Cluttered Home, Cluttered Mind, Cluttered Heart

How Tidying Up Changed My Life as a Mom — and How It Can Help You Too

“I used to be so organized… until I had kids.” It’s a phrase I hear all the time — and one I used to tell others (and myself) for years.

Looking back now, after walking through the mess and making it out the other side, I can see the truth: the chaos in my home wasn’t just about the never-ending to-do lists or parenting stress. It was a reflection of my inner world — the overwhelm, the anxiety, the quiet heartbreak I hadn’t yet acknowledged.

At the time, I didn’t fully realize (though deep down, I think I did) that I was parenting a child with special needs. I was trying so hard to be the “perfect mom,” following all the advice that made sense… and still, I felt like I was failing. Failing hard. Failing often. Failing quietly.

It took me years, two more kids, and finally a medical diagnosis to hit my cluttered-chaos rock bottom — and to take charge of my life.

actual footage of what my kids playroom looked like at some point

The mess around me was only a mirror of the mess within me. Then I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, and something clicked. I realized I couldn’t work on my inner self while my environment stayed in disarray.

Cluttered home, cluttered mind, cluttered heart.

We often talk about how we can change our surroundings — but we forget just how much our surroundings shape us.

I hadn’t noticed it before, but the state of our home was affecting our moods, our energy, and our relationships. We weren’t truly living — we were surviving.

The clutter in our hearts and minds had spilled into every room… and in return, the physical clutter only added to our inner turmoil. It was a never-ending loop.

My husband and I worked as a team to turn our home — and ourselves — around. Bag by bag, clutter left our space. And with every bag, I felt a weight lift from my heart. I felt… free.

I worried at first how all the changes would affect my kids, especially my eldest, who doesn’t cope well with change. But to my surprise, she blossomed. I saw a lightness in her I hadn’t seen before. It was like as we organized her books, toys, and closet… her mind began to organize itself too.

Don’t get me wrong — tidying didn’t “cure” anyone. We still have the appointments, therapy sessions, and medications we had before.

But this journey gave us something we didn’t have before:Room.Room to breathe. Room to recharge. Room to be patient and kind to one another. Room to be our true selves.

We now have room for joy.

My little ones now have actual room to play in their play room!