Learning how to physically and emotionally declutter

In celebration of the release of Heal Your Living, author Youheum Son sat down to answer some questions around what inspired her to write Heal Your Living, why mental decluttering is just as important as physical decluttering, and what she hopes readers will take from the book.

Youheum Son is an author and emotional decluttering coach with a passion for helping the healing community manifest joy and fulfillment without distractions. She is the founder and creator of Heal Your Living, the Youtube lifestyle channel with over 250,000 subscribers, focused on mindfulness, sustainability, minimalism, and wellness, where she helps uncover the true

What was the catalyst that inspired you to create your Heal Your Living community?

Youheum Son: The purpose of openly sharing and facilitating mindful exchanges came forth as an essential part of accepting my past and directing it towards further growth. I felt empowered in honestly sharing the struggles I have been through as a shopping addict while living a mindless lifestyle. The availability to offer compassionate understanding for my own hardship and the shared challenges of a materially-driven world emerged as I continued to deepen my practice.

After the success of your Heal Your Living YouTube page and other social media, why did you decide to write the book?

Youheum Son: Sharing my journey on YouTube allowed me to gather fellow practitioners as a starting point for deeper sharing. Inviting others to observe my daily practices and speaking about my mindset through my videos made it possible for me to physically demonstrate my transition from addiction to recovery, but the practical guidance on the emotional healing as the foundation was missing. My main intention was to put both the physical steps and inner work I did into writing and provide the details of how I transitioned both internally and externally. Sharing the soul searching and the time of self-reflection that fueled and supported my entire journey as the spiritual foundation felt essential to convey outside of my videos and through my book as much as possible.

We live in a society that constantly tells us that we need more things to be happy. What do you think is the first step in stopping this cycle and decluttering our lives?

Youheum Son: Material-drivenness is a natural part of our physical expression as we base our bodily lives on sensory experiences and perception. Instead of seeing this as a hindrance to our human lives or our downfall, we can choose to rise above our limitations by redirecting our focus elsewhere. We do not necessarily have to abandon our physical pleasures and the act of consumption. It is possible to be grateful for abundance while anchoring ourselves in the non-physical realm and spiritual pursuits rather than possessiveness. Shifting from identification with our things and physical state to seeing beyond the superficial level of what we hold in our hands is crucial to mindfully maneuver in the world without excessive attachment or confusion.

How did you find the process of compressing your insight into book form?

Youheum Son: Gathering what I learned within the eight years of practicing mindfulness, sustainability, minimalism, and wellness was challenging because the internal preparation took some time. I initially entered into writing intending to pour all that I have learned and experimented with so far, including the physical and spiritual transformation but later realized that providing a simplified version with a practical approach was most important for readers. I feel that much more is waiting to be shared, but what I was able to put together can potentially serve as a stepping stone for fellow practitioners. 

I simply hope that some of what I offer can spark the motivation that drives us deeper into our journey of embracing healing as our essential practice and accepting our role of cooperating with the healing already present through our unique methods.

Youheum Son

You write about how decluttering mentally is just as important as decluttering physically. Could you give us an example of what it means to declutter mentally?

Youheum Son: Mental decluttering, for me, requires consistent maintenance, and I shared in my book the simplest way to begin is through reflective journaling and the introduction of meditation and contemplation in our daily self-care routine. Practicing mental decluttering means processing solidified beliefs daily through silent observation and undoing the attachment to passing thoughts as they emerge in the present moment. Both require the shift from focusing on the dramatized stories of our internal dialogue to seeing the thought itself from a removed distance without active involvement and with non-attachment. Soothing our overactive minds that inherently like to chatter, through daily weeding of thoughts and introducing mental polishing techniques is the first step.

Which would you say is more difficult: decluttering one’s mind or one’s space?

Youheum Son: The practice of minimalism combined with mindfulness in my journey revealed that the origin of all physical clutter in my space came from mental clutter. Physically removing obstacles and purging unnecessary objects as a first step may be necessary, especially if hoarding gets out of control. Still, simultaneously addressing the root problem by practicing mindful observation of our habitual thoughts brings forth a deeper decluttering. Going directly into the mental blocks that gave birth to the conditioned behavior of overconsumption and emotional attachments to physical objects makes possible a more well-rounded approach to decluttering that is beyond the surface changes.

What do you hope readers of Heal Your Living learn from the book?

Youheum Son: I have particularly chosen mindfulness, sustainability, minimalism, and wellness as this was the path I entered into healing, but I do not believe this is the only way. I simply hope that some of what I offer can spark the motivation that drives us deeper into our journey of embracing healing as our essential practice and accepting our role of cooperating with the healing already present through our unique methods.

As your audience continues to grow, what are your goals for the future in regards to Heal Your Living and educating the public?

Youheum Son:  I am unsure if I stand to educate or lead others, but I feel content in doing what I can to share my practice of letting go and surrendering, which feels continuous and never ending. I intend to maneuver through my journey by assisting others in undoing limitations and gently removing what may no longer be necessary by transforming the material into ingredients for spiritual growth.

I hope this interview has you excited to begin decluttering, emotionally and physically! Heal Your Living is out now.

Youheum Son is an author and emotional decluttering coach with a passion for helping the healing community manifest joy and fulfillment without distractions. She is the founder and creator of Heal Your Living, the Youtube lifestyle channel with over 250,000 subscribers, focused on mindfulness, sustainability, minimalism, and wellness, where she helps uncover the true emotional causes behind unwanted habits, stresses, and toxic influences.