Five Ways to Help You De-Clutter Your Mind

Mental HealthSeptember 2, 2019

Think about a cupboard in your home that you use every day. You are removing and placing objects in this cupboard each day, and as we know, this cupboard is likely going to grow very untidy and cluttered if you do not regularly clean it out and organize it. Your mind is just like this cupboard. Every day, you have thoughts, memories, reminders, pieces of information, and all sorts of things running through your mind. Your mind is eventually going to become cluttered with all these things, and in no time, you will be overwhelmed and confused!

If you feel weighed down or like your mind is running in overdrive, then it is likely that your mind is cluttered. Your mental space can be yours again if you follow some simple tips to clear the chaos and have your mental health in tip-top shape again. Here are some tips on how you can free up some headspace, starting today!

Set Priorities

When you make the decision to begin prioritizing, you give yourself the opportunity to take control of your life. Determine what drives you and what means the most to you and use those as the basis to form your priorities. The actions and decisions you perform and make on a daily basis must then reflect these goals in your priority list. Divide your time to reach your goals and understand that your priorities will vary as you grow and change. It is normal for each one to be different when you are in your 20s as opposed to when you are in your 50s, for example.

Have a Journal

It can be very therapeutic and relaxing to spill your thoughts into a journal. Keeping a journal can help you organize your thoughts even when they feel reckless and strewn all over the place. Writing and expressing your thoughts on paper eliminates nagging thoughts and helps improve your memory function. Without nagging thoughts, your brain is free to perform other cognitive functions better, leading to better mental health and you being more productive. A daily diary is also invaluable in times of depression, anxiety, or intense stress. However, a diary is a good idea for anyone, no matter what their mental state is.

Let Go

A bird cannot fly if it is weighed down by a bag of stones on its leg. You are that bird and the stones are your negative feelings and thoughts. Let go of those feelings, eliminate those thoughts, and soar. Getting rid of that nasty little voice in your mind will help you move forward in your life and do what you need to do. Keep a close check on your thoughts and be more aware of them when you feel down. These are the ones that you need to eliminate in order to see progress.

Don’t Multi-task

Occasionally, multitasking can be a good thing. But most of the time, simply devoting all your attention to one task at a time will yield better results. If you are constantly hopping between tasks, none of them receive proper attention and you cannot be productive if you have to continuously remind yourself where you left off. In fact, multitasking can create clutter in your mind which is the opposite of what you want to achieve. Take on one task at a time whenever possible.

Be Decisive

Delaying decisions can clutter up the mind terribly. Put an end to the habit of putting off decisions and make it your duty to decide on things as soon as possible. From the smallest of decisions, you need to start clearing them up – think of the quotes you need to compare, the email you have been avoiding, or the call you have not responded to. Tackle them one by one, and when you are done, promise yourself that you won’t let delayed decisions pile up ever again!

Once you begin to employ these tips, you will find that your mind will be clearer and you will have less trouble retaining information as well as storing information. Better memory, better sleep, and better concentration are only some benefits of having a decluttered mind. Don’t forget to take a break whenever you need one – and you will know when you need one! Your brain is not a machine!