Clearing the Mental Clutter

I’m all about minimalism, and for a good reason. Physical clutter makes me anxious. But I’ve also noticed that mental clutter does the same thing. If I have too many options to choose from, decisions to make, or things demanding my attention, not only does my anxiety spike, but I become unfocused and irritable (if not downright nasty). In some cases, I shut down entirely.

When our minds are overloaded, the impact on our health is real. The anxiety, lack of focus, and irritability are just the tip of the iceberg. Sleep can suffer when our brains don’t shut down at night. And when our sleep suffers, every aspect of our health is affected. It’s exhausting on all fronts.

Where does all this mental clutter come from? I don’t think we have to look very hard. It’s all around us, and it’s not usually one big thing; it’s the little things that keep piling up.

• Notifications pinging all day. (Because heaven forbid we not know immediately when Aunt Helen posts a picture of her flowers on Facebook.)

• An out-of-control inbox. (You’ve Got Mail is an understatement at this point.)

• Saying “yes” to too many commitments. (Because we don’t want to be seen as mean by saying “No”.)

• The never-ending To-Do list that never gets To-Done.

• Being faced with too many choices. (Should I cook dinner, what should I cook, do I need to go to the store, what should I buy, we could eat out, where should we go... You get the idea.)

All of this noise adds up, and before we know it, our mental space feels just as crowded as that hall closet that hasn’t been cleaned out in three years. (I'll get to it!)

Wondering if you’re suffering from mental clutter? I’m betting we all are to some degree. But let’s take a quick quiz and find out:

• Do you feel like you have a dozen browser tabs open in your brain 24/7?

• Find yourself second-guessing every decision because there were too many options?

• Too many to-dos running through your head when you should be sleeping?

• Working on 15 different projects at one time, but never making any progress on any of them?

• Anxious and irritable from the moment you get up thinking about those 15 different projects and to-do list?

If you answered yes to most of those, it’s time for some mental de-cluttering.

Don’t worry, you’re not going to have to set aside a whole afternoon to tackle the clutter. It just means adopting a few simple strategies that should give us a little breathing room.

• Write it down – get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper. This is a good one to try right before bed. Think of it as a brain dump.

• Prioritize – Ask, “What really matters today?” and let the rest wait. You may have to remind yourself when the distractions start coming.  

• Limit inputs – Turn off nonessential notifications and give yourself breaks from constant news or social media. Most of us survived just fine without the constant contact of social media and a phone that we are never without.

• Create white space – Put it in your calendar. Schedule time for blessed nothingness. No agenda, no urgency. Just being.

• Say no – This one takes practice. But fewer commitments mean more mental room for what you actually care about. Whenever you are tempted to say “yes”, ask yourself what you are saying “no” to. If it’s at the expense of your sanity or health, think about it before you answer.

Mental clutter is very much a part of our world. It's not going away but it doesn’t have to control us. Try some of the ideas above or think of some that might work for you. Experiment to see what creates a little more calm and focus in your life. It will take some practice and time, but it will be worth it. You are worth it.

So let me ask you: What’s one piece of mental clutter you could clear today?

Stay well, my Friends!

Alicia