Twenty Five Ways To De-Clutter Your Mind

Scientists say memory lapses can be blamed on too much irrelevant information and you need to de-clutter or spring-clean your mind. (Culled From The Daily Mail)

The experiments performed by Canadian researchers show that memory lapses that come with age are not simply due to the brain slowing down only but can also be blamed on the well-used brain finding it more and more difficult to stop irrelevant information interfering with the task in hand.

The first step in the study was to compare the working memory of the young and old volunteers.

In the context of the study:

The younger volunteers, who had an average age of 23, did better than the older ones, who had an average age of 67. (Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology)

Mervin Blair, of Montreal’s Concordia University stated that the older adults had more difficulty in getting rid of or suppressing previous and irrelevant information thus creating a loss of concentration and as a result prompting the need to de-clutter their mind.

While I’m a bit cautious about the statistics and research, this post will look at simple ways to de-clutter your mind and lists its benefits.

De-Cluttering

The Free Online Dictionary defines de-cluttering as an act of simplifying or getting rid of mess, disorder, complications…… that appear overwhelming.

Hans Hofmann (abstract expressionist painter) said ‘The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak’

Embarking on the concept of decluttering your mind opens up a whole new world towards achieving progress in your life.

Once again the aim of this post is to suggest simple ways of de-cluttering your mind and also analyse its benefits.

In no particular order they are as follows:

• Take a few deep breaths and calm down when tensed up.
• Learn to put some of your thoughts down on paper i.e. diaries, journal, notebooks…. You are able to come back to your ideas, tasks at a later time rather than clogging up your mind with so much information.
• Identify the important tasks, schedules, outstanding jobs… and prioritize them.
• Sleep peacefully and soundly. It’s important to have a good rest because you wake up feeling refreshed and mentally alert.
• Be creative on different issues going on in your mind.
• Go for a stroll in order to clear your head when you feel overwhelmed with so many things on your mind.
• Learn a language or musical instrument to keep the mind young.(American Medical Journal Of Neuropsychology)
• Do crossword puzzles to keep the brain active
• Socialize to keep the mind sharp
• Relax in the park, garden, by the seaside…. 
• It may be difficult but forgiving people who have hurt us makes us feel much better in the long run. 
• Learn to develop an attitude of gratitude.
• Read a good book.
• Engage in exercises because it increases your heart rate and allows oxygen to the brain which is good for boosting memory and de-cluttering your mind from daily trivia.
• Avoid being in a hurry if necessary because the chances are you would miss certain things because your mind is jumping from one place to another in a bid to complete tasks.
• Avoid being too hard on yourself because it creates undue pressure and anxiety
• Watch a good movie.
• Get a good massage. It helps to relax your nerves and muscle.
• Feel good about yourself. This helps to deal with negative thoughts on your self image.
• Organize your home, desk, bedroom…. ensuring things are put in the appropriate places. This isn’t suggesting you should become the cleaning police but seeing so much clutter around you has a way of occupying your mind.
• Take things one step at time. Finish one task before moving to another because it enhances productivity.
• Share your feelings with trusted friends, family, colleagues….. It makes sense to get things off your chest because you feel much lighter after doing so.
• This may be slightly controversial but when necessary; cry a bit, shout in moderation in order to feel relieved.
• Engage in constructive and positive affirmations. This creates and boosts optimistic thoughts.
• Learn to say No!!! Don’t take on more than you can handle because you would be under a lot of pressure to keep to your commitments.

Benefits Of De-Cluttering Your Mind.

The benefits of de-cluttering your mind are as follows:

Your life gets simplified as a result.

You tend to reduce your stress levels.

You’ve got more time to spend on important things such as hobbies, family, growing a business…..(generally speaking doing things you’d want to do) as a result of de-cluttering your mind.

You are able to control your spending habits because most of the time you won’t spend on impulse due to planned lists generated

You are able to make careful considerations before making commitments because you are not under so much pressure to do so.

You are able to relax better and have peace of mind.

You are able to live in the present.

Your Turn

What are the ways in which you de-clutter your mind?

It would be great to have your comments and suggestions.