This time of year often brings thoughts of summer cleaning our homes—throwing open the windows, decluttering, and organizing. A fresh start to a new season is often filled with planning and hope. It is also the perfect time to summer clean our minds (and our lives in general) by taking stock and recommitting to our priorities.
Our mind plays a huge role in our everyday lives. But what happens when the mind becomes cluttered from all the information and thoughts we have? An overload of thoughts and information affects our ability to think clearly, make the right choices, be productive as our brains become fogged with all the worries and negativities.
Weather it be your home or mind, attempting a massive overhaul all at once is not the best thing to do—taking it one small step at a time is far more effective for sustainability and flow.
Quite frankly, it can get challenging at times to declutter the mind mentally and emotionally. However it’s not impossible. Here are some easy, useful tips to help declutter the mind and transform everyday thoughts into a positive and healthy mindset.
1. Get some sleep:
Sleeping well is a game changer in managing your mental state. If you are not getting enough sleep, the most common effect is sleepiness and fatigue, of course, but also brain-fog. Several studies have suggested that sleep deprivation disrupts the neurons’ (brain cells) ability to communicate with each other, leading to temporary mental lapses. If you want to start decluttering your mind and creating healthy habits, then start by getting some restful sleep.
2. Let go of thoughts that don’t serve you:
We are what we think. Our thoughts eventually become our reality. If your mind is trained on what’s not going well, you will always notice the negative more—and vice versa. We can always habituate our minds to be on the lookout for the good stuff daily to increase gratitude and over-all mental well-being.
3. Live in the moment:
We spend so much of our time living the past or stressing about the future and end up missing out on what is going on what is right in front of us. We thus end up losing the present because we’re mostly never really present there. Notice when you are worrying about the future or reminiscing over the past too much and try coming back to what’s here now.
4. Do a daily brain dump:
Keeping a journal is a great way to relax the mind and organise your thoughts. Journaling or expressive writing can effectively help free up your mental space, manage stress and anxiety by expressing bottled-up emotions and more clearly understanding them.
You can get all of your to-do’s, thoughts and worries down on paper first thing in the morning, or keep a notebook and pencil by your bed and jot down random thoughts when your mind is full late at night.
5. Do a digital or screen detox:
With all the positives the digital world brings to us, it’s no surprise how spending too much time glued to our screens can be severely detrimental to our mental health.
Spend a weekend day or shorter block of time during the day screen-free in order to make room for creative thought and mental relaxation.
6. Practice meditation:
Meditation brings with it several benefits to decluttering mentally and emotionally. Take sometime off each day to reflect on what the day brought and what tomorrow will bring. It is easier said than done and takes quite a bit of practice to meditate, however slowly but surely, the mind and body will begin to harmonize. Close your eyes, sit in a relaxed position and take about 5-10 minutes of your day to meditate.
7. Prioritise slowing down and having fun:
Last but definitely the most important way of allowing our minds a breather is to take time to unwind, recharge and have fun!
Distractions like phones, laptops, emails, text messages and social media, all these things overstimulate the mind with an abundance of information. With so much going on all the time, the brain needs time to absorb and process everything. So, let your brain take a break and do something enjoyable, something that you love doing. Whether it is spending time with friends and loved ones, walking outside or in a park, or reading a book, make time to have fun in what ever way you like!
There are many ways to declutter the mind. The steps listed above take practice and patience but you do not need to master them all right away! Taking time to initiate the process towards decluttering the mind is itself a huge step in the right direction. So be patient and kind with yourself and take one step at a time to rejuvenate your mind and soul!
Disclaimer: The information included at this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.
