“I have too much clarity and peace of mind!” – said no one EVER!
We’d all like to feel less cluttered and more peaceful and relaxed.
And just as decluttering the spaces around us can create more focus and energy, decluttering our minds can result in less stress, increased self-esteem, productivity, and happiness.
We tend to put too many burdens on our minds with overpacked schedules, tight deadlines, worries, frustrations, which leads to anxiety, depression, and mental overwhelm -but there’s a more effective way to live. With a few simple strategies, you can reduce the load on your mind and give it the peace it craves.
Add serenity to your life with these tips:
Set boundaries with the challenging people from your life.
There are people that take up a lot of space in your brain. Some of those people are optional in your life. They place too much stress and suck up too much time and energy, leaving you with very little to focus on your dreams and goals. It’s time to create boundaries!
Prioritize the relationships that have mutual trust and respect, the ones that support you and bring you joy. Create, communicate, and enforce healthy boundaries with others.
Be willing to let go (or distance/disengage) of the people that take more time and effort than they’re worth to you.
Practice self-care by protecting your space, being selective about the people we let in it, and how you choose to interact with them. You are in control.
Alter or remove unnecessary activities from your life.
This could be committees you serve on, sports teams you play on, or going out on Thursday nights. Ponder on what is truly important to you and prioritize your time, energy, and finances accordingly. Cut (or reduce) the activities out of your life that are far down or that do not make your priority list and regain the gift of your time.
Declutter your environment.
Your mind and inner peace are directly impacted by your environment. This includes your home, workspace, and anywhere else you spend a significant amount of time. Clutter robs you of your focus and creates overwhelm.
Your brain is so distracted by all of the visual stimuli around you that it can’t concentrate on the activities you need it to. Think about it, have you ever noticed how nice it feels when your home is clean? You can feel that way all of the time.
You deserve a space – home, work – everywhere! – where you feel peaceful, content, and calm. Make time to regain your focus by decluttering your surroundings. Remember, you don’t have to physically do it yourself. Cleaning and organizational professionals exist for a reason, utilize them, if needed.
Meditate.
Meditation might be the ultimate way to declutter your mind and enjoy inner peace. It is a great tool to direct your thoughts, reduce anxiety, and so much more. In the beginning, trying to quiet your thoughts is tricky, however, with practice, it becomes easier and more enjoyable.
There are many resources online that can teach you the basics of meditation. Deepak Choprah has a YouTube channel with resources, as well as a free 21-Day Meditation Challenge to get you started.
Ten to Twenty minutes of meditation each day can change your life and bring inner peace.
Write things down.
Trying to remember things puts a huge load on your mind. You can never truly relax when you have to remember to do something. Write things down and use alarms. Knowing that something else will keep track of your obligations for you will allow your mind to relax.
Mono-task.
Forget about multitasking. It's ineffective and creates stress. Limit yourself to one task at a time. You'll feel better and get much more accomplished.
Try it for a day. Do one task at a time and focus all of your attention on that task. Notice how much better you feel while working and at the end of the day.
Make fewer decisions.
The fewer decisions you have to make each day, the more inner peace you'll feel. For example, limiting your wardrobe makes it easier to figure out what to wear each day. Even better, pick out your outfit for the following day before you go to bed.
You can eat the same healthy breakfast each morning.
Look for ways to minimize the number of decisions you have to make.
Get enough sleep.
Notice how cluttered your mind feels after a poor night of sleep. Experiment to determine the proper amount of sleep your mind and body need each night.
Limit your exposure to the news and social media.
The news and social media will drive you crazy if you spend too much time consuming them. It's important to stay aware of what's happening in the world, but you don't have to bombard yourself with negative information day and night.
Treat your mind like you would an injured body part. You would reduce the amount of work it has to do and treat it gently. Most of us ask our minds to do more than it was designed to do. Give your mind a break, place boundaries in place to do so, and gain the peace you crave!
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