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The Annual Brain Declutter – Seven Steps to Close the Year Mentally

Posted on November 24, 2025November 23, 2025 by Angie Weinberger

I usually dedicate a weekend in November to sorting out old stuff, decluttering, and preparing the apartment for cleaning. I would like to do this before I start decorating for the holidays because it gives the home a fresher look and feel. As I mentioned, most of us experience stress in the final weeks leading up to the end of the year. We wish to focus more on family and friends during the holidays, and at the same time, work pressure usually increases.

During my corporate career, we always had “comp season,” when I was also working on performance reviews and trying to accomplish new projects. I’m currently in what I call “the Post-It Phase.” Yes, I had to admit it, but this is the time of year when even my elaborate planning system and prioritization get a bit messed up.

There is hardly a time of year when it gets light so late and dark so early. Because of all the consumerism around Christmas in Europe, even I get easily weak and buy a lot of stuff I don’t need just to deal with the emotions that seem to grow grander during this time.

And we have “Weltschmerz.”

Please don’t get me started on all the silly ideas I get from watching Christmas movies and re-watching “Downton Abbey.” Ideas like “Let’s polish the silver in case the Great Aunt comes for high tea,” and “Where are my sherry glasses?” would pop into my head out of nowhere.

Here are seven Brain-Decluttering Practices to declutter your mind, home office, and apartment so you can see the lighthouse in the fog again. (Remind me to talk about my planning process in a post in January.)

1 – Organize Files

Before I start cleaning my apartment, I need to address the clutter in my home office. This year (after reading Ali Abdaal’s book Feel Good Productivity), I have approached everything with more fun and mindfulness, and I thought I’d take you along on my decluttering journey.

Too much paper can weigh you down and hold you back. Getting rid of paper will make you more productive.

You might have noticed that when you don’t feel in your comfort zone, you need something in writing to hold on to.

You can reduce complexity by having a plan or calendar of events on the wall.

Reduce stage fright by writing down and scripting speeches, calls, videos, and other talks. You can throw away those papers once you are done. Alternatively, if you need to keep them, run them through your scanner.

Avoid tasks that do not add value to your work, business, or clients. Some of you spent hours sorting emails or filing documents in the old days. I find all my documents on the laptop using the search function or our elaborate system (it’s just an Excel sheet with links to the respective document).

However, occasionally, these systems need decluttering and organization. Think about your online files and folders and plan how you want them organized so you can find everything you need more easily. I suggest building the system on a Google Sheet and using numbers so you can sort the data more effectively. Also, instead of deleting, use an “Archive” folder first. Start by moving everything from the desktop to Google Drive (or Team Drive).

If you need to declutter visually, consider organizing documents into folders or archives. I prefer to link to unfinished documents and content in the respective Master Sheets.

2 – Get Started for 25 Minutes

This fall I have been very active, and in the last few weeks, we took on many new clients and tasks. As a team, we are working on completing open-ended projects.

We even started a project with a group of students to help us conceptualize and finalize drafts and documents. I am working on reducing the “Pendenzenliste” (one of my favorite Swiss German words, which can be translated as the list of pending tasks) before starting new projects.

This year, I started with restructuring the team task list into priorities (thanks to my friend Mr. Eisenhower). Next, I deleted all the emails that I never needed to read.

However, I did not go upstairs into the attic because I know it will take me a whole day to work on the boxes there. For me, it was essential to get started, even if just for 25 minutes.

3 – Apply the Four Box System in your Home

The four-box system is straightforward. You need to have four boxes and give them precise functions:

Box 1: Give Away, Box 2: Recycling, Box 3: Treasures, Box 4: Bin (Hausmüll).

You need to ensure that you throw away the bin immediately. You can put all your treasures in a box, put them in your attic, and leave them there until your next cleaning exercise. I find it increasingly helpful to label the contents of a box in case I need to look for something later. Having a small space makes you do that. If you have more space, you probably keep your treasures in the living room.

One important tip when working on this process is to limit de-cluttering to half an hour daily. Set the clock and reward yourself afterwards, for example, by buying flowers. Letting go of clutter means learning to rely more on your brain. Tell us how you sort out your clutter and find order in your life!

4 – Reduce Physical Clutter with the Shaker System

Get a big moving box and remove all the clutter from your desk. If you like to keep cards, photos or painted pictures of your kids, nieces, or nephews, hang them up or put them in the “treasure box”.

Hang everything up that has a hook. Hanging stuff makes you look more organized. And I learned only this year that there is actually a system developed and designed by the “Shakers,” where you hang up everything and organize your world in a minimalist style.

Waste disposal and recycling in Switzerland is complex, and you should do a PhD before understanding how it works. For my sanity, the easiest way to follow up on the annual brain declutter is by taking old but nice clothes to the Brockenhaus as a first step. As a second step, I ordered the recycling centre to come to my house directly, so I have a deadline.

Also, it allows collectors to go through exciting items the night before. I have stopped trying to give away and sell items on FB Marketplace or Ricardo because it is too much of an effort for me.

5 – Standardize Wardrobe, Meal Plan, and Grocery List

Simplify at home. Reading articles and watching videos on productivity made me standardize my wardrobe, meal plan, and grocery shopping list (I keep them in the tasks app). Place matching clothes together on the rack.

I try to have all my clothes “ready to wear” because if I go out in the dark, I might not be able to see specific colors, holes, or stains. If the clothes are still in good condition, but I haven’t worn them in a while, there’s a high chance I won’t wear them again so I will donate them to the “Brockenhaus” places.

Anything stained, holed, or old must go into the “Altkleidersack” (old clothes bag). The art is to throw the old clothes into the bin where they belong, where they will be picked up for charity right after you take them out. Otherwise, clothes and other clutter have a sneaky way of finding their way back to your home.

Also, while we are at it, let’s replace all iron and plastic hangers with wooden ones. It’s much better for our clothes to hang on wood and looks much nicer. Let’s work towards reducing plastic by ordering cleaning supplies in bulk. Take a walk outside for at least an hour and consider what you want to do next.

When we met with Adam Brody, the designer (not the actor) he shared great ideas on how to make your clothes more sustainable. Teofona Kupenova wrote about it here:

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/lessons-i-learned-from-designer-adam-brody-zurich/

6 – Color-Code Anything

I use an immaculate and colour-coded physical filing system in our office. It helps me find files that I need to print and retrieve the correct one when I am on my way to a client. Most of the time, though, I work without paper, but I remember that there are specific papers that must be filed, especially as a business owner.

I use the same color for my accounting folder every year, but because it’s not my favorite color, I once changed from a grey folder to a grass green one.

My workbook drafts are always in yellow folders, and program drafts are in blue folders.

Handout 361: 12 Tips for Saving Money in Zurich as a Lifestyle Expat

7 – Clean and Reward Yourself with Cheese Fondue and Glühwein

To make the decluttering perfect, you can also clean everything, much like you would during spring cleaning. I am not an “Expert Hausfrau”, and there are great YouTube videos on the topic, but I can confirm that psychologically cleaning your home is suitable for your soul and mental well-being.

I am much more motivated to clean when I know I have lovely plans afterwards, so during Advent, I go out more than usual and meet up with my friends, colleagues, and clients at the Wiehnachtsdorf. I also think this is a great time to engage in offline networking more and you know what that means: The networking challenge is on! Tell me what you achieved by meeting people face to face between now and Christmas. Count your “Santas” and let me know in your weekly reflection how many people you met in person either for fun, professional blind date or OFFLINE expert interview.