We can all agree on that incredible free feeling when our environment is neat, organised, and decluttered, right? But there is something a little more important… Most of us are mindFULL rather than mindFUL.
Scientific evidence shows that clutter is an Inside Job, and there is nothing worse than having a cluttered, restless, and unfocused mind.
Mental clutter shows in a number of ways: worrying about the future, reminiscing about the past, complaining, keeping a mental to-do list, and so on… and these negatively impact our lives and distort our vision.
The mind is one of the most intelligent systems to exist, so it is easy to comprehend how it has so much power, and how easy it is to take control of us, but we can take that control back… PHEW!
Here are 6 top tips to help you declutter your mind, take control, & create space through the awareness of Aparigraha.
Write it down
You don’t need to keep everything stored in your brain. Choose a tool of your choice – an online tool, an app, or the old-fashioned pen and paper. Jot down any pieces of information that you need to remember, or upcoming. This can include, appointments, phone numbers, ideas for future projects, and so on.
Let go of the past
Mind clutter is often related to the past. Most people keep a large cabinet of mental drawers stored in the back of their minds. These draws are filled with memories, good and bad, and all those painful experiences which we keep locked and hidden away. Make peace with them, forgive, and let them go. Remind yourself what it feels like to feel weightless and free.
Stop multitasking
Do one job fully with your full attention. Visualize a big clear table, mentally place each task you’re working on onto the table. Make sure that the table stays clear of all other items during the entire chunk of time that you’ve devoted to this task. If anything else tries to work its way onto the table, mentally push it off.
Know your boundaries
Too much information can clog the brain up. This includes information that you take in every single day; reading the newspaper, listening to the news, reading blogs/books, watching TV, social media, surfing the web on your smartphone, and so on.
Unsubscribe from any unwanted blogs, & cancel any magazine subscriptions not contributing to your quality of life or well-being. Decide what information is relevant to you, and disregard of everything else.
Prioritise
Nothing creates as much brain clutter than an endless to-do list. So, learning to prioritise your tasks is of the utmost importance. Make a today list, focusing on the things that need to be accomplished today. Setting a deadline for each task, allows us to be fully devoted to one task at hand and get it done just on time.
Learn to Meditate
Learning to focus fully on the present moment, and connecting with our breath. When you learn how to place all of your attention on one thing, such as the breath, all other thoughts disappear. It’s almost the equivalent of taking your mind through a car wash, and having useless and unnecessary thoughts washed away… Taming the stresses and emotions of everyday life and deepening our connection and understanding of ourselves. Meditation provides clarity, harmony and joy, and one that definitely should be introduced daily, even if only for 5-10 minutes.
Let’s cut the self-inflicted congestion. Think clearly, and focus on what really matters… Today is as good a day as any to decide whether you’ll be mind-full or mindful.
Other articles you might love…