15 Amazing Ways to Declutter Your Mind
With our busy schedules and lives, it’s sometimes so hard to unwind or refocus our brains onto other tasks or areas that are important. Sometimes you find the same thoughts and topics pervading your mind day after day, or your thoughts run wild when you try to calm them down and declutter your mind to focus on doing one thing.
This is an area that I often struggle with quite a bit.
Firstly, it’s crucial to address the cause of why our minds may be all over the place. I believe in the importance of living a holistic lifestyle, and approaching the issue from a larger perspective.
Just trying to fix the issue with smaller band-aids doesn’t really combat the larger problem that’s typically going on, which I find can have a number of different contributing factors.
For me, it’s typically all the distractions around me. This includes my phone, any music I might be listening to, videos I watch that often seem helpful and useful but really take up my time and energy, articles that do the same, etc.
For many people, it can also be the food that they eat that’s causing them brain fog and giving them trouble focusing, certain drinks, or even specific people and the environment around them, so it’s so important to try and pinpoint these problems to really be aware of all your habits when finding a solution.
Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to fix these issues and new habits you can put in place to create a less busy mind.
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1. Eliminate Distractions and Reduce Media Consumption
All the chaos and noise from videos on YouTube, social media, and overall use of the internet can lead to an overcrowded brain and information overload. It’s hard to keep track of all the information we can find and read up on, or watch videos about, and often times, a lot of it is unnecessary.
I think it’s a common misconception that we’re being productive and making good use of our time if the videos and posts recommended to us are providing some sort of insight into our lives or involve our interests in some way.
In some cases, I do think the internet can provide incredible value and so much great information, and I have personally learned a lot from watching videos and reading articles about topics I’m interested in.
However, I would say that overall, I find that a lot of the information I’ve read and watched on the internet is stuff that doesn’t actually add value to my life and isn’t usually necessary for me to know about.
Random facts about a specific place or about a specific topic or new studies and other statistics may be cool, but a lot of it is information I could live without and don’t really need to know in order to go about my day.
While it may seem fascinating, if most of the information is unrelated to anything we’re actively trying to learn, and we’re just mindlessly watching or reading something that shows up on our feed, then we’re likely to forget most of it the next day anyway, and find it just takes up our precious time which could be prioritized elsewhere.
This is why it’s so important to be mindful and intentional about the content we consume, so we don’t end up getting sucked into watching endless videos or scrolling through endless posts, losing track of our attention and wondering where the time went.
2. Meditate
On days where my mind feels like it’s all over the place, I find one of the best things that usually helps me get out of an overactive state and into a better place of relaxed focus is meditation.
I try to meditate 20 minutes every day. While I don’t always achieve this, whenever I do, I feel a world of a difference afterwards.
It’s definitely one of the best ways to declutter your mind and bring inner peace to a hectic, overactive brain.
Studies show that meditating is one of the best ways to clear your mind, and also offers so many other benefits, like enhanced memory, improved digestion, reduced anxiety, and better sleep.
3. Journal
Another one of my go-tos is journaling. This is something I like to do just about every single day. Whenever I have anything on my mind that’s bothering me or I’m feeling stressed, anxious, or dealing with negative emotions, I reach for my journal.
I also do this to process thoughts that I just can’t seem to let go of and certain topics that keep bogging my brain down, when I’m trying to make a decision, or find a solution to a problem.
I find that writing each part down, all the factors that make up the problem, or the whole situation, allows me to see it clearer and helps me come to a better conclusion; sometimes faster than I would if I was just thinking about the problem, or keeping it in the back of my mind.
As soon as I get it all written down and sorted out, I find that I can easily move on to the next thing and focus much easier.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep can make such a huge difference in the way that we feel during the day and the way in which our brains function. I feel completely different when I’m tired and sleep-deprived, compared to when I’m well-rested and fully awake.
In my experience, drinking coffee doesn’t really help me. Caffeine isn’t a good substitute to real sleep; it only makes me more anxious, and anxiety is something you’re more likely to feel already when you’re functioning on less sleep.
Research shows how critical the difference is in performance between those who are receive enough sleep, compared to those who don’t. So take the time to rest up every night!
5. Create a Plan
For me personally, I find it hard to get much stuff done throughout the day, unless I have a specific plan going into it. Decision fatigue is one thing many people experience, in which all the options and possibilities available to us eat up our time and energy, and overwhelm us until we end up not choosing to do anything.
This is definitely true for me. If I have endless possibilities for what I can do in a day, but I haven’t made a concrete plan for what I’m going to do and how my day is going to go, then when I get there I often feel overwhelmed.
I end up losing my desire to do any of the items on my list, with all the possibilities and options, unless I figure out the order in which I plan to do each item on the list.
This may not be the case for everyone, and there are times it’s not always a problem for me. It’s best to do what you know works for you. If you find yourself wondering why you lack the energy or desire to do anything , and don’t have a concrete plan, it may be a habit worth starting.
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6. Stop Multitasking
Another habit that eats up a lot of my energy and willpower is multitasking. Multitasking takes up so much mental energy that it’s much more exhausting and less efficient than simply doing one task at a time.
Going back to the previous point, I find that the best workflow for me is creating a plan for my day, having a specific order in which I decide to do each task on my list, and then going through the list and completing each one, one by one.
This is much more efficient and effective than trying to multitask, or switch back and forth between two or more tasks. The amount of mental load it takes up having to switch your brain back and forth only makes your brain more cluttered, making it much harder to focus.
7. Find a Better Environment
Our environments around us play a bigger role in the way we think and feel than we may realize. Negative people around us, or loud, chaotic environments, can really suck the energy from us and make it harder to clear our brains and focus.
It’s important to try and get away from toxic people and environments that may be bogging you down mentally. If you notice you tend to feel less inspired and low on energy around certain people or at certain places, then this is something you shouldn’t ignore.
Instead, try to find a more peaceful environment where you can think better, feel better, and focus more easily.
8. Listen to Calming Music
The type of music you listen to also plays a big role in the way that you feel day to day. Different types of music impact our energies in different ways, and so knowing that, we can use that to our advantage.
I notice I feel completely different energetically when I play more upbeat, fast-paced music, versus when the music I listen to is slower and more calm.
When I’m trying to focus, I don’t listen to my favorite pop or EDM playlists, because I find that even though I love the songs on them, they’re distracting and fill my mind with too much mental chatter.
Some of my favorite things to listen to when trying to focus is classical music or soundtracks from video games and movies. I find them much more inspiring and they put me in the zone.
I also occasionally listen to nature sounds, and on very rare occasion, binaural beats. When I’m struggling to focus, these two options almost instantly help me clear my mind and direct my attention onto the task in front of me.
9. Exercise
Taking the time to take care of your health and get enough physical activity makes a huge difference in the way that you feel mentally. Whenever I find myself stressed out or having too much on my mind, working out for a bit always helps me take my mind off my worries.
I focus much better after a quick walk or a workout, and studies show that exercise is extremely important for not just our physical wellbeing, but also our mental health as well.
Exercise not only helps our bodies stay in shape, but is also shown to release dopamine, making us feel good, clear our brain fog, and even enhances memory. Christine over at Department of Adulting has a wonderful post on easy and effective 10 minute workouts for beginners!
So, if you find you’re struggling to focus and can’t seem to clear your mind, go for a jog or walk or do some yoga at home, and note how you feel afterwards.
10. Clean Your Space
A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. When I have a cluttered home and messy space around me, I find I tend to get overwhelmed by all the work that needs to get done, all the things that need to be put away, organized, cleaned, etc.
Just walking through a clutter-filled space is like seeing a to-do list screaming at me. This is why the first and last thing I like to do each day is tidy my space. I do this both before I sit down to work on something, and after I’m done if I’ve created any sort of mess along the way.
When I have a nice clean home, I feel much more energized, inspired, and ready to start a new task or jump into a hobby or project. It really makes a difference.
11. Clean Your Diet
Many people don’t realize how many of their problems have to do with the food they consume. Eating sugary or overly processed food always makes it harder for me to focus, every time.
I notice a massive difference in not only my physical health, but also my emotional and mental state of mind. I get anxiety when I eat sugar or drink caffeine, and even with smaller doses I can still feel the difference, right after I eat.
When I eat whole foods that are mostly plant-based, with no sugar, I find the difference to be staggering. My mind functions much more clearly and I don’t have any anxiety or brain fog.
If you experience moods or random emotions, sensations, aches, or pains that seem to come out of nowhere, try paying attention to the food you’re eating and monitor how each food group makes you feel. You may be surprised at what you find.
12. Batch Tasks of the Same Kind
This point goes back to number 6, relating to why you shouldn’t multitask. Once you get your mind focused on a specific activity, it’s much easier to stay focused on that activity and keep going than it is to switch to a completely different type of activity and refocus your mind.
Batching my work is something I like doing with my blog. I typically batch-create the same kind of content, including blog posts, social media posts, or maintenance work that I plan to do on my blog.
I also do this with other tasks like cleaning my house. Once I’m in a cleaning mood, I go ahead and often end up cleaning my whole space, not stopping until I’ve finished tidying up and organizing everything.
I find this system makes me much more efficient, and also adds variety to each day, so I’m not always following the same routine every time.
Batching also allows me to really dive into an activity and devote my all my energy to it, without having to worry about switching my mind ten times that day and scattering my energy elsewhere.
I plan my week by batching all the same tasks of one kind together, doing them in one or two day periods, and fitting other tasks into each day that don’t need to be batched.
While this doesn’t work for every type of task, doing work in batches can be a really useful way to get a lot of work done in a short period of time.
13. Practice Gratitude
This may seem like an odd one to put on the list, considering this post is about how to declutter your mind and improve focus. However, your state of mind and mental wellbeing has a big impact on the way you function and focus on your work.
Read also: The Life-Changing Power of Gratitude
Our brains are often bogged down by all the negative thoughts about our lives that stress us out. What should I do about this issue? How am I ever going to get out of this mess? What am I doing with my life?
These questions and issues can really stress us out, and so it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Focus on the things you DO have in life, the areas of your life you don’t have to worry about that have already been figured out.
These could be food, clothing, shelter, access to tools or technology, relationships, getting through school, going through hard periods in your life, etc.
Other people are still struggling and worrying about obtaining or getting through these very things that we take for granted.
If our basic needs are met, and we’re living a life with a roof over our heads and food on our table, we can relax, and remember that everything in the future that hasn’t happened yet will get figured out all the same as everything has in the past.
14. Create Consistency
When you’re trying to develop a routine, habit, or learn a new skill, it’s easy to give up due to high expectations and frustration when those expectations are not met or we fail in our minds.
The most important thing with building any new habit or skill in life is staying as consistent as possible. Learning to declutter your mind and focus your attention is something you will get better at with consistency.
Producing better work and being better at focusing on a task will happen with practice and patience. Just keep going again and again, no matter how many times you seem to fail, no matter how often you seem to struggle or get distracted.
The more you try, the more control you’ll have over your brain. You’ll eventually be able to tell it when and what to focus on, and find it won’t be all over the place anymore. All it takes is consistent effort, day after day. Just keep going.
15. Find the Best Time of Day to Focus
For me, the best time I can focus is earlier in the day, shortly after waking up. I find that after 4 or 5 pm, I usually start losing energy and motivation to do work requiring a lot of mental energy, and I end up less productive when trying to do those types of tasks.
I can still do other work like folding laundry or cleaning the kitchen, so it’s a matter of ordering your tasks the most efficient way so that you to do the more grueling work when you’re most awake. Then do easier tasks when you’re less energized, to stay productive.
Everyone functions differently, and so it’s important to find the time of day when you can best do the tasks and projects that take a lot of energy and critical thinking, and focus on planning your day in such a way that you do those activities at those times.
My house is also typically quieter earlier in the day, so it’s easy for me to focus during that time, without having to deal with too much loud noise or chaos around me.
Decluttering your mind may be tricky at times, but with the right techniques and strategies, you can clear your mind with ease and effortlessly focus your energy and attention on the work you need to get done.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them down below!
I find this very timely, reading this today. Your post has great and advice and tips and I find myself nodding my head as I am reading. Thanks for sharing!