Do you feel like your brain is in serious overdrive? A stream of clutter slowly turning your mental space into a chaotic mess. If the answer is yes, it means that your mind is frantically waving a red flag, begging you to free up some head space. A cluttered mind is restless and unfocused. It tries to move in many different directions at once and the result is that very little gets done.
When you clear the excess clutter out of your life, you will notice the positive effects it has on your mental state and overall wellness. Many studies have proven the psychological power of clearing out your space in various areas of your life. For the sake of your overall health and happiness, take the time to declutter your life and start seeing the positive changes that occur.
If your brain is a heaving mess of work and life to-dos, you will be not be fully productive at work and in your life. You will feel stressed out all the time and you will never be happy and satisfied with yourself.
To start decluttering your mind of its endless to-do lists, here are a few steps that we would highly recommend to you:
Set Priorities
Prioritizing is a great way to proactively take charge of your life. The first step is to figure out what are the things that matter the most to you, your life aspirations and your long-term goals? You have to always remember that everyone has a different set of priorities – what is important and urgent to you might not be the same for others. Take some time to think through and prepare a list of your top priorities and make sure that your actions and the decisions you take reflect the priorities you set. The next step is to create an action plan to meet those set goals and to work on how you want to divide your time to focus on each item on that list. It’s important to note that your list of priorities might change as you grow older and that is totally okay if you check in with yourself regularly and ensure that those priorities are still serving you.
Learn to Let Go
It is important to let go of all the negative thoughts and emotions that make you feel bogged down. Eliminating unnecessary thoughts, fears and concerns help reduce stress, boost self-esteem and free up mental space. Monitor your thoughts regularly and try to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.
Avoid Multitasking
It sounds counter-productive and we often feel that we are being productive by multitasking our tasks. While there’s no harm in occasional multitasking, constant juggling between tasks limits your attention span, increases stress and creates additional clutter by making it difficult for your brain to filter out irrelevant information. In fact, a study conducted by Stanford University showed that heavy multitasking lowers efficiency and may impair your cognitive control. The solution is to single task as much as possible. Make a list of things you need to accomplish that day. Keep the to-do list simple and realistic. Start with what’s most important and make your way down the list, completing one task at a time.
Breathe & Mediate
Take a deep breath. Pause. Exhale slowly. Repeat. How does it feel? Great, right? Deep breathing is a simple yet effective technique to clear your mind, induce tranquillity and elevate your mood instantly. It lowers the heart rate and blood pressure and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which helps your body relax. Other than being a stress-reliever, breathing exercises also promote concentration and strengthen your immunity system.
The next step to declutter your mind is to start practising mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined as “a technique in which one focuses one’s full attention only on the present, experiencing thoughts, feelings, and sensations but not judging them” and one of the most popular ways to practice mindfulness is meditation. Instead of worrying about everything on your to-do list, you can find sweet relief by shifting your attention to the present moment.
Be Decisive
When you constantly put off making decisions, your brain becomes overwhelmed by all the clutter that’s created by those pending decisions. So, stop procrastinating and make that call. Whether it’s about the house you want to buy or that email you’ve been avoiding for so long. The best way to make wise decisions is to adopt critical thinking. Critical thinking relates to how we make decisions and use our judgment. Critical thinking is more than just thinking about thinking or metacognition. It is also about how we act.
Share Your Thoughts
Talking to a loved one about how you feel is a great way to release pent-up emotions. Sharing your thoughts with others can also help you look at things from a fresh perspective which can help you think clearer and make better decisions. Remember, you are not alone! There are many people around you who you can seek help from.
Take Some Time to Unwind
Lastly, take a break! Your brain needs to rest and recharge in order to perform smoothly. So, switch off your phones and laptops and do something that makes you feel happy. Whether it’s a long nap or a good few hours of Netflix. Resting is an obligation if you want to be more productive, more professional, and happier in your life.
Conclusion
It is never too late to change! Take charge of your life to be productive. If you need any help on training courses, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to share some of the most suitable courses for you and your peers. Happy mind, happy life!
Source:
How To Declutter Your Mind: 10 Practical Tips You’ll Actually Want To Try
