We all feel cluttered from time to time.
Not just our house or environment- but our minds.
When our minds are cluttered, we feel anxious and like our life is in disarray. Basically our minds are just in overdrive when we feel cluttered.
Mental clutter occurs when our mind has too many thoughts, which makes it difficult for us to focus. A cluttered mind can impede with our productivity, balance and even our mental wellbeing.
When our minds are clear, we feel less on edge, our focus improves, and our overall mental wellbeing improves.
But HOW can we declutter our mind? We know how to declutter our house- but our minds are different.
A few easy tips will help you and your mind on the path to being clutter free!
So let’s get started.
A great first start- is to declutter your physical environment, physical clutter can lead to mental clutter. We stare at piles of clothes in the corner, or a stack of magazines piling up you keep meaning to put away. Even the smallest physical decluttering can go a long way. Take a look around the room you’re in and see what you can tidy or remove.
Next- avoid multitasking. It almost seems impossible- but doing one thing at a time can greatly help you feel more in control. If you are working on a project- focus on just the task at hand. If you are working on something- try to avoid scrolling on your phone or doing 2 things at once. Single task as much as possible. Make a list of things to do if you need to keep track and just cross each one off as you go.
Evaluate and eliminate. Find what is essential in your life, evaluate it. What do you need and what don’t you need? Anything that doesn’t bring you joy- should go. What things in your life are not truly necessary or important to you? Just by simply eliminating as many of these things as possible, you can get unwanted junk off your mind.
Let go of the past- focus on the present only. We all do it- dwell on the past and think of ‘WHAT IF’ but this can be brutal on our brains. Let’s face it- what’s done is done. We can’t change the past so we shouldn’t put energy into it or focus on it. Be in the now. Learn from the past and move on. We have all made mistakes or wished we had done a few things differently- but thinking about it and playing the what if game- just leads to an exhausted mind. Focus on here and now.
Write it down. If you feel like you have too much on your brain- or too much floating around, jot it down. Writing things down helps get the ideas out of your head. Keep a journal, write a daily thought you have, anything that can help get the words or ideas in your head- out. Not everything has to be stored in your brain. Jot down anything that comes into your mind that may feel important so you don’t stress about remembering it down the road.
Learn how to say NO. If you feel overwhelmed and like you have too much on the go, it means you have too much on your plate. Learn to say no when you feel this way- don’t take on more than you can handle. Doing too much at once can just lead to stress. Do only what you can and say no to what you can’t take on. There is always tomorrow!
Make time for you. You are likely busy trying to please everyone and make sure everyone is taken care of- but what about yourself? It is crucial to your overall well being to make sure you are taking care of yourself. Meditate, take a bath, go for a walk, anything that can help relax you and clear your mind for even just 30 minutes a day.
If you feel cluttered and like your brain is in overdrive, try these 7 tips and remove some of that mental clutter. And don’t just do it once, try it weekly if you feel the clutter sneaking back in.
Our minds are crucial to our health- a healthy mind means a healthy life!
