There's something about the first signs of fall that makes me want to put things back in order.
Maybe it's opening a closet for a sweater and realizing how much has accumulated. Or looking at the calendar after a busy summer and wondering how every blank space disappeared.
But I've also realized clutter isn't always stuff.
Sometimes clutter is an overfilled schedule, complicated health routines, too many commitments, or even too much health information. All of it can leave us tired and overwhelmed.
When More Becomes Too Much
We live in a culture that constantly tells us we need something else. Another organizing system. Another commitment. Another diet. Another supplement. Another podcast telling us the twelve things we're apparently doing wrong. Before long, even getting healthy feels exhausting.
Have you ever stood in front of a cabinet full of supplements and wondered which ones you're actually supposed to be taking? Or saved so many healthy recipes that you still don't know what to make for dinner? Sometimes we don't need more information. We need more simplicity.
First Corinthians 14:40 reminds us:
“Let all things be done decently and in order.”
Although the context isn't health or homemaking, I love the principle. Order creates room for what matters.
Declutter the Home
Our environment influences our daily choices more than we realize. When the kitchen is cluttered, nourishing food is buried behind convenience foods, or the dining table has become another "hot spot" as Flylady calls it, healthy choices can require more effort.
You don't need to reorganize the entire house this weekend. Look for the areas that most affect your mental health.
- Kitchen counters
- Refrigerator and pantry
- Supplement cabinet
- Bedroom
- Walking or exercise space
Ask yourself: Does this space make healthy living easier or harder? That's a different way to think about decluttering.
Declutter the Schedule
This one may be harder. Christian women are very good at serving. Family needs us, church needs us, friends need us, and sometimes we automatically assume the godly answer is always yes. But every yes costs something.
If your calendar leaves no room to spend time with the Lord, prepare nourishing food, move your body, sleep adequately, or simply sit down for a few minutes, something may need reconsidering.
Even Jesus withdrew from people and rested. You don't have to earn rest by finishing everything first.
Declutter Your Health Habits
Health can become cluttered too. We're surrounded by information about diets, supplements, fasting, hormones, exercise, detoxification, sleep, blood sugar, gut health…the list never ends. Eventually, we can become so overwhelmed that we do nothing consistently.
Maybe this fall isn't the season to add another protocol. Maybe it's time to return to the foundations of health.
- Nourishing whole foods
- Water
- Sleep
- Movement
- Sunshine
- Fresh air
- Healthy relationships
- Time with God
No, those aren't flashy, but foundational things rarely are.
A Time to Cast Away
Ecclesiastes 3:6 says there is:
“a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.”
I think fall gives us a beautiful opportunity to ask what needs to be cast away before another busy season begins.
What are you carrying simply because you've always carried it? Maybe it's an obligation you no longer need to own. Maybe it's a health habit that has become complicated and burdensome. Maybe it's physical clutter that makes caring for your home and family harder.
Or perhaps it's the belief that being a faithful woman means continually adding more to your plate.
Make Room for What Matters
Biblical stewardship isn't simply about taking good care of things. It's recognizing what God has entrusted to us and managing it wisely. That includes:
- Our possessions.
- Our time.
- Our finances.
- Our talents
- And our bodies.
So before you add anything new this fall, ask:
What could I remove?
What would create room for nourishing meals, peaceful evenings, meaningful relationships, restorative sleep, and time with the Lord?
You may discover that your fall health reset doesn't require adding one more thing. It requires casting away to make room for what matters most.
If you need to start with your foundations of health, click the button below for my 7 Steps to Renewing Your Health. Good health requires a solid foundation.
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