Matchingsocks’s Weblog

When we think of decluttering, we often think of tossing out or giving away unwanted items. But decluttering our minds is also necessary for effective organization. Here are some ways to declutter your mind:

1. Let it go.
You are in control of your mind, and only you can determine whether you’re going to be happy today, or aggravated and annoyed. Most things that aggravate us aren’t devastating. It’s the small things that can drive you mad–a dripping faucet, a snide remark someone makes, discovering you’re out of milk, etc. In these types of cases, heed the old saying, ‘don’t cry over spilt milk.’ It’s ok if it bothers you for a moment, but if you let it bother you all day long, you’re taking up unnecessary space in your mind and causing yourself unnecessary stress.

2. Ease your To Do list.

If you’ve got a particularly large number of things to remember, then write them down in a list rather than keeping them all stored in your head. Doing this will help to declutter your mind by allowing you to ‘empty’ all your ideas out onto the page – meaning you won’t have to remember all the items. Making a list on your computer is a good idea, as you’ll be less likely to lose your list and will be able to add or delete items easily – plus you can set your computer up so that it will give you a reminder message when you need to complete a particular item on your list.

BUT! A long To Do list could be both stressful and overwhelming. Take a look at your list and determine what can be eliminated. Could you have said ‘No,’ to certain tasks or meetings? Have you asked yourself if everything you’re doing each day is truly necessary? Very often, we get into a habit of doing something, just because that’s the way we’ve always done it. If your mind is always filled with thoughts of EVERYTHING that must be done, it’s time to ease your mind and free up your list.

3. Get it out of your head.
With the abundance of paper, writing instruments and computers these days, it’s amazing how many people insist on keeping everything they have to do stored in their brains. Take the weight off your head, and write it down. If it’s on paper, you don’t have to remember. The paper remembers for you.

4. Tell them to go away.
If you’re getting interrupted every 5 minutes by your telephone, friends, co-workers and other distractions, your mind is probably ready to explode. Interruptions cause an extreme amount of stress, and they cause productivity to plummet. Have your answering machine, or an assistant, field your calls while you’re trying to get something done. Close your office door. Tell your kids that a certain room–a room you designate as your haven for getting things done–is off limits for a minimum of an hour each day. Create checklists for your employees, so they know how to do their jobs and can find things without interrupting you. Remember, you have the power to stop the constant interruptions.

If your head is swimming with things to be done and you’re getting interrupted frequently, you’ll probably be getting nowhere and feel like your mind is in overload. Interruptions can cause your productivity to plummet, so try to avoid them whenever possible. For example, if you’ve got something particularly important to do for work, then consider working from home if you’re allowed to do so, as you’ll be able to avoid the majority of interruptions that may usually occur in your workplace. Simple things such as closing your office door – a sign to people that you don’t want to be disturbed – will also help you to avoid interruptions.

5. One simple word–simplify.
Get rid of things you don’t need. You’d be truly amazed at the things you could live without! Ease your schedule.

Some people just can’t say no, and always say ‘yes’ when they have been asked to do favours for others or have been offered an invitation. If you’ve already got enough on your plate then don’t be tempted to add to it. So, if a work colleague asks you to do something, always think about whether or not it’s practical for you to take the task on board. And there will surely be one or two things that you can say ‘no’ to in other areas as well. Sometimes if you just keep saying yes to something, it becomes a habit, and you very often get stuck with doing it – so train yourself to say ‘no’ when you need to.

6. Keep a diary
If you have lots of anxieties and worries, then writing them down in a diary can help you put them into some kind of perspective. Writing all your thoughts down clears up space in your head, so that you will be free to use your mind for more satisfying and meaningful reflections. Simply set aside a certain amount of time each day for your writing session in order to regularly declutter your mind. Your diary will also act as a good source for when you need to look back and find out when you did specific things.

7. Get organised
Your mind will often be full of thoughts such as ‘Where did I put my wallet?’ or ‘Do I need to do a food shop today?’, which can sap your mental energy if they build up too much. To avoid this you should always be as organised as possible. There’s nothing more annoying than misplacing an item – your keys probably being the worst culprits – so always put important items in the same place. Also, if you plan ahead you won’t have to think about whether or not you need to do a certain activity – such as going to the supermarket – on the day itself; instead, you will already know for certain whether you need to do it or not.

8. Take a break
Some people just seem unable to give themselves a break – and by doing so they become more and more bogged down, so that eventually they can’t think straight and end up making mistakes. Taking a few minutes away from your current task or activity will help you to clear your thoughts and then come back more refreshed and with a greater clarity of thinking. A short break between tasks will make you far more productive than if you just attempt to wade through one consecutive task after another.

9. Just do it!
One of the worst things for cluttering up your mind is putting off tasks that you have to do. They just sit there in your head and niggle away so you can never quite concentrate on another task that you are doing at the time. So, our advice is to just do whatever it is you need to do as soon as possible – so you can get it out of your mind and focus on the next task. If you don’t do this, you’ll often put more energy into thinking about doing something than actually doing it! And remember: it’s amazing how quickly you can do something once you finally commit yourself to doing it.

More can be found here.