📚 PRE-ORDER MY NEW BOOK!

Making Home Your Happy Place: The Real Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm releases February 17th!

Pre-order now and receive exclusive bonus goodies—simple, supportive tools you can apply right away through the holiday season and beyond!

👉 Pre-Order on Amazon

🎯 TAKE THE FREE QUIZ!

Discover your unique Decluttering Style and get personalized tips that actually work for YOU.

👉 Take the Decluttering Style Quiz

In this special episode, I'm sharing the deeply personal story behind writing my first book—from an unexpected moment in my laundry room where I felt called to write, to the journey of trusting the process through prayer, connection, and even a hurricane. I'm opening up about how God meets us in ordinary moments, why clutter is rarely just about the stuff, and the heart behind my holistic decluttering method that honors your whole self.

What You'll Learn

• The laundry room moment that sparked the idea for this book

• Why "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called" became myguiding principle

• The three pillars of my holistic decluttering method: Root Awareness, Empowered Action, and Sustainable Momentum

• An introduction to the four clutter types: Superficial, Scarcity, Sentimental, and Identity clutter

• Why this book is about freedom—from shame, overwhelm, and unrealistic expectations

• What to expect from bonus December episodes with quick wins for the holiday season

Key Takeaways

1. Your home doesn't have to be perfect to support you—it just has to be good enough to hold you and your family well.

2. Clutter is rarely just about the stuff—it's the stories, emotions, beliefs, and pressures wrapped around it.

3. You can declutter your home over and over, but until you understand yourself, the clutter and overwhelm will keep coming back.

4. Different clutter types need different toolkits—one size does not fit all.

5. We are often met by God in the middle of ordinary life, and callings can show up in spaces where we don't expect.

The Four Clutter Types (From the Book)

• Superficial Clutter: Surface piles that reappear the moment life speeds up

• Scarcity Clutter: "Just in case" items that feel safe but can be suffocating

• Sentimental Clutter: Memory-filled treasures that are hard to let go

• Identity Clutter: Items tied to past, future, or aspirational versions of ourselves

Quotable Moment

"I wasn't failing the solutions. They were failing me. Nothing was wrong with me, and nothing's wrong with you either. You just need a compassionate, real life approach that honors who you are and the life you're living."

— Katy Wells

Connect with Katy & Resources

Join Clutter Cure Club

Want to create a home that feels light, peaceful, and aligned with what truly matters? Inside CCC, we turn powerful mindset shifts (like today's episode) into small, doable changes that last.

👉 Join me inside the Clutter Cure Club

Join the Ready, Set, Simplify Newsletter

Over 35,000 women read it weekly for clutter-busting tips, tiny mindset shifts, and practical steps to simplify your home and your life.

👉 Sign up here

Come Say Hi on Instagram

Behind-the-scenes and real-life simplicity. @katyjoywells

Coming Up in December

Look out for bonus Monday episodes throughout December with super actionable quick wins—what to do with unwanted stuff, simple resets to make your home feel lighter instantly, and more. Hit follow or subscribe so you don't miss them!

Ready, Set, Simplify! 💛

You can declutter every drawer, color-code every pantry shelf, and label every bin…
but if your nervous system braces every time your in-laws walk through the door, your home will never truly feel peaceful.

In today's powerful conversation, clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Tracy Dalgleish returns to the show to unpack one of the most common sources of emotional clutter and holiday stress: in-law dynamics — especially between daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law.

If you've ever felt squeezed between your partner and their parent, felt like you were "keeping the peace" at the cost of your own wellbeing, or wondered why family visits leave you emotionally wiped… this episode will bring so much clarity, permission, and grounding.

Dr. Tracy breaks down the family patterns we inherit, the roles we unconsciously step into, why your nervous system reacts the way it does, and her powerful VAULT Method that helps couples set healthier boundaries together with compassion, not conflict.

Grab your tea (or your cold Americano 😉) — this one is validating, eye-opening, and deeply empowering.

1️⃣ Why your nervous system reacts to family the way it does
(and why in-law interactions can hijack your fight/flight/fawn response)

2️⃣ The hidden family patterns you bring into your marriage
— and how they shape your expectations, emotional triggers, and boundaries.

3️⃣ The most common mistakes couples make when dealing with in-laws
(like attacking the mother-in-law instead of asking for what you need)

4️⃣ Why your partner may struggle to set boundaries with their parent
— and why it's not because they don't care about you.

5️⃣ A deep dive into Dr. Tracy's VAULT Method:

• V — Values: Build a united foundation as a couple

• A — Aspirations: Align on what you want your family life to actually look like

• U — Understanding Your Triangle: Recognize the dynamics you're pulled into

• L — Limits & Boundaries: Create boundaries as a united front

• T — Take Action: Put your plan into practice with clarity and compassion

6️⃣ How to respond when a boundary isn't respected
(hint: it's not about arguing — it's about empathy + holding the line)

7️⃣ What to do when your mother-in-law brings clutter into your home
— childhood trophies, boxes of stuff, unwanted gifts… all of it.

This episode pairs beautifully with my DASH Method for physical clutter.
If your home feels heavy and you want guided support applying DASH step-by-step:

👉 Join Clutter Cure Club (CCC) for the DASH Masterclass + monthly coaching
https://www.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub-page

If this episode made you feel seen or validated (and I bet it did), share it with a friend who's navigating tough family dynamics — especially with the holidays approaching.

If you haven't yet, hit Follow and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review. It helps more women find calm, clarity, and connection through the show.

Ever look around your house and think, "How did it get this bad?"
You're not failing at being an adult, friend — you're just human.

In this episode of The Maximized Minimalist Podcast, we're walking through my signature method, The DASH Framework, to help you figure out exactly what's behind your clutter (and what to do about it).

You'll learn how to tell whether you're dealing with everyday mess, deeper clutter, or a system that simply needs tweaking, so you can stop spinning your wheels and finally create a home that feels light, manageable, and peaceful again.

If you've ever tried to organize clutter, declutter what wasn't actually clutter, or wondered why the chaos keeps coming back, this episode will be a game-changer.

• How to tell the difference between "expected mess" and true clutter — and why each needs a totally different solution.
• Why mess and clutter raise stress hormones (yes, really) and how to lower that mental load that's keeping you reactive.
• What to do when your home feels overwhelming — without starting from scratch or burning it all down.
• The DASH Method explained and how to use it anytime your home starts spiraling.
• How to know which step to focus on next so you don't waste time, energy, or money solving the wrong problem.

Want the full walkthrough?
👉 Get the DASH Step-by-Step Masterclass inside Clutter Cure Club: (https://www.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub-page837548)

Inside Clutter Cure Club, members are using DASH to find calm again:

• Megan realized her family room chaos wasn't clutter — her toy system just needed an update.

• Jen added a catch-all basket for mail and papers, instantly clearing her counters.

• Tanya turned her nightly reset from resentment to relaxation with a cup of tea and her favorite playlist.

Each woman solved a different kind of "mess," but the outcome was the same: peace, not perfection.

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• Join Clutter Cure Club
  Want to create a home that feels light, peaceful, and aligned with what truly matters?
  Inside CCC, we turn powerful mindset shifts (like today's episode) into small, doable changes that last.
  👉 Join me inside the Clutter Cure Club (https://www.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub-page837548)
• Join the Ready, Set, Simplify Newsletter
  Over 35,000 women read it weekly for clutter-busting tips, tiny mindset shifts, and practical steps to simplify your home and your life.
  👉 Sign up here (https://www.katyjoywells.com/simplify)
  
  
• Come Say Hi on Instagram
  Behind-the-scenes and real-life simplicity. @katyjoywells

If this episode helped you breathe a little deeper (literally and figuratively), share it with a friend who's drowning in the mess right now.

And if you haven't yet — hit Follow and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review. It helps other women find the show and join our community of Simplifiers who are trading perfection for peace.