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5 Clear Ways to Remove Mental Clutter
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On Mental Clutter
Setting clear boundaries between personal and work lives is key to maintaining flow and good mental health. The alternative creates mental clutter, a difficulty to think straight and focus due to disorganization.
Mental clutter means you rarely rest or feel truly satisfied. Set boundaries, properly manage your time and reduce your emotional reactivity to develop your focus, thus reducing mental clutter.
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Set Boundaries
Set clear boundaries regarding conversation topics at home and work—and stick to them. Talking about work at home, or about home at work should be avoided.
Of course, we can share stories of work with family and home life with colleagues, but don’t let these be the only conversations; open up, branch out and let other conversations be born in those spaces.
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Cleanse Through Writing
Keep a journal for both work and home where you vent frustrations in order to maintain clear boundaries. By externalizing those feelings, your mental health improves and you are less likely to be overwhelmed.
We enrich our lives when we cleanse our mental spaces. We also open space for more activity, sharper thoughts and creativity.
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Be Mindful
Be mindful in all activities and keep a clear mind. The distracted, overcharged, highly emotional brain reacts more and responds less.
A mind that concentrates is a healthy mind. If you are working, keep the mind there; if you are playing, don’t think about work.
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Be Unattached
Observe thoughts and let them float away. Thoughts come unannounced, but it’s best to just notice them and watch them disappear rather than give them attention.
Reminding ourselves that all thoughts and feelings are temporary removes attachment and alleviates the pressure of a mind full of unnecessary thoughts and feelings.
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Create Compartments
Living and work spaces that feel and look clean will facilitate a more balanced lifestyle. We save time looking for things we lost, feel more professional and increase focus, which in turn augment productivity.
Start cleaning up the clutter, the brain will soon follow suit. If nothing else, it’s easier to work in an organized place.
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Asking If This Is Necessary
When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself if what you have to do is necessary. Depending on the answer reschedule, drop it or continue.
Keep in mind what’s the most important thing to ge...
Time For Unconscious Thought
When you get away from work, you clear mental clutter and initiate unconscious thought. Delaying decisions until you’ve had time to simmer brings better results and lessens your sense of being overworked.
Visualizing The Future
For those overwhelmed with worry about the future, create a routine of visualization. After taking a few deep breaths to clear your mind, envision the answer to the following questions:
- What am I trying to do?
- How do I need to show up to do that?
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Reduce the stress of clutter
- Apply constraints and stick to them: to tabs open in your browser, notebooks, magazines etc.
- Use small storage spaces: Less room means less room for c...
Find places that inspire you
You might not be in a position to choose your workspace, but there are quick fixes: look for a spot with natural light from a window or skylight, take a walk outside when you feel stuck, or simply explore a new location.
A new environment can quite literally lead to new ideas.
Task association
It's when your brain knows that when you’re in a certain place, you’re taking a certain action.
Take advantage of the way different locations affect you. Our brains love habits, and if we can associate certain qualities with different places, it can help us get into a better working flow.
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Think About It
Acting without first reflecting can make things worse. Regularly reviewing how you spend your time will give you insight into how you got to your present state, how to move forward strategically...
Manage Your Inbox
Knowing your inbox isn’t overflowing can save you a lot of mental stress, which helps you focus on more important tasks. You can reduce your message by:
- Unsubscribe from promotional and notification emails.
- Use filters to sort nonessential email into specified sections of your inbox, so they don’t show up every time you log in.
- Use programs to schedule emails and send reminders, so you can deal with emails on your own time.
Have a “Mental Junk Drawer”
Dump your ideas, notes, lists, and saved articles that don’t have another home into a digital document. This clears some mental space—without adding papers and notebooks to your actual junk drawer.