the energy of your entire bedroom. The room feels calmer, more expansive, more intentional — and you feel like someone who has their life together, even before the day has started.

6:45am — Bathroom Reset + the Sacred Robe

I move straight to the bathroom for the basics — brush teeth, wash face, a splash of cold water. I keep my bathroom designed to feel like a calm retreat: a few candles, a plant, my favorite products arranged beautifully on the counter. Nothing excessive. Just intentional.

My robe hangs on the back of the door, ready the moment I walk out.

The robe is not a luxury. It's a ritual object. Putting on something soft, beautiful, and intentionally chosen is a way of telling your body: you are cared for. For women who spend most of their days giving to others — their families, their clients, their audiences — this is an important signal. You come first, at least for this hour.

Ashlina's picks: Look for robes that feel indulgent but are easy to care for — Turkish cotton, waffle weave, or silk-touch fabrics all work beautifully. (I link my current favorites in my Amazon shop.)

I love the tuberose diptyque candle for the mornings for some reason. This diffuser from Rituals is absolutely my favorite scent. It lasts for about 4-5 months and this is the smaller one. I also really love the pair of candlesticks which bring a Parisian flair that just makes me feel more glamorous. 

7:00am — The Candle Lighting + Gratitude Prayer

Before coffee, before anything else — I light candles.

I keep fresh flowers and a collection of candles in a small corner of my bedroom. This is my altar space, my point of intentional pause. As I light each candle, I say a simple gratitude prayer. Something like: Thank you for this day. Thank you for this life. I am ready to receive.

It doesn't have to be elaborate. It doesn't have to be religious. It just has to be sincere.

The act of lighting a candle and speaking words of gratitude shifts your neurochemistry. You move from the mild cortisol spike of waking up into a softer, more receptive state. Gratitude, even when expressed briefly, activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the one responsible for rest, creativity, and connection.

Feng shui note: Candles activate the fire element, which governs passion, visibility, and inspiration. Lighting them with intention in your morning ritual is a simple way to invite more of all three into your day.

7:15am — Coffee With Intention

Coffee in this house is not a transaction. It's a ceremony.

I take my time making it. I add MCT oil (great for sustained energy and cognitive clarity without the crash). I use a beautiful mug that makes me happy to hold. And I do not drink it while scrolling my phone.

I turn on my meditation playlist at this point — soft piano, ambient sounds, occasionally a gentle guided visualization. The music sets the energetic field of the space before I sit down to meditate.

The space around your morning coffee matters. If your kitchen is cluttered, chaotic, or feels like a stressful place, your cortisol rises slightly every time you walk in. Over time, this becomes your baseline morning state. Small acts of beauty — a clean counter, a bunch of herbs in a glass by the sink, a candle on the windowsill — change this at a subtle but cumulative level.

7:30am — Movement + Fresh Air

Before meditation, I do five to ten minutes of gentle stretching or yoga-style movement. On good weather days, I take this outside — even just onto my balcony.

Fresh air in the morning is one of the most underrated nervous system regulators there is. It resets your circadian rhythm, raises oxygen levels, and grounds your energy in a way that indoor environments simply can't replicate.

If you work from home, this is especially important. Many of us go entire days without stepping outside. A few minutes of morning air changes the entire physiological experience of your workday.

7:45am — The Meditation Zone

This is the heart of my morning.

My meditation space has evolved over the years — from a single chair in the corner of my bedroom to a fully designed corner with layered candles, crystals, a comfortable seat, and soft lighting. You can see how I've styled various versions of it throughout my blog.

I keep my meditation playlist going: mostly instrumental or ambient sound, with occasional guided meditations woven in. My practice includes:

Stillness and presence. I aim to sit quietly and let my mind settle. Some days this takes two minutes. Some days twenty. I've stopped fighting it and started trusting whatever the practice wants to give me that day.

Prayer. For me, prayer is a form of meditation — asking, releasing, trusting. This is where I do my most honest inner work: naming what I need support with, expressing gratitude for what's arriving, letting go of what's not mine to carry.

Intuitive business thinking. When my mind is quiet, my clearest business ideas come to me. Not the anxious, reactive planning that happens when I'm on my phone — but the deep, inspired knowing that comes from being still. I keep a notepad nearby for these moments.

On the days meditation won't come: I skip to reading first, then return to stillness after. The goal is not a perfect practice. The goal is a consistent one.

8:15am — Reading + Journaling

This is my intellectual and emotional fuel.

I keep two or three books nearby — always a mix of something spiritual, something business-oriented, and something purely for pleasure. I read for fifteen to twenty minutes, just enough to fill my mind with something nourishing before I start creating.

Then I journal. My prompts are simple and consistent:

• What am I grateful for today?

• What's on my mind that I haven't said out loud?

• What do I most need today?

• What am I excited about?

• What am I calling in?

I also keep a printed list of affirmations that I read aloud. Yes, out loud. The vibration of your own voice speaking words of truth and possibility does something that reading silently simply doesn't.

I snack lightly during this time — water with lemon and cucumber, a few blueberries, something hydrating and easy. Your brain runs on hydration, and most of us start the day already slightly dehydrated.

Journaling as a feng shui practice: In feng shui, writing is associated with the water element — flow, depth, and the processing of emotion. Journaling literally clears stagnant energy from your system and makes room for new insights, new ideas, and new energy to move through you.

9:00am — Nourishment + Fitness Preparation

I end my morning ritual with protein — either a smoothie before a workout class, or a beautiful breakfast on slower mornings.

The quality of what you eat in the morning is a direct signal to your body about how you intend to treat it today. A rushed, low-quality breakfast sends one message. A mindful, nourishing one sends another.

By 9:30am, when I sit down at my desk, I feel something I can only describe as ready. Clear-minded. Settled. Energized from the inside, not wired from caffeine and adrenaline.

This is the state from which I do my best work.

How to Design Your Own Morning Ritual Space

You don't need to replicate mine. You need to build yours. Here's a simple framework:

Start with one anchor object. A candle. A crystal. A notebook. A specific mug. Pick one object that will live in your ritual space and nothing else. Touch it every morning. This is how ritual becomes anchored in the body.

Layer in sensation. Sound (a playlist, gentle music, silence). Scent (a diffuser, candle, or linen spray). Texture (a soft robe, a smooth crystal in your palm, a warm mug). The more senses you engage, the more deeply embedded the ritual becomes.

Protect it fiercely. Your morning ritual is not optional when you're building something. It is the foundation everything else is built on. Guard those first hours like they are your most valuable business asset — because they are.

Use feng shui to support it. Clear the space. Add a living element. Activate your wealth corner. Face your power position. These aren't superstitions — they're environmental design principles that support the psychological states you need to thrive.

The Connection Between Your Morning Ritual and Your Income

I want to be direct with you about something, because I know many of you reading this are building businesses from home.

The mornings where I skip my ritual, start with my phone, and move straight into reactive mode are always my least productive and least profitable days. The mornings where I protect this time — even a shortened version of it — set a completely different trajectory.

Your morning ritual is where you regulate your nervous system, connect to your vision, and show up as the woman who creates her day rather than reacts to it. That woman makes better decisions. She takes bolder action. She shows up more confidently in her content, her conversations, and her offers.

If you're building an online business and you're feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or stuck — I'd gently ask: what does your morning look like right now?

This is the exact work we do inside She’s All In: The 21-day morning CEO activation— not just the strategy, but the energetic and lifestyle foundation that makes the strategy actually work. Because you can have all the right tactics and still feel like you're pushing a boulder uphill if your inner world isn't in alignment.

And if you're craving a deeper reset — of your body, your energy, your confidence, and your daily rhythms — the Glow Code is a 30-day feminine identity and wellness reset I created specifically for women who are ready to come back to themselves.

Your Morning Ritual Checklist (Save This)

Here's a simple version you can screenshot and stick on your mirror:

Upon waking:

• Make your bed

• Mist your linens

Bathroom ritual:

• Wash face, brush teeth

• Put on your robe

Candle + intention:

• Light candles

• Say your gratitude prayer

Coffee ceremony:

• Make coffee intentionally

• Turn on your playlist

• No phone yet

Movement:

• 5–10 minutes stretch or yoga

• Fresh air if possible

Meditation:

• Stillness, prayer, intuitive thinking

• Notepad nearby for ideas

Reading + journaling:

• 15 minutes reading

• Journal your gratitude, feelings, intentions

• Read affirmations aloud

Nourishment:

• Hydrate (water with lemon)

• Eat something intentional

Romanticize Your Mornings

I've been refining this ritual since 2008, and what it's given me — beyond the clarity and income — is a profound sense of ownership over my own life. I'm not living reactively. I'm not letting the outside world write the first chapter of my day.

Every single morning, I choose how I want to feel, what I want to create, and who I want to be that day. And then I design an environment that supports that choice.

That's what your home can do for you. That's what your morning ritual can do for you.

You deserve a life that feels as beautiful on the inside as it looks on the outside.

Start tomorrow. Start with one candle. Start somewhere.

I love you, Ashlina

Loved this post? Save it to Pinterest, share it with a friend who works from home, and leave me a comment below — I'd love to know what your morning ritual looks like right now.

Related posts you'll love:

• 10 simple yet effective tips to feng shui your home office

• How to set up your home office in alignment with your next level

• 4 strategic morning power moves for women entrepreneurs

• 17 ways to simplify your life to create more ease and calm

Ashlina Kaposta is a blogger, life and business coach, and creator of the Shine Online Digital Wealth Mastermind and The Glow Code. She has been writing about blissful, intentional living since 2008.