Mental Clutter
Everyone deals with mental clutter to some extent. For some people it’s constantly at the forefront of your mind, preventing you from being fully present for the important moments in life. But we shouldn’t be spending our time worrying about what needs to be done or wondering what we might have forgotten. We should be spending our days fully immersed in the present moments. Whether that’s spending time with your family, or taking a moment for yourself to relax. That is one that I am often guilty of…during times when I should be relaxing, my mind starts mulling through the things I still need to do. So today, I am sharing some tips on how to manage that mental clutter.
To-Do Lists
One thing that my clients frequently complain about is the ongoing to-do list that circulates their mind. My solution for this is simple; use an actual to-do list! I know…mind blowing! It could be a traditional pen and paper list, or it could be a modern to-do list app on your phone. The key to this trick is picking only ONE list location and using it exclusively. If you like having a written list, pick one notebook that you love, and get rid of the rest. I recommend a small one that can travel with you, that way you are never forced to write something down anywhere else. If you are like me, something I ALWAYS have on my person is my phone, so I use an app. Specifically, I use the Google tasks app. You can put that app in a widget on your homescreen, so it’s always open and ready. When you check something off as done, the item disappears.
It’s important to regularly look at your to-do list and make edits. There may be old items that you never got to or are no longer relevant. You need to determine whether those things are important enough to move up on the list or to get rid of all together. If you are using a paper list, tear out old or completed pages, so that the first page of tasks are things you should still do pretty soon. If you are using an app, you need to make sure that your list isn’t too long. Either way, you should be able to easily see all of your tasks.
Now, Not Later
This tip takes some practice. It’s about creating a new habit, which can take time. If you struggle with following through on new habits I highly recommend the book “Hello Habits” by Fumio Sasaki.
Picture this scenario; you’re getting home from work after a long day. You grab the mail, walk through the door, kick off your shoes, and toss your jacket on the couch. You place the mail on the dining table. You take your Tupperware from lunch and put it by the sink. And finally, you get a glass of water and sink into the comfy couch to relax. Seems like a normal start to a weeknight after work. Everything you did in this scenario is completely normal. However, what you’ve also done is create a series of chores that will have to be dealt with later. Here is that list of chores; put your shoes away, hang your jacket, go through and sort the mail, wash the Tupperware. Unless you have a successful system of cleaning up before bed or first thing in the morning, I can guarantee you won’t want to do it later.
Physical clutter contributes to mental clutter. It may not seem like it, but our surroundings have a huge impact on our state-of-mind. The best way to keep your surroundings and your mind clutter free is to do it now. It will be worth it in the long run.
