Do you feel your mind having too much to think about? You might need to start decluttering and untangling your life. Focus on what’s important and leave out anything that’s bothering you:
Decluttering
What’s the first word that comes into your mind when you hear the word, Decluttering? I bet, like most people, you thought of clearing your house of clutter and organizing your things. According to the Oxford dictionary, Decluttering is “to remove unnecessary items from (an untidy or overcrowded place)”. This is because of this definition that people think that Decluttering often relates to physical things. But this is wrong. Aside from decluttering our place, decluttering may also be used on our minds, our relationship with our friends, family and even on our job. There is much more stuff in our lives than those stacked can goods in our house. Mental decluttering may do more change than physical decluttering.
Mental Clutter
Clutter is found in so many shapes and sizes. It may be in a form of beds, tables and it may also exist in our heads. Like when our home is filled with too many things, the mind may also experience it – mental clutter. Mental clutter is anything that makes our minds feel that it’s been overworked. Mental clutter can look like the following:
- Too much information – information overload may be overbearing to your mind too. Too much information is hard to process which may cause you to be mentally drained.
- Expectations – people are made to expect something but too many expectations may be harmful for you too. Expectations may give us pressure and will sometimes lead to unwanted results. It may also be hard to live up to everyone’s expectations.
- Procrastination – who doesn’t procrastinate? It is just so easy to not continue with the tasks that you are ought to do. We pushed it at the back of our minds and is annoying us throughout the day. Might as well do it now!
- Negative emotions – negative emotions are heavy in our minds too. It takes too much of our thinking making us unable to think of other important things. Stress, anxiety, worry, fear and shame are just a few examples of those negative feelings.
Untangle Your Life
Decluttering your life and your mind is easy. Just follow any of these ways:
1. Create a To-Do List
A To-Do list is life changing! As much as we want to remember every little detail – we can’t! The brain process too many information every day that it is made to focus on the important ones only. In order for you and your life to be at peace, making a To Do list is a must. You may write information like appointments, passwords, bills, due dates, goals, projects and even deadlines on it. This will help you be kept on track on your progresses regarding life, work and even your money. An organizer reduces the information load that your brain has to process. Also, organizing only takes a few minutes per day while giving you a lifetime of hassle and stress-free mind. Lastly, doesn’t it give you a sense of accomplishment whenever you tick all of those boxes on your list?
2. Limit Information Overload
If you are a student or your work requires you to read loads of information, this maybe the time for you to limit the information that you are absorbing. You may try to filter those unimportant details and focus your energy on the important ones. This will make work faster and will lessen the amount of data that you will need to store on your brain. Also, try to set a limit on how long you can use a cellphone in a day – whether you are accepting phone calls or just surfing the internet – as it may contribute to stress and anxiety to you, too.
3. Let Go of Negativities
Life is a series of ups and downs. It’s true. We will all experience negative emotions more than once in our life. Negative feelings, people and places have something in common – it makes your mind crowded with extra unwanted thoughts. It uses up too much space in your brain that may sometimes affect your function. Loosen up yourself by letting go of all the negative thoughts and people that are around you. You’ll see how happy you’ll be once you let go of these things.