Decluttering your mind is about clearing your head so you can focus more on the important things. Here are the 10 best ways relax and to clear your mind and get you focused.
Sometimes you can have days or even weeks when you have so much on your mind that you’re never quite able to get focused. It’s at times like these that you’ll need to do some serious decluttering! The following top 10 tips aim to help you clear your mind of any ‘excess baggage’, so that you will be able to focus more on the things that are of the greatest importance.
Make a list
If you’ve got a particularly large number of things to remember, then write them down in a list rather than keeping them all stored in your head. Doing this will help to declutter your mind by allowing you to ‘empty’ all your ideas out onto the page — meaning you won’t have to remember all the items. Making a list on your computer is a good idea, as you’ll be less likely to lose your list and will be able to add or delete items easily — plus you can set your computer up so that it will give you a reminder message when you need to complete a particular item on your list.
Write a diary or keep a blog
If you have lots of anxieties and worries, then writing them down in a diary or a blog can help you put them into some kind of perspective. Writing all your thoughts down clears up space in your head, so that you will be free to use your mind for more satisfying and meaningful reflections. Simply set aside a certain amount of time each day for your writing session in order to regularly declutter your mind. Your diary or blog will also act as a good source for when you need to look back and find out when you did specific things.
Get organized
Your mind will often be full of thoughts such as ‘Where did I put my wallet?’ or ‘Do I need to do a food shop today?’, which can sap your mental energy if they build up too much. To avoid this you should always be as organised as possible. There’s nothing more annoying than misplacing an item — your keys probably being the worst culprits — so always put important items in the same place. Also, if you plan ahead you won’t have to think about whether or not you need to do a certain activity — such as going to the supermarket — on the day itself; instead, you will already know for certain whether you need to do it or not.
Let go of negativity
It’s you and you alone who is in charge of what goes through your mind — but somehow many of us allow ourselves to become bogged down with negative thoughts. If you go around thinking negatively all the time, then you’re never going to be in a particularly good mood — so it’s best to let go of negative thoughts whenever possible, as it will relieve your mind of excessive stress. After all, if something has made you mad, what good is there in stewing over it all day?
Learn to say ‘no’
Some people just can’t say no, and always say ‘yes’ when they have been asked to do favours for others or have been offered an invitation. If you’ve already got enough on your plate then don’t be tempted to add to it. So, if a work colleague asks you to do something, always think about whether or not it’s practical for you to take the task on board. And there will surely be one or two things that you can say ‘no’ to in other areas as well. Sometimes if you just keep saying yes to something, it becomes a habit, and you very often get stuck with doing it — so train yourself to say ‘no’ when you need to.
Avoid interruptions
If your head is swimming with things to be done and you’re getting interrupted frequently, you’ll probably be getting nowhere and feel like your mind is in overload. Interruptions can cause your productivity to plummet, so try to avoid them whenever possible. For example, if you’ve got something particularly important to do for work, then consider working from home if you’re allowed to do so, as you’ll be able to avoid the majority of interruptions that may usually occur in your workplace. Simple things such as closing your office door — a sign to people that you don’t want to be disturbed — will also help you to avoid interruptions.
Just do it!
One of the worst things for cluttering up your mind is putting off tasks that you have to do. They just sit there in your head and niggle away so you can never quite concentrate on another task that you are doing at the time. So, our advice is to just do whatever it is you need to do as soon as possible — so you can get it out of your mind and focus on the next task. If you don’t do this, you’ll often put more energy into thinking about doing something than actually doing it! And remember: it’s amazing how quickly you can do something once you finally commit yourself to doing it.
Seek help
Sometimes you just miss the obvious. A solution to a problem can sometimes be staring you in the face, but for some reason you may be unable to see it — and the more you wrestle with a problem, the more your mind will get bogged down and cluttered with potentially unproductive thoughts. If you feel this starting to happen, enlist a friend to help out. Their perspective on the problem may be different and more useful, and so you may be able to find a solution and lighten your load quicker than you otherwise would have on your own.
Take a break
Some people just seem unable to give themselves a break — and by doing so they become more and more bogged down, so that eventually they can’t think straight and end up making mistakes. Taking a few minutes away from your current task or activity will help you to clear your thoughts and then come back more refreshed and with a greater clarity of thinking. A short break between tasks will make you far more productive than if you just attempt to wade through one consecutive task after another.
Be honest
Telling lies, even with the best of intentions, can only add to the workload on your mind. One lie often leads to another — and so you’ll end up having to remember what lies you’ve already told so that you don’t get caught out. Our advice is to be honest about your feelings with people and situations instead. For example, if you are put out or frustrated for any reason, then sharing it — rather than lying and saying you’re okay — can help you to offload some of the strain on your mind.
Taking control of your mind …
If you follow some of these tips then you’ll soon find yourself back in control of your own mind, and your head will no longer be full of extraneous clutter and excessive information. By writing things down as they come up, and by taking action as soon as you can, you can successfully de-clutter your mind — and you’ll then have more opportunities to think more productive thoughts!
