Feeling overwhelmed by your mental clutter taking up too much headspace in your mind? Do you find yourself constantly distracted by inner chatter interrupting your focus? (I know I do) Having trouble sleeping thanks to scrambled speculations? Just as your home needs regular cleaning, your mind needs routine housekeeping, too! Let’s take a look at these 5 ways to declutter your mind, starting today;

Write it Out

It’s as simple as that – just write it down. Get your thoughts out of your head, and they’ll stop constantly disturbing you. You don’t have to be a professional writer, simply get out whatever comes to mind. Don’t edit or proofread; it’s just for you, so don’t stress about how it looks or sounds. Transfer the useless information in your head to an external storage space so you can return to it when (or if) you need to later.

Journaling is a great stress-reliever, even if you’re new to it and merely begin with a bullet journal. You can relax your mind by avoiding bottling up those issues you’re worried about, like relationship woes or work troubles. You could also create an action plan to achieve important goals, or purely organize your thoughts currently all jumbled up inside.

Another method is to create lists. (I’m such a big fan of lists that even my lists have lists sometimes) Write down what you need to do, what you should be doing, and what you want to do, then prioritize the tasks by figuring out what matters most to you. Putting it to paper will not only unburden your mind but also help show you the path you need to take to reach where you want to go. We are so good at creating imaginary obstacles when all we need to do is just get started. Your list(s) will give you what you need to make that first step!

Also read: How to effectively manage your time as an entrepreneur

Declutter and/or Change Your Physical Environment

You’ve probably heard this a million times; “Tidy home, tidy mind” right? This is because it really is true what they say. A cluttered physical space can do more harm than good and there are too many benefits of improving your surroundings that it would be crazy not to. When you come home to see a pile of dirty dishes waiting for you, it doesn’t exactly invoke happiness, does it? So, one of the easiest ways to begin to clear your mind is to start with cleaning up your physical environment. (Aka; let’s Marie Kondo your way to happiness)

Having a lot of extra ‘stuff’ in your home can weigh you down mentally. Take the time to liberate your closet, and you’ll find you also gain leeway in your head for more positive, meaningful thoughts.

If you already have a clean, organized physical space, try changing it around! Simply rearranging your furniture can feel like a completely fresh start. Remember changing your room around as a kid and being so proud of what felt like a whole new place? New surroundings can be uplifting and inspiring and who doesn’t love a fresh look?

Alternatively, you may need to just get out of your usual space. If you live in the city, try getting out into nature or somewhere quiet – dulling the sounds around you can turn down the noise in your head, too. If you work from home, try doing so in a different room, or even outside (weather permitting of course – sorry to my UK babes, get your umbrellas out). These changes can spark new drive, improve wellbeing, and declutter your mind big time.

Set Limits on Media Consumption

Oh yes, the classic social media detox. It’s a thing. Social media does its best to keep you hooked and spend as much time as possible on their infinite scrolling pages. (Even this morning I was rewatching ‘tiny kitten has a spa day’ over and over again) This abundance of information provided to us SO easily can clog our brains and give us stress and anxiety without us even realizing it. Therefore, you should absolutely set those time limits for browsing the internet & social media, and don’t let yourself absorb all the chaos at once.

You also need to ensure you’re being selective about your media usage; decide what is relevant to you, rather than paying attention to everything popping up on your screen. Try to avoid negative content as much as possible, it’s okay to unfollow and mute whatever & whoever isn’t serving you right now. mmmmkay?

Unwind, Meditate and Just Breathe

A wonderful way to gain clarity and focus your mind on the present moment is to practice yoga and/or meditation. When you’re able to concentrate on one thing, you can dispose of all those unnecessary thoughts. If you’re new or feel like you aren’t sure whether this is for you, try some guided meditation to begin and work your way up from there. Headspace has a free introduction to meditation program or you can just search for guided meditations on youtube!

Or, if you struggle with meditation or yoga, (hey, it’s not for everyone and that’s okay) you can simply take a deep breath and picture yourself during ‘the good times’, such as waking up with the sunrise on your last holiday, or that incredible road trip with your best friend. Going back to those experiences and feelings can bring a sense of positivity and peace. Deep breathing can be incredibly effective in helping your body relax, promoting concentration, and elevating your mood almost instantly. There are countless of benefits to this so try and see what works for you!

Just like your body needs a break sometimes, your brain also needs to rest. Switching off your electronics and doing something that makes you happy can help your brain recharge and improve your performance. If any of the above aren’t for you; It may be a long nap, a workout, walk in the park, or even dancing it out to Lizzo that can completely free your mind of any distractions.

Be Decisive

It can be incredibly tough to make decisions, in any area of our life. So, we put it off purely because we don’t want to do it. This creates clutter AND ultimately leads to those overwhelming feelings we all hate, just by having pending decisions littering our minds.

Best way to handle this? Declutter your mind by being decisive. Carefully evaluate the pros and cons and try not to look back once you’ve made your choice. I KNOW how hard this can be, trust me. Especially when it comes to things we care so much about but being indecisive is a habit that will flow over to every aspect of your life, even the things you could easily decide on, now become a struggle. Best to rip that bandaid off and look forward!

So that’s it.

You can never completely clear your mind of its clutter. But the good news is, that’s okay. For now, do your best to free up your headspace and focus on what really matters by decluttering your mind. It may be a challenge, but it will be worth it – mentally and physically.

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