Mental clutter can be catastrophic, especially when not detected on time and dealt with. This is because it is often the doorway to a host of issues, including anxiety, stress, and depression. About 30% of adults admit to dealing with more than they can handle psychologically. This can lead to burnouts, clogs in your wheels of progress, and also inhibit your ability to process information clearly. If left unchecked, it might take more than a few quotes to get your life back on track. Hence, the need for real-life tips that work.
Clearing clutter ultimately leads to a positive thought process, peace, and mental wellness. To do that, use these real-life tips to remove mental clutter.
Effective Strategies for Keeping a Journal to Declutter Your MindKeep a Journal
Sometimes all you need is to write things down. The fact is, writing or keeping a journal helps you vent and get the clutter from your mind onto paper. Also, it’s a nice way to plan, develop ideas, and set your priorities right.
Mental clutter is real. It can be caused by fatigue, frustration, and difficult moments, such as the time we are living in right now. The brain ruminates over a lot of ideas even while you sleep!
As such, writing eases tension by getting all the mess out of your brain and into a physical form, on paper or on a phone or computer. It improves your mental health and puts things into perspective. Further, when you free your mental space by getting some of the stressful thoughts into writing, your mind is clearer and less likely to get so cluttered as often. Simply put, you cleanse through journaling.
Use a Planner
A planner will come in handy when you’re doing your bit to mentally declutter. Moreover, with the planner, you actually write down daily tasks and achievements. This truly permits me to perceive what things were really important enough for me to do, and which ones weren’t. That way, I realize which interests or objectives I pay less attention to, and I can change my needs to more important things. It also allows me to celebrate everything I get done. And celebrating achievements helps to reinforce positive behavior and good habits in the future.
For example, when I was writing a huge article, I had a lot to do and needed to analyze a lot of information, but I didn’t have much time. I used my planner to keep organized and delegate certain tasks to freelancers. Without my planner, I don’t think I would have gotten my work done on time.Â
Furthermore, your brain feels less of a strain trying to keep up with everything you’ve planned out. Many people who use a planner find it effective and efficient without having to expend so much mental energy.
Curb Your Social Media Activities
Easier said than done, but it is a very useful real-life tip that has worked for me for many years. Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat, Twitter, and the likes are great platforms to help you connect with friends and loved ones. Yet, they can be harmful, and often lead to mental clutter, comparison, and wasted time. Best way to deal with this? Limit the time you spend on social media.
What you want to do is work on constructive ways to improve your mind and body. This is because social media is largely uncensored, and there can be plenty of hurtful words, provocative statements, and even pictures that cause you to compare yourself to others. If you’re easily ticked-off by what people say, chances are you’ll spend a lot of time thinking about it. This adds stress and often leads to constant rumination over things that are not important.
Stay in control of what you see and do on social media. Remember, you’re taking in so much information. Rather than worry about the stuff you see and read online, limit your time on social media.
Change Your Thought Pattern
There’s often a thin line between worrying about an issue and trying to solve it. You could be worried about getting your work done on time, or how to repay a debt. However, changing your thought pattern will help you deal with this problem. Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, you’ll be more concerned about things you can do to reach a solution.Â
Most times, what you’re stressing about is an issue you can deal with. It all lies in the way you approach it. In fact, you can set aside some time each day to think about the problem.
Let’s say you set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes to think about and maybe even write down all your worries about a specific task or stressor. And when the time is up, you can switch to thinking about and writing down solutions. This means you’re giving less time to worry, and at the same time, having a proactive thought pattern towards solving your problems and reaching your goals.
Put Your Mental Health First
Daily challenges with work, family, and life as a whole can leave you stressed out. As such, it’s important to take a step back and give your mental health the attention it so deserves. You can do your bit by choosing which activities, goals, and even thoughts are a priority.
Your mental health is crucial, as it’s almost impossible to get anything done without it. You don’t have to wait for things to get worse before taking a break if you have to. As parents, it’s easy to put your needs after everyone else’s, but it’s actually better for everyone if you can take care of yourself and put your needs first. You’ll be more present for your kids and your family.
Conclusion
Mental clutter can build up slowly, and before you know it you’re overwhelmed. Thankfully, you can nip it in the bud with these real-life tips designed to reduce and even remove it from your life. And with more mental space freed up, you’ll have room to focus on what really matters to you, and you’ll be more present in every moment.
About the Author
Deanna Minich is a functional medicine-trained clinician and researcher. She has experience in medicine and loves to write and help people. She is also a volunteer at a detox center who can be contact on that website, and she has written about detoxing the body. Deanna is passionate about researching medical models to clinical medicine that combines physiology and psychology.Â
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