Simple Ways To Clear Your Mental Clutter

Inside: Whether it’s mental clutter or physical clutter, clutter distracts us by drawing our attention away from what we should focus on. It’s time to start clearing space for what truly matters. Here are 10 simple ways to clear your mental clutter.

I looked at the clock once again, ugh… it was now 1:29 a.m. and I was still wide awake. This was the third time this week and it’s only Wednesday.

My body was exhausted but my mind wouldn’t shut down. Even if I did doze off it was minimal and I’d suddenly wake straight up.  None of the normal fall asleep tricks were working this time.

The problem was I had way too much going on in life.  All of it was causing me to feel a little scattered and unfocused.  You see, it’s hard to trust yourself during these times or even know what you should be doing.

When your life lacks focus and prioritization it’s like living life without a filter. It’s mental clutter that can create many of the same distractions as physical clutter.

The more we allow it to accumulate unchecked, the more it’s going to rob us of our sense of peace.  The simple truth is that clutter, whether mental or physical distracts us by drawing our attention away from what we should focus on.

Simple Ways to Clear Your Mental Clutter

We need to be able to filter out the clutter and noise.  I’ve learned that if we don’t focus on our priorities, we’re not going to be setting the tone we want in our home.

If you find yourself in a similar place, it’s time to start clearing space for what truly matters and get back to living your priorities.  Here are 10 simple ways to clear your mental clutter.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. See more details here.

Clear Mental Clutter with a Braindump

When you’re dealing with physical clutter, the first thing you do is start sorting all your stuff into separate piles.  You get rid of the obvious trash, set aside what you’re donating or selling, and then find a place for what’s left.

To clear your mental clutter you’re going to do the exact same thing with a brain dump!

To start, you’ve got to get it ALL out of your head and onto paper.  It’s important to set aside some time to get those thoughts out if you want to declutter your mental space.

Once you’ve finished getting all of that mind clutter onto paper, you’re going to take that information and separate it into three piles so to speak:

• does this have to be done?
• can I delegate this?
• will this move me closer to the kind of life I want to live?

Now that everything is sorted, take the first pile, and look at those things that do not have to be done.  Get rid of them. Just let them go.

Next look at your “can I delegate this pile”.  Think of it as your donation pile.  Everything you can donate and give away, start delegating this.

I know it’s hard to decide what to give away. I personally stink at delegating.  However, the more you can delegate the more clutter you can eliminate and get out of your mind.

Think of things like chores and household tasks, what can you delegate to the kids.  Can you hire a cleaning service, even once a month would be helpful?  What about errands?  Can you delegate grocery shopping with a grocery delivery service?   Meal planning is another area that can be easily delegated.  There are some great meal planning services.  Two of my favorites are e-meals and a $5 meal plan.

All of these are necessary tasks, but by delegating them, you will be able to clear them from your mind and release some of that clutter.  The more you can delegate or donate the more you can clear your mental clutter.

Finally, look at those things that are, or have the potential to move you in the direction you really want to go. This is your keep pile.  Hang on to these thoughts and focus your energy here. Prioritize them so they each have a place to go.

Stop Procrastinating on Unfinished Projects

Next, you’re going to want to look at unfinished projects in your life.

Putting off projects causes clutter in our minds and lives.  Unfinished projects tell our brains that our work is never done and create feelings of guilt. They linger, constantly nagging in the background until you get around to working on them.

If you want to clear that mental clutter, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and finish what you’ve been procrastinating on.  But, here’s the warning, when you do you’ll realize just how much time and energy you were wasting.

Make Decisions

There is an excellent book written by Dr. Robert Leahy, “The Worry Cure”.  In his book, Leahy explains that 85% of what we worry about never happens!  What worrying does do, is make you tense, tired, anxious, uncertain—and more worried.

Whether big or small, when you put off a decision that indecision is hanging out in your head taking up space and focus.  This is because unmade decisions are essentially nothing more than procrastination.

So often we procrastinate and fail to make decisions because we’re afraid we’ll make the wrong one.  But, if you’re hesitating between two choices chances are there is no right answer or you would have made that choice already

Here’s the thing, there are no guarantees.  It’s time to trust yourself.  Make that decision and get rid of that unnecessary clutter.  Besides, unmade decision clutter, which takes up space and prevents you from focusing on what really matters, is usually far worse than the possibility of a wrong decision.

Make today the day you take the bull by the horns, make that decision, and let go of that clutter!

Stop Negative Self-Talk

In my opinion, negative self-talk is the absolute worst kind of clutter.  We all have it and it is totally and completely useless!

I’m not good enough, I’m not smart enough, others won’t like me, will think less of me. There’s not one of us that hasn’t had these thoughts at one time or another.  Honestly, it’s hard, but you just have to quit worrying about what others think.

Trying to make everyone happy is a major waste of your time because it’s impossible.  The only thing you accomplish is to make yourself feel like a failure like you’re not good enough.  Life is precious you were created to live abundantly and that starts with being kind to yourself.

I want you to remember that you’re looking for progress, not perfection.  Checking your negative self-talk is what allows you to make progress. If you’re growing you’re doing awesome!

So clear your mental clutter by letting go of the negative self-talk.  Live with joy and purpose. I promise you’re worth it!

Clear Mental Clutter By Clearing All The Voices

If there’s one thing that’s true about the technological age is that there is no lack of accessible information, to the contrary, most of us are on information overload.

In fact, many of us are bordering on being information hoarders.  All of this information creates some major mental clutter.   It doesn’t take long to feel buried under the weight of information overload, which increases our stress and overwhelms us.

The result is we end up accomplishing less than we would if we had less information.  The only solution is to shut off the voices and cut down on your consumption.

To put it plain and simple: stop information shopping.

Think of it as building a capsule wardrobe.  When building a capsule wardrobe you look for a few quality basics that mix and match allowing you to create many outfits.  You want to do the same with your information intake.  Pick a few resources that share the same philosophy as you and let go of the rest.

Stop Multitasking

The truth is we never actually multitask when we think we are multitasking what we are actually doing is switching between tasks. The human brain simply can’t focus on more than one thing at a time. What we do is shift our focus from one thing to the next with astonishing speed.

As a result, multitasking creates a divided focus. In the end the more tasks you try doing at the same time, the more mental clutter you’re creating.  However, when you focus on one task at a time, you clear space to think and ponder.  By creating this space you will be able to clear your mental clutter and focus on what it is that matters most to you.

Set Up Routines

Setting up regular rhythms and routines in your life is one of the easiest ways to clear your mental clutter.  You see without routines, we allow the tyranny of the Urgent to rule.

Of course, living this way leaves you feeling incredibly overwhelmed. However, when you set up routines in your life they will help you become intentional about what you put on your plate.

In addition, setting up a routine gives you a clear picture of where you are actually spending your time. This allows you to see where time is being spent on things that matter and the things that don’t.

Once you know where you really are spending your time, you can set aside a specific time each to make sure the things that matter actually happen!

There’s no running around with mind spinning clutter trying to figure out how to fit in the 20 things you needed to get done that didn’t get done. By setting up routines you create a rhythm and are able to eliminate a lot of the excess mental clutter.

If you’re not sure how to get started setting up routines, here are some tips on setting up routines that will make you love your life! Check them out here!

Know Your Priorities

In order to stay focused on what’s most important, we have to choose what is most important to us.

The truth is, being clear on what your priorities are is the only way you’ll be able to choose what matters and let go of the rest. Anything else leaves us trying to do it all, and well, we can’t do it all and do it well.

I know I’ve made so many mistakes trying to do it all. When you do this, in the end, those things that truly matter most to you will not be given the time they deserve.

The bottom line is that when you don’t have a full understanding of what your true priorities are, your physical, mental, and emotional state suffers. But, making the right decisions becomes easy when you know and live out your priorities.

Take some time to sit down and make a list of what your priorities are.  Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to declutter those things taking up mental space that do not align with your set priorities.

Get Outdoors

To be perfectly honest, getting outside is my absolute favorite way to clear mental clutter. Getting outside and enjoying some fresh air quickly boosts your mood so you can think more clearly about those things that truly matter. This lets you identify and clear your mental clutter.

You don’t have to do anything elaborate.  A simple walk around the block can do wonders.  Or pour yourself a cup of tea and go sit on your back patio enjoying the fresh air. Take your lunch and eat at the local park. By getting outdoors you will very quickly begin to feel relaxed and able to release that mental clutter.

Do Nothing

One reason our minds get so cluttered is that we are constantly filling them up.  Really and truly, how often do you leave white space in your day?

With all that we have on our plates, it is really hard to do nothing.  However, it is also important if you really want to clear your mental clutter.

Make it a habit to set aside regular time to just unwind, rest, or read a good book.  In the beginning, you’re probably going to need to force yourself to really take that downtime.  But if you make it a regular practice soon you’ll find it vital to refresh and nourish your soul.

We need to recognize our mental space deserves even more attention than our physical living space.  After all our mental space is where true joy lives.

Make a point this week to clear your mental clutter by implementing one or two of these tools.