Mindfulness x Decluttering: A Spring Holiday Recommendation

In many places, late April to early May includes a stretch of holidays. Have you made any plans yet? Since popular spots are often crowded during this time, you might be thinking of spending a peaceful, restorative break at home.

With the arrival of spring, many of us find ourselves caught up in busy routines—whether it's a new project at work, school restarting after a break, or simply the shift into a new season. It’s easy for our living spaces to become cluttered without us even noticing. In my own home, even though I cleared off the table just a few days ago, the area around my computer is already full of stuff.

They say your surroundings reflect the state of your mind. And indeed, being in a messy environment can lead to irritation, stress, and even physical fatigue.

This spring break, as we get a rare chance to slow down and reset, why not try practicing mindfulness—a technique known to boost concentration—while decluttering both your mind and your living space?

What is “Danshari”?

Even when you feel ready to tidy up, you might not know where to start. The concept of danshari became popular around 2010. While it involves letting go of unnecessary things, its meaning goes deeper.

The term danshari originates from three principles found in the philosophy of yoga:

・Dan-gyō (断行): Refusing—cutting off unnecessary things, information, or bad habits from entering your life.
・Sha-gyō (捨行): Discarding—letting go of things you already have that you no longer need, including needless worries.
・Ri-gyō (離行): Detaching—releasing attachment to material things, money, status, or fame.

In essence, danshari is not only about clearing out physical clutter from your room—it’s also about releasing emotional and psychological attachments to various aspects of life.

The Benefits of Practicing Danshari

When you practice danshari and let go of what you no longer need, your room becomes tidy—but that’s not all. Freeing yourself from a cluttered space can bring mental clarity and a sense of calm.

Other benefits include:

・Reduced stress from not having to search for misplaced items
・Fewer visual distractions, leading to improved focus and concentration
・Better air circulation in a clean room, which is said to enhance your overall luck and energy

Mindfulness: The Practice of “Noticing and Letting Go”

Mindfulness is the English translation of the Buddhist term sati. In Japanese, it is often translated as “awareness” or “noticing.” The concept of sati is generally understood to have three key aspects:

1. Awareness before words—pure, direct noticing
2. Non-judgmental attention to things as they are
3. Remembering or recollecting awareness

The Japan Mindfulness Society defines mindfulness as:
"Intentionally directing attention to the experience of the present moment, observing it without judgment, and with a detached state of mind."

In other words, mindfulness is the state of being fully present and focused on “this very moment,” without distraction or analysis.

For example, when drinking tea or coffee, rather than drinking it mindlessly, you might engage all your senses—feeling the warmth of the cup, noticing its color, inhaling the aroma, sensing the temperature, and observing how it flows down your throat.

Practicing mindfulness helps train your ability to tune into reality as it is, with sharpened senses, instead of getting caught up in regrets about the past or worries about the future.

When your body and mind feel fulfilled in the present moment, it becomes easier to let go of anxiety, anger, greed, and attachment. You become less swayed by negative emotions and can maintain a calm and quiet state of mind through mindfulness.

How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation (Breathing Method)

At the core of mindfulness meditation is breathwork. Since it only takes five minutes, why not try it before you start tidying up? It can help you feel refreshed, and boost both your focus and motivation for organizing.

1. First, go to a quiet place where you can be alone. Sit in a comfortable position, keep your back straight, and imagine your weight sinking evenly into your sit bones for a stable posture. Gently rock your body from side to side to balance your weight evenly.

2. Next, observe your breathing. Relax your arms and shoulders and breathe naturally. Focus on the physical sensations of your breath—your belly expanding and contracting, your shoulders slowly rising and falling. Gently notice the experience of “inhaling now” and “exhaling now.”

3. As you meditate, thoughts and emotions may arise, and your focus may drift. If this happens, don’t blame yourself. Simply notice—“Oh, I’m thinking about work”—accept it, and gently return your attention to your breath.

The key is to recognize that your mind naturally wanders. What’s important is not to chase after those thoughts or emotions, but to let them go.

Mindfulness Enhances Concentration

One of the short-term but powerful benefits of mindfulness is improved concentration.

In today’s world, we are constantly surrounded by an overload of information. We can instantly look up whatever we need on our smartphones, and even when we think we’re only reading what we want, our attention is easily caught by pop-up ads and other distractions. As a result, our focus is often scattered, and more and more people are finding it difficult to concentrate for long periods.

The quickest path to better concentration is to reduce visual stimuli. Even just a few minutes with your eyes closed can give your brain a brief but effective rest. The irritability we feel in messy rooms is also related to the excess of visual input we’re receiving.

By regularly practicing mindfulness—which involves focusing your awareness on “this very moment” and tuning into your body and mind just as they are—you can not only improve your concentration, but also sustain it over longer periods.

Mindfulness Helps Calm the DMN

Mindfulness creates intentional moments of mental stillness in our minds, which are usually running at full speed all day long.

Even when we're doing nothing and our minds are wandering, the brain uses about 70–80% of its energy. This is due to what’s called the Default Mode Network (DMN)—a network in the brain that becomes active when we're not consciously focused on anything in particular.

While having the DMN “on” can lead to creativity and help the brain organize information, overactivity in this network can make our minds overly preoccupied with regrets about the past or anxieties about the future. This can leave us feeling mentally exhausted, no matter how much we rest.

It also reduces our ability to focus on what’s right in front of us—which makes tasks like tidying up even harder.

When we focus our attention on “this very moment,” mindfulness helps suppress DMN activity and gives the brain a break. The benefits of giving your brain this rest include:

・Increased focus and productivity; mental clarity
・Recovery from mental fatigue
・Reduced anxiety and stress
・Boosted immune function
・Better sleep quality
・Less irritability and mental fog
・A calmer mind and greater sense of happiness

Steps for Danshari (Decluttering)

Let’s take a look at the basic steps for danshari. Trying to declutter the entire house in one go can feel overwhelming and stressful. It’s better to start with areas that you use frequently.

One important thing to note is that if you live with others, make sure to confirm with them first before decluttering items that do not belong to you in order to avoid conflicts.

If you feel tired or notice that your focus is slipping, take a break. Don’t rush—declutter at your own pace.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Practice a 5-minute mindfulness meditation to calm your mind.
2. Choose the area to declutter (e.g., kitchen, refrigerator, dresser drawers, etc.) and tackle one spot at a time.
3. Sort items into three categories: necessary items, unnecessary items, and items for which you cannot decide.
4. Store the necessary items neatly.
5. Dispose of the unnecessary items (throw away, sell, donate, etc.).
6. For the items you’ve put on hold, store them and reconsider in one month.

Strengthening the Power to Let Go with Danshari and Mindfulness

In this post, we’ve explored the concepts of danshari (decluttering) and mindfulness. I believe the common theme between them is the power to “let go.”

Danshari is not just about throwing away unnecessary items and tidying up your space—it’s about releasing attachments to various things.
Mindfulness, on the other hand, is the practice of focusing your awareness on your body and mind just as they are in the present moment. When your mind feels fulfilled with the reality of “this very moment,” you become able to let go of anxiety, anger, desire, and attachment.

A 5-minute mindfulness meditation before starting your decluttering will not only help you enhance your concentration, but also make the process of danshari go remarkably smoothly. By focusing on the current state of your life and your senses in the present moment, you can better determine what is truly necessary.

As your space becomes more organized, your mind will become calmer. You’ll likely gain greater clarity about what is truly important to you in your life.

Thank you for reading until the end.