As the fall season deepens, we crave warmth and order in our homes. Yet, with the daily demands of life, our spaces often turn chaotic. I know this feeling all too well. Years ago, with a newborn, preschooler, and school-age child, my family room—a tiny space right off the kitchen—felt like a battleground of Fisher-Price toys, clutter, and pure exhaustion.

 

Every few months, I would purge the room in one big sweep, but soon enough, the mess returned, and I felt overwhelmed all over again. No matter how many stylish baskets I invested in, the kids would promptly dump them out. I was too tired to tackle the clutter on a daily basis, and the idea of “cleaning as I went” felt impossible. That’s when I turned to my background in psychology and developed the **ski slope method**—a mental tool that helped me break down large, daunting tasks into manageable steps. 

Much like skiing, where you don’t start by going straight down the hill, the Ski Slope method allows you to criss cross through a room, one small section at a time, building momentum as you go. By focusing on smaller areas, I found that I could actually clean up the space without feeling completely defeated—and it worked! This method gave me the freedom to take breaks while knowing I could finish by the end of the day. No more procrastination or paralysis.

Here’s how the Ski slope method works and how you can use it in your home this fall:

Step 1: Start with a Corner (and Overcome Overwhelm with Psychology)

When you’re overwhelmed by clutter, your brain often triggers a stress response, leading to feelings of paralysis or avoidance. Large tasks like cleaning an entire room are perceived as too big to handle. The key is breaking the task into smaller, manageable pieces.

Pick one corner—either the right or left—and work through the triangular section created as you crisscross the room. Just like skiing, start small, and before you know it, you’re making progress. This technique aligns with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which teaches that our thoughts influence our emotions and actions. When you think, “I’ll never finish this,” it leads to stress and inaction. By shifting your focus to “I can handle this one corner,” you change your emotional response, reducing overwhelm.

Step 2: Crisscross Through One Section at a Time—With a Plan

The beauty of the ski slope method is its focus on small, contained areas. As you crisscross from one section to another, make sure you stay organized. Keep a large basket or bin handy for items that don’t belong in the room. This way, you’re not spreading clutter around or creating more mess elsewhere. Additionally, keep a trash bag nearby to discard things you no longer need. Sorting and organizing as you go ensures that each small area you declutter stays clean and ready to move on to the next.

Step 3: Build Momentum with Each Completed Section

Let me take you back to my family room. I was overwhelmed with toys, clutter, and exhaustion. Stylish baskets were no match for three kids who loved to dump them out, and I didn’t have the budget for new storage solutions or dual-function furniture. But when I started crisscrossing the room, tackling one small section at a time, it was like magic. By focusing on just one corner, I could actually *see* progress. 

And here’s the best part: each small win added up. When I finished one section, I had enough energy and motivation to move on to the next. By the end of the day, the entire room was clean—without me feeling overwhelmed or drained. I didn’t need fancy bins or expensive solutions. The ski slope method was all about consistency and breaking down the task into realistic parts. And each time I crisscrossed the room, it felt like a victory.

Step 4: Rest Without Guilt

Unlike traditional methods, where cleaning can sometimes make a bigger mess before it gets better, the ski slope method allows for guilt-free breaks. Since you’re tackling one defined area at a time, you don’t need to worry about creating more chaos in the process. Each section you complete stays neat, meaning you can pause when you need to—whether that’s to tend to your kids, take a breather, or grab a snack—and still feel like you’re making progress. No more starting and stopping while feeling like you’re back at square one.

 

The Emotional and Practical Takeaways

The Ski Slope method is more than just a cleaning technique—it’s a way to shift your mindset and reduce overwhelm. By focusing on small sections, you’re telling yourself, “I can handle this,” which helps reduce stress. You’re also avoiding the chaos of spreading clutter throughout the house. In my experience, the emotional lift from seeing progress—no matter how small—was enough to keep me motivated and finish the task.

When you break things down, you realize that you don’t need to wait for the perfect time, the perfect storage solution, or the perfect motivation. You can make real progress, section by section, with what you already have.

As you embrace the coziness of fall and reclaim your space with the Ski slope method, remember that small steps can lead to big changes. For more ideas on creating a harmonious home, check out my Home Therapy book, where I dive deeper into strategies that blend design and well-being. And don’t forget to tune into my podcast for weekly insights on transforming your home into a safe space of calm and joy.

Ready to transform your space? Let’s make it happen together!

Cheers,

Anita