Do you, like me, have about a million things churning in your brain at any given time?
Research shows that women’s brains are wired differently than men’s
Women are more aware of what is happening around them
Women tend to dwell on problems rather than focus on solutions
Women are prone to overthinking
Combine that with jam-packed days filled with
Multitasking
Negative self-talk
Little time to process your experiences, thoughts and emotions
The results of all this is
“Cognitive Stew” or Mental Clutter
Clearing mental clutter can help reduce feelings of overwhelm and stress, while also enhancing focus and freeing up energy for other tasks.
Here are 4 strategies to help clear mental clutter
Organizing Your Space
Even though we are talking about clearing mental clutter, clearing your physical space can have benefit for your mental space as well
One helpful tool in decluttering is Marie Kondo's KonMari method
The basic tenet is to evaluate each item for whether it brings joy to you
(not joy in the past, not for future you, but right now)
If there is no joy, the item can be purged
Brain Dump
This is a great tool for overthinking, to let go of the thoughts that keep swirling
Spend 5 minutes with paper and pen, and write down everything that comes to mind
Try to do this without judgment of what you are thinking or writing
There is no goal other than to get everything out on paper
Simply writing things down can allow release of those thoughts
If there are particularly persistent or bothersome thoughts, symbolically writing them down and then ripping the paper up is shown to be a powerful way to release those thoughts from your mind
Time management/Activity Prioritization
2 Minute Rule (David Allen Getting Things Done)
If a task will take less than 2 minutes, do it immediately
(make a call, send that message, take the garbage out)
By completing small tasks, they will not accumulate in your head or on your to-do list
The idea of the 2-minute rule is also part of James Clear’s Atomic Habits
(that a new habit should only take 2 minutes to do)
Process and Decompress
Give yourself space to be present, to process your thoughts and emotions is a really important way to help clear your mental clutter
This might involve talking a walk, journaling, a creative outlet, scheduling a catch up day or just saying no to things so you have more free time
The journey to a clutter-free mind is ongoing, but with consistent effort you can enjoy greater focus, less stress and improved quality of life.
"Under the influence of clutter, we may underestimate how much time we're giving to the less important stuff"
- Zoe Kim