When the sun starts shining, many of us get an itch to clear the clutter away. Here’s how to give your mind the spring clean it deserves.
New season; so much you should be doing…and your Monkey Mind is as busy as ever. Do you feel like your brain is always filled to the brim with worries, memories, complaints, to-do lists, and so on?
It may be time for a mental declutter. You know how satisfying it is when you clean up one of your living spaces. Do the same for the space (between your ears) that you carry with you everywhere you go!
You can clear away the clutter that takes up precious inner space with three simple techniques.
1. Journaling
Journaling gives your Monkey Mind a playground for burning off energy so that it doesn’t turn your every waking moment into a mental jungle. When you journal, give your nagging thoughts, and unshakeable emotions, plenty of space. For example, you could write down lists of things you’re worrying about. Just put whatever occupies the most mental space down on paper.
2. Intentional Information Consumption
With the amount of information flowing into our consciousness on a daily basis, it’s no wonder we feel mentally overloaded. Why not do an inventory of the type of information you’re taking in every day and think about whether it adds value to your life? If there are a few information sources you could—or should—be living without, take a break from them for a few days and see how it feels.
3. Reflection and Release
To enter the new season without dragging the old season’s challenges behind you, reflect and release. List the experiences, emotions, or thoughts you don’t want to carry any longer. You can then ceremonially destroy the list as an act of conscious release. Say, “I let go of the past and choose to stand firm in the present.”
Author: Kristin van Vloten