How does our mental space get cluttered?
Think of your mind like a room. Every time you get some sort of input—phone calls, news, emails, work tasks—a bit of clutter is added. Over time, this adds up. Next thing you know, you’re overloaded, and you feel overwhelmed. For some of us, that looks like heightened anxiety. For some of us, it’s fatigue or headaches.
How to declutter our mental space
So how do we clean up the room in our brain? What do you do with all that input? Here are eight different tips you can try.
1. Breathe
Yes, something as simple as breathing can be really effective. Breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of four, breathe out for a count of four. Repeat several times. Slow, mindful breathing brings clarity and focus.
2. Stretch or take a short walk
This increases the blood flow to the brain, sends much needed oxygen around the body, and reduces stress hormones.
3. Declutter digital space
Unsubscribe from emails, get rid of any unused apps, turn off any notifications that aren’t important. Clean your computer’s desktop screen. Put things into folders. If you have a bunch of random files that you don’t know what to do with, make a folder called “random” and put them all in there.
4. Tidy your physical space
Physical clutter has a direct connection to mental clutter. We’ve talked about decluttering in this post, but here is a quick rundown: Organize items into groups that go together. Then, depending on what they are, put those groups into bins, folders, boxes, drawers, or the garbage.
5. Write everything down
Okay, yes, I’ve said this before. I’m going to keep saying it, because it really works. Putting things on paper clears your mind. It really does. Our minds just can’t hold onto all that stuff. This works both for practical to-do lists, and for emotions. Scribbling down all your thoughts on a page can give you relief from ruminating thoughts, and give you clarity on what to do next.
6. Prioritize
Remind yourself which things are top priority. The things that are important are what should be taking up space in your brain. If you have non-priority things on your mind, consider delegating them or letting the matter go. You don’t have to do it all, superwoman.
7. Make a decision
Decisions weigh heavily on our mind. If you’re feeling a ton of mental clutter, chances are there are some unmade decisions hanging out in your head. Once you make a decision, you’ll feel much better. In our last post, we covered some exercises you can use to make decisions.
8. Make systems
Anytime you systemize something and create a regular routine to follow, you’re making your life a lot easier. With a system in place, you have fewer micro decisions to make. Examples of systems are morning routines, bedtime routines, and meal planning routines.
Since different things work for different people, experiment with these different tips, and see which one helps you. After some testing, you will find a combination that works wonders to make the room in your mind feel open and clear.