How To Declutter Your Mind And Dial Back Anxiety
Knowing how to declutter your mind when you feel stuck in life is an invaluable skill.
Who hasn’t felt uneasy, troubled, rejected, or generally just awash with angst at some point? It’s not uncommon to feel this way when one chapter of life is winding down (or has already ended) and the next one is yet to be determined. Or when things haven’t “gone our way”. Or even when we feel “on hold”, for example, during a worldwide pandemic! Now what?
Without a defined method to conquer our negative emotions and keep moving, they can overwhelm us and become our new story. We become paralyzed. Or passive, waiting and reacting to what happens next.
Yet wouldn’t you rather be in charge? Actively pivoting into your next life chapter that you design?
Today, I’m sharing a “get unstuck” approach that helps push anxiety and it’s dubious counterparts out of the driver’s seat.
Learning how to declutter your mind is essential because your mood directly impacts your perspective.
You see, when we don’t have clarity, it’s difficult to have a vision for what we can do. And when we don’t know where we want to go next, it’s hard to move ahead with positivity, curiosity and confidence.
So if you’d like to replace mental chaos with calm, come join me—let’s figure this out together, shall we?
This post shares 8 tips for how to declutter your mind so you can replace anxiety with serenity
1. Release Morning Thoughts
Ever notice how your mind starts churning once you’re out of bed? The crowded overlay of feelings when you wake up immediately dictates how your day’s mood is set (unless you’re stellar at burying and denying those feelings–which is not recommended). Sometimes, your mood is sublime. Other times, it’s a slog.
This is why taking 15 minutes or so to write down whatever is on your mind is the key to clearing out the morning mental clutter. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, introduced the term, “morning pages”. (There’s a video link below with Julia herself explaining the concept). It’s a brilliant way to do a brain dump first thing in the morning.
This is for your eyes only so be honest and go ahead: spill out whatever is on your mind. The point is to remove all random, heavy, or troubling thoughts and feelings. Just like phoning a friend, think about the relief when you give voice to what’s weighing on you.
Certainly, you can release some of the emotional clutter immediately by shining the light on it and seeing it for what it is … something to kick to the curb. Other parts you can decide to work through at another time, because they will take more time. Just not right now.
In this way, you clear your morning fog. Now you can step into a shiny new day, untarnished by what you may not have even realized will hold you back. Because our mood takes energy and who has any to spare on negativity?
If you prefer to capture your thoughts electronically like me (’cause I have atrocious penmanship!) check out what I use daily over here: 750 Words.
2. Choose a Daily Mantra
Not only do morning pages allow me to start my day in a more unruffled manner. They can also reveal a timely mantra, or reminder for how to keep negative feelings at bay.
When I realize that a particular concern is dominating my early morning thoughts, I can replace that negative whisper with a positive affirmation.
For example, when I’m feeling stressed about not getting everything done, a useful mantra for me is, “I’m right on schedule”.
Or, when I’m feeling cranky or out of sorts (for any number of reasons), “Lighten up!” does wonders for a reset. And I can thank my son who told me this when he was 10—wise words from a young boy!
Be open to “hearing” which mantras will sooth and reset your mind. Then repeat for maximum effect.
3. Pick Three Tasks
There can be a long list of things we need and want to do. The line items rarely fit within a standard day, right?
Now obviously, there are always non-negotiables like work, meals or showering. Those are a given.
But here I’m talking about identifying just 3 things that you will agree to complete. They don’t have to be massive. They are simply things that should be done at some point and you’ve selected them today.
At the end of the day, it will be satisfying to cross those off the list (I like to use a green marker but any color will do). Maybe it’s the laundry, decluttering the junk drawer (you know I had to work uncluttering in here somewhere!), or following up on an email or phone call. You choose.
Whether big or small, accomplishments are another way for how to declutter your mind. They have a way of boosting your mood. And they get you out of your head.
4. Be Fully Present
Now shift into your day. Release any thoughts or feelings that bring you down. Use your chosen mantra to focus on the here and now!
There is great beauty in the simple moments of the day. But it’s also easy to overlook them and take them for granted.
We get distracted with pesky worries. Or we divert attention to our screens. For more on the power of our attention, read this: A Clutter Free Home Starts With Reining In The Screen Time That Consumes Our Day.
Remember, your morning pages are your designated time to acknowledge what’s gnawing at you. Some of your concerns will dissipate, simply by looking at them and deciding they need to leave. Others will take more time to resolve. But that should occur in your future morning page sessions.
For now, give your mind a rest. You’ve cleared it so that you can engage fully in the present moments of today.
5. Get Physical
Studies confirm that physical activity has a profoundly positive impact on our mood. It doesn’t have to be lengthy or grueling. But as little as 30 minutes of movement definitely gets our endorphins flowing.
Now you may not feel the urge to move when your thoughts are weighing you down. But the best course of action is to not overthink this. Whatever your chosen activity is … walking, yoga, Pilates, or swimming … have a designated time for when you’ll do it. And then stop thinking and start doing.
After all, when we are mired in negative feelings, we are not the best judge of what will soothe us. We may think lounging on the couch and bingeing mindless shows or scrolling social media is all we have energy for … but yeah, not really. Save that for after you’ve done something physical. Use it as a reward, instead!
6. Watch and Listen for Signs
Now I’m a firm believer that there are clues in our everyday lives for how to declutter your mind and uncover your next course of action. We’re just not accustomed to noticing them.
This concept works in conjunction with #4, Being Fully Present. When we open ourselves up to the idea that we are not alone (even when it feels that way), we can embrace the idea that we do indeed have guides all around us.
You see, signs come in all shapes, sizes and forms. It could be something someone says. Or something you see out your window. Maybe something you read. Or a idea that comes to you while you’re driving.
When we open ourselves up to receiving guidance, it comes. It may take time to recognize when it does, if we are not used to seeing it. Or if we are fixated on things unfolding in only one way.
But one of the most powerful signs we often receive first is to Simply Be. To let go of thrashing about for answers. Because the harder we push, the more elusive the signs become.
Guidance can’t be forced. So when things don’t turn out how we wanted or expected, the best thing we can do is Simply Be. To pause and leave the door open. And then await patiently for what will arrive.
Believe me, patience is not my personal forte! But I’ve learned that my own timeline can have a slower cadence than I care for, at times. Yet therein I have found some of my most essential and life changing lessons. And the new directions that I headed in were even better than I envisioned.
7. Be Gentle With Yourself and Others
When we are hard on ourselves, it can often transfer to being hard on others, as well.
Perfectionism has a way of chiming in when anxiety strikes. We’re unhappy with feeling stuck and so we can be hypercritical of those in our circle.
Once again, your chosen mantra can shift your focus to the present moment. And then this is the time to pay attention to your breathing. Is it shallow? You might even find yourself holding your breath!
So pause. Take a deep breath through your nostrils and hold for 3 beats. Then breathe out through your mouth slowly. This practice helps ground you. And it helps you release the negative inner critic.
Return to simply being in the present moment, open to possibilities that will appear. Because they will.
8. Believe Something Good Is Coming
Above all, trust that you are on a good path. It may have taken an unexpected detour or led you to what appears to be a dead-end.
But buying in to that belief only invites negativity. It blinds you to other possibilities. It holds you hostage and you’ll get stuck.
However, when you adopt the habit of expecting something good will happen no matter the present turn of events, amazing things will happen.
Firstly, you can return sooner to a positive mood after the initial disappointment. When you feel optimistic, you’ll feel better.
Then when you treat a setback as temporary, it is easier to see signs or find solutions. Maybe even discover a new or better path!
Secondly, you develop resiliency. No one can foresee everything that might go sideways. And life can certainly excel with doling out the unexpected!
But knowing how to declutter your mind of disappointment and unmet expectations will allow you to bounce back quicker. It will make you stronger. It ensures you continue moving ahead, no matter what.
And thirdly, being receptive as opposed to being rigid when it comes to change is an invaluable trait to cultivate. After all, how we see things is just how things look from our own personal, limited perspective.
However, when we broaden our expectations to allow and entertain other possibilities and ideas, then we open up to being in the flow of life instead of resisting it.
Doesn’t that sound so much more effortless and exciting? I do … tell me what you think!
The Wrap: This Post provided an 8-Point Process for how to declutter your mind and step confidently into your future
- Learn how to declutter your mind of negative feelings like disappointment, regret, fear, uncertainty or anxiety by identifying them and calling them out in your morning pages.
- Embrace the “get unstuck” method described here to take control of how you react and deal with life’s twists and turns.
- Expect good things to come your way so that you can see the signs around you and the possibilities ahead of you.