Boxing Day Reset: How to Gently Declutter After the Holidays (Without Overwhelm)
Boxing Day has a funny energy.
The presents are opened.
The dishes are (mostly) done.
The wrapping paper has… migrated into every corner of the house.
For many people, December 26 feels like one big exhale — followed quickly by the thought:
“Where is all this stuff going to go?”
If you live with ADHD, carry a heavy mental load, or already felt stretched thin before the holidays, the post-Christmas clutter can be just as draining as the lead-up. The last thing you need is another all-or-nothing project.
The good news? You don’t have to turn your house upside down to feel lighter.
A Boxing Day Reset is about small, kind steps that help your home and nervous system recover from the season — without burning you out.
Here’s how to gently declutter after the holidays in a way that’s realistic, ADHD-friendly, and totally okay to do in stretchy pants.
1. Start with the low-hanging fruit: obvious trash + recycling
Before you try to “organize,” clear out what’s clearly done.
Set a timer for 10–15 minutes and focus only on:
Wrapping paper and packaging
Empty boxes and tags
Broken ornaments or decorations
Gift bags that are torn or too damaged to reuse
Grab a bag for trash and a box for recycling. Put on a podcast or some calm music and do a quick sweep of the main areas: living room, dining room, entryway.
You’re not aiming for perfection — just visible progress.
For ADHD brains, this is a great first step because:
It’s clear what goes where (trash vs. recycling)
You don’t have to make emotional decisions yet
You get a quick visual win, which builds momentum
2. Give new gifts a temporary “landing zone”
One of the biggest sources of post-holiday stress is new items with no obvious home. They migrate from sofa to table to floor, and each time you see them, your brain whispers, “You should really deal with that.”
Instead of forcing yourself to perfectly organize everything today, create a simple landing zone:
A basket or bin for each person
Or one shared “New Gifts” bin in the room where you open presents
The rule:
If it’s new and doesn’t have a home yet, it lives in the landing zone for now.
Later (this week or next), you can:
Decide what stays
Decide what gets returned/donated
Choose where it will live long-term
For today, the goal is simply containment, not complete systems.
3. Use a “one in, one out” mini ritual
Boxing Day is the perfect moment to gently prevent future clutter. For every new item that comes in, let one old item go.
Examples:
New sweater? Choose one older sweater you never reach for and add it to the donate bag.
New toy? Pick one toy your child has outgrown or doesn’t love anymore.
New kitchen gadget? Let go of a duplicate or something you never use.
If “one in, one out” feels too strict, try “one in, maybe out”:
At least consider what could leave when something new arrives.
Even if you don’t match every item, you’ll still reduce buildup.
This is especially helpful if your home already feels full — it keeps today’s joy from becoming February’s overwhelm.
4. Create a quiet donation corner (not a guilt pile)
Instead of 10 random bags leaning against the wall, set up a simple donation corner:
One or two sturdy bags or boxes labelled “DONATE”
Kept in a spot that’s easy to access but not in your way (hallway, closet, near the front door)
As you move through the house this week, drop items in as you notice them:
Clothing you won’t wear
Decor that doesn’t feel like “you” anymore
Duplicates of toys, books, or kitchen items
Gifts that don’t quite fit your style or needs (yes, it’s okay!)
For ADHD and overwhelmed brains, the key is to remove friction:
Make it very easy to add to the donate box
Plan one simple “drop-off day” in January (put it in your calendar now)
This turns decluttering into an ongoing rhythm instead of a one-time, exhausting event.
5. Tidy the room you’re using the most — and ignore the rest
Trying to “fix the whole house” on Boxing Day is a fast track to burnout. Instead, pick one room you’re living in the most right now and focus there.
Often that’s:
The living room
The kitchen
Or a family room/play area
Use this quick flow:
Reset surfaces
Clear coffee table, counters, and main seating areas
Contain the rest
Toss stray items into a laundry basket or bin to sort later
Add a small calm touch
Light a candle, turn on soft lights, straighten cushions or blankets
The goal is not a showroom. It’s to create one space where your body can relax.
You are allowed to have one “good enough” room and let other areas wait.
6. Give yourself a real rest (not just a scrolling break)
Boxing Day often becomes “recovery in front of a screen” — which is okay! But your brain might need a deeper kind of rest too.
Try one of these:
20 minutes lying down with no to-do list allowed
A hot bath or shower where you consciously wash off the stress of December
A short walk alone to decompress after all the social time
Sitting with a warm drink, phone in another room
If you live with ADHD, you might find unstructured rest hard. It’s okay to give it tiny bumpers:
“I’m going to sit and drink this tea until the timer goes off.”
“I’m going to read one chapter and then decide what’s next.”
You are not wasting time. You’re refilling your tank.
7. Be kind about what didn’t happen this year
Maybe you planned to declutter before the holidays and it didn’t happen.
Maybe some areas feel more chaotic now than they did in November.
Maybe the “perfect holiday” you pictured just… wasn’t.
You’re still allowed to feel proud of yourself.
Take a moment to notice:
What did go well
Where you showed up, even when you were tired
Any small changes you made that helped, even a little
A gentler inner voice makes it easier to take the next step — whether that’s another small tidy, or choosing to rest.
Want help easing into the New Year?
If the holidays have highlighted how heavy your space or mental load feels, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
At Simplify Life, we specialize in:
ADHD-friendly, non-judgmental home organizing
Helping you tackle the “I’ll get to it someday” areas
Creating simple, sustainable systems that work for your real life
We’re currently booking January 2026 sessions, so if you’d love to start the new year with less chaos and more calm, we’d be honoured to support you.
📧 Email us at info@simplifylife.ca
📞 Call or text 905-999-0530
Boxing Day doesn’t need to be a massive overhaul.
One small, kind reset is more than enough — and it counts. 🌿
