Hello! It’s Michelle from Boomer Eco Crusader. I’m excited to be taking over Shelly’s blog for the day. I’m a young-at-heart baby boomer from Kitchener, Canada who blogs about green living, decluttering, money and career tips, and everyday life. Today I’m teaming up with Shelly to share some thoughts on purging toxic clutter from our lives.
One of my blog themes for 2021 is decluttering. My family lives in the house my husband and I bought when we got married 27 years ago. Over the years, we have accumulated enough clutter for several households. When Shelly and I decided to do a collaboration, she suggested we write about ridding our lives of anything toxic. It was a great reminder that clutter isn’t always about things you can see.
Here’s my list of 7 toxic things you need to purge today.

Negative self-talk
You’ve heard them. Those little voices in your head that tell you you’re not good enough or smart enough. Sometimes they tell you all the reasons why you’ll fail if you step outside your comfort zone to try something new or different. These toxic thoughts are preventing you from living your best life and they need to go!
Decide today to turn off the negative self-talk and ignore those thoughts. Here are some positive affirmations to write down and take with you as you go about your day:
- I can do this.
- I believe in myself.
- I’m smart.
- I am enough.
- I’m worthy of love.
- I will get that job.
Toxic people
Let’s talk about toxic people! Do you have friends, co-workers or family members who constantly complain or gossip about other people? Or maybe they give you backhanded compliments, or find ways to undermine everything you do. How does it feel to be around people like that? Don’t they literally suck the life out of you? Why do you give them that kind of power?
Make a commitment to shed these toxic people from your life. Surround yourself with positive people who lift you up instead of bringing you down. It will make a huge difference in your life.
Destructive habits
What toxic habit is getting in the way of living your best life? Is it drinking? Lack of exercise? Too much screen time? Spending time on your phone instead of being fully present with the people who need you?
Bad habits developed over a lifetime are hard to break. The secret is to just get started. In his book The Ripple Effect, Dr. Greg Wells talks about improving your life by making yourself 1% better. 1% of your time is just 15 minutes a day. You can find 15 minutes a day to make a positive change in your life.
Set aside 15 minutes today to reflect on your habits and create a plan to put them behind you.
Harmful chemicals
This might seem like an odd thing to put on this list but it’s something I’m passionate about.
Have you ever stopped to read the ingredient list on your personal care or household products? Do it! You’ll be shocked at what you find. Most personal care products contain chemicals linked to cancer and other health issues. Household cleaning products are largely unregulated so manufacturers have free reign to put whatever they want in them. Do you really want to expose yourself and your family to harmful chemicals?
Educate yourself and look for clean products. Check out Dirty dozen ingredients to avoid in cosmetics and Chemical free cleaning to learn what to watch for.
Unrealistic ideals
As a recovering perfectionist, I know all-too-well the anxiety caused by unrealistic ideals. High standards are great and I’m not advocating for carelessness and sloppy work. But perfectionism robs you of the joy and satisfaction of savouring your achievements.
Years ago, at work, I was stressing about everything I had to do and how there weren’t enough hours in the day to do it to the standard I wanted to deliver. A very wise co-worker said “You can only do the best you can in the time you have available.”
These days, I embrace the idea that “done is better than perfect”. You have so many demands on your time. The next time you’re agonizing over minor details, ask yourself if anyone will even notice.
Regrets…I’ve had a few…
Are you haunted by memories of mistakes you’ve made? Or maybe memories of things you’ve said that you regret, relationships that failed, or jobs you didn’t get? It’s time to let go. By dwelling on those memories, you’re giving them the power to control your present and your future.
You can’t change the past so why waste time reliving it and wishing you’d done things differently? Commit to learning from the past and move on. Better days are ahead.
Toxic spending habits
Digital marketing experts estimate we see thousands of marketing messages every single day. “Product X will change your life.” “Even though that tech gadget you bought a month ago was the latest and greatest, you need to replace it with the new latest and greatest.”
Money stress is an epidemic in our materialistic world. FOMO (fear of missing out) and a desire to keep up with the Joneses, the Kardashians or other trendsetters or influencers is unhealthy. It can lead you to overspend and take on crushing levels of debt.
More stuff is not the key to happiness. Before mindlessly spending, stop, think and ask why. Have a look at mindful shopping habits for questions to ask before you buy. Embrace the idea that less is more. Less stuff means more time for what matters.
So, that’s my list of toxic clutter you need to rid yourself of today. Are there other things you think of when you hear toxic clutter? Tell us below.
Thanks again Shelly for having me over. Head on over to Boomer Eco Crusader to read Shelly’s thoughts on toxic clutter.
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Hope you enjoyed that post! If you’re keen to read a little more on self improvement, make sure to check out 5 Things you can do to sound smarter!
Such a great collaboration post here Michelle! Its amazing how removing toxic things from our lives can have such a great impact on us both physically and mentally. Loved this! Keep up the good work!
Thanks Olivia. I agree…the clutter you can’t see is worse than what you do see.
Such a great post 👏👏👏
I like the concept of the “Ripple effect”
Cutting toxic people from my life has become the utmost important task of my life. Hope I can achieve it soon
Gosh girl it hurts to cut people out but sometimes it’s what we have to do!
Thanks for reading 💖
Thanks. Yes, when you think about the Ripple Effect, it makes so much sense. We can all do 1%.
Great topic! I agree with all points. I would also add unhealthy food to the list as well
Yes, that’s a good one! Especially with most of us spending time indoors 🙈
Oh yeah, absolutely I too have been guilty of eating a little too much while at home
Oh yes. Unhealthy food. I’m guilty of that one.
Yeah me too, sometimes they are just very tempting 🙁
Great list! I agree with you about purging the chemicals. About three years ago I started switching out my chemicals for natural cleaning alternatives and I feel so much better about cleaning my house now. Plus, it is a more simple process!
Does it become more expensive?
For me it became a lot cheaper because I mostly use water, soap, baking soda, vinegar, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide. I just mix what I need depending on the mess.
Yes. I save time and money since I ditched chemical cleaners.
Oh man, I am so susceptible to the repetitive marketing messages! Love thinking about reducing my response to those messages as a form of decluttering.
Everything does sound better when you put the word “declutter” in it 😅
It’s all noise. A few months ago, I unsubscribed from almost all the marketing emails I was receiving. It was a great stress reducer.
Such a great post.
I really want to get purge some of these, like Haunted by the memories, mistakes I’ve made.
Thankyou for pointing out all these.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks Ritish. One small change at a time!
Yes, Ofcourse
Have a great day
Small world! I’m originally from Kitchener-Waterloo! 😆
It’s easy fall prey to marketing and it’s the unnecessary shopping sprees that will keep us poor. I refuse to buy online unless it’s a company I trust or a company I’ve been buying from for some time. Most of the stuff we want are wants, and most of that is junk.
Lol that sounds a little like heaven but hell at the same time. I actually prefer to buy online because I tend to spend less that way. I’m always afraid I’ll need to return stuff so I get the basics😅
I never really know what I am getting online, and I haven’t had the best experiences with sites like Amazon. Shopping in store can be a bit pricier but I need to be able to touch the items before buying them so I know exactly what I am getting. My husband swears that shopping online is better than buying in-store! 😅
I’m with your husband on this one 😅 it’s so much easier and you can do it from your couch!
Yes. It is a small world! Over the last year, I have really been focusing on buying less. I started with clothes and then it spread to other things. I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything.
Hooray, Michelle!
Thanks for stopping by! I’m not sure which Michelle you’re cheering on though 😅 the writer or the host?
I definitely need to let go of past mistakes. 😀
Its great to have that reminder sometimes! Loved this collab post XXX
Thanks for reading hun 💖
For me unproductive habits
It’s great you’ve identified them! Now get purging 😉
The stand still of life isn’t really helping. And putting in more effort to challenge myself more
Such a great post Michelle, you put together an amazing list.