I got into a discussion on twitter recently. A follower mentioned how they had recently started on their 'rid-athon', their term, which I kind of love by the way, when someone else joined in and mentioned about the conflict between the ease of planning to declutter and then actually knowing where to donate, sell, discard or recycle the physical stuff lurking around the home. And I got it. I understood where he was coming from. In our increasingly busy world, our physical and mental clutter can cause us to lose sight of the simplest and clearest way forward. Brain fog can interrupt common sense ..read more

On the road again. A few weeks ago, we sold our flat in London and half the stuff in it. The coffee table, TV stand, sofa and three side tables were all sold on to new owners to use and get value from. Even as a minimalist, regular decluttering still needs to happen and I wasn't surprised to find that I needed a couple of trips to the recycling centre to dispose of random planks of wood, unopened cans of paint and spare plant pots that we had hidden away 'just in case'. Once again, we are officially off the property ladder in exchange for a more digital nomad type of life, for now. We’ve sold ..read more

I read an article recently that detailed how a family in Brazil were reconnected with their long lost family pet tortoise, Manuela, who had been missing since 1982. Manuela was found alive and well in between a hoard of boxes in a cluttered upstairs storage room after some recent decluttering. Although the family believed that Manuela had just strolled outside one day, never to be seen again, she had actually still been living in the house the whole time, fending for herself amongst decades worth of unused and unloved stuff. This story did make me marvel at the resilience of Manuela the tortoi ..read more

“No” is one the most important skills you need at work right now. I’ve spoken to lots of people recently and the majority of them are at some extreme level of busy. Maybe so busy that the word ‘busy’ just doesn't really cut it anymore. ‘Super Busy’ has become the next stage of normal and the newest superhero that probably needs killing off. ‘Stacked’, ‘Up against it’, ‘Chaos’ are more words I’ve heard recently to describe an individual's perceived situation. Sometimes, people are so beat down, that words no longer come out anymore and just a shake of the head and a deep breath is all they can ..read more

The summer of 2018 was a pivotal one. In the midst of a minimalist journey, I had opened myself up to the realisation that letting go of things was actually benefiting me. By removing the physical stuff, I had learned the habit of only bringing in things that would add value. You could say I was still collecting but I was collecting new things in a different manner. Another way of thinking had been unlocked and a bunch of new events had allowed diverse experiences to make their way into my environment. Through the curation and the search for fulfilling work that aligned with my new minimalist ..read more

It’s been a few weeks since my last talk at the ,Mindful Living Show in London, my first time at this event. I expected to meet positive people looking for ways to enhance their well-being in a more intentional way and I was not disappointed. I arrived a little early so I could take the opportunity to attend other talks and explore the stalls providing advice, remedies and mindful experiences. Everyone was there to help each other in some way and I could feel it. A few minutes before my session, I took the time to grab a drink and go over the amended content I put together for this specific sh ..read more

A couple of summers ago, whilst saving up to go travelling, I found myself very short of cash. Outside of paying the bills, the majority of any remaining money from work and selling my stuff was locked into a bank account that was allocated for flights, accommodation, visas, injections and all sorts of travel related expenses. I had to make sacrifices and anything that was outside of the general day to day living had to be put off, this included contributing to birthdays and other celebrations around that time, like fathers day. I was very conscious however that I treated my mum to some theatr ..read more

Has Christmas gone from the most wonderful time of the year to the most stressful time of the year? On top of our already busy and hectic lives, we decide to push the boundaries even more by throwing in a whole month (or maybe more) of spending, worrying, increased workloads, commitments and of course taking part in the office secret santa that nobody really wants to be a part of. Rather than ploughing through and running the gauntlet of events and carnage, here are a few things that can ease the tension and maybe bring back some of that festive joy. 1. Make a list and check it twice Find out ..read more

We’re just home from a lovely little ten day break on the Welsh Pembrokeshire coast. The current trend at the moment is for us to explore more of the UK and incorporate a bit of a road trip. Luckily, we are only a few hours drive from most of the places we wish to go so packing up the car and getting on our way is not too tricky. Yes it was in October and yes we experienced all four seasons in a week but I don't mind that to be honest, there's less people knocking about and every now and then you’ll be given a little sunny surprise. The prep for a holiday does require some planning and i’d lik ..read more

So we finally got a dog. Following a successful three month dog sitting experiment with Mario, our friends' eight year old black lab, we felt confident that our home and work set up would be a great environment for a pooch of our own. Mario had given us a glimpse into the world of being a dog parent, he taught us first hand how much of our time, energy and other resources would be needed to give him the safe, fun and relaxing life he deserved. It was difficult dropping him back to his owners, seeing his face as we walked out the door, equally happy to be back home with his family but somewhat ..read more