Clutter can creep into our lives and consume valuable energy. It can show up physically as paper piles on desks or kitchen counters, clothing flowing out of closets and drawers, or bins full of toys the kids no longer play with. There is also mind clutter, which can consume your thoughts. Physical clutter and mind clutter are closely connected. Have you ever noticed how challenging it is to think, be productive, or relax when your physical environment feels cluttered?

In the same way that I begin writing with a blank page, I engage more successfully in daily life when my space is clear with few distractions. For example, when I’m about to cook, I prefer the kitchen to be clean with uncluttered surfaces and an empty sink. When I work on a project like writing or developing a workshop, I focus better when my desk is clear of paper scraps and other projects. At night, I sleep better, getting into a made bed with clean sheets. Being in a clear, uncluttered place can be energizing or relaxing. 

However, when our mind clutter is dominating the internal conversation, what can you do? There are five effective strategies I regularly use for calming mind clutter. Some of these simultaneously address physical clutter.

5 Useful Strategies to Calm Your Mind Clutter

1. Get Out!

Yes. You guessed it. To clear the mind, getting outside for a walk is highly effective. Even a small dose of fresh air, be it five, ten, or sixty minutes, can do wonders for the cluttered mind. It’s even more beneficial if you can walk in nature. The fragrances of spring are intoxicating- lilacs and Lily of the Valley scent the air.

2. Free Write

Grab a pen and your favorite journal or pad of paper, then download the swirl of thoughts onto paper. Don’t worry about editing or organizing your thoughts in any way. Just allow them to flow. You might be surprised what comes out. Writing is an excellent way to unclutter the mind. 

“Writing is an excellent way to unclutter the mind.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Just Meditate
Practicing mindfulness meditation is a gentle way to work with a full mind. The idea isn’t to empty your mind during the practice. The quiet allows a place to let thoughts float by without judging or engaging in the content. You can also experiment with focusing on the breath while meditating. This will calm the mind and switch you into the rest and digest mode.

4. Shred It!

Shredding paper is so cathartic. As you release and shred physical piles and files, the mind unclutters too. The physical act of releasing enables the mind to also let go. Shredding is one way to unclutter. Any type of letting go of physical objects that have overstayed their welcome work wonders in releasing your mind clutter.

5. Take Care

Having jumbled thoughts can be connected to sleeping too few hours, not eating nutritiously, or ignoring self-care. When was the last time you took care of yourself? What did that look like? It’s not selfish to take a bubble bath or extra long shower, get a massage or pedicure, or sleep for eight hours. Relaxation time is essential to reducing mind clutter.

When your mind is cluttered, what strategy is most effective for you? I would love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The latest installment (v30) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring, change-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are a wonderfully generous, warm, and engaged group. I am deeply appreciative and grateful for your presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community.

I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Motivational Change

Making a change can be challenging enough. When we understand what motivates us and why we can create an environment for success in our lives.  In The Motivation Code – Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work, Todd Henry, author, consultant, and creative, shares research that identifies twenty-seven unique motivational themes that drive us. We each have a specific combination of motivation drivers that can be discovered by taking the MCODE assessment. Todd says, “Your Motivation Code is not intended to be worn like a name tag. It is meant to help you better understand why you are driven to achieve certain outcomes, and the unique opportunities that accompany those drives.” If you feel challenged by change and motivation, your insights from reading this book and taking the assessment will be valuable. As Todd says, “Operating within what naturally drives us allows us to work toward the outcomes we most crave.”

2. Interesting Resource – Clever Change

The pandemic has accentuated the need to have rooms serve multiple purposes. An eating space, living room, or bedroom is also an office, meeting, or learning space. Having furniture that is functional, well designed, and easily transformable for your needs sounds too good to be true. Not anymore! Expand Furniture in Canada has an impressive collection that changes coffee tables into desks, ottomans into extra chairs, desks into dining tables, and many more options. The only downside is that I’m now addicted to watching their YouTube channel. 

“If you’re ready to change your attitude about the cold, focus on ‘koselig,’ a Norwegian strategy for thriving in winter.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

3. Interesting Article  – Mood Change

With the pandemic, various quarantine levels, and winter’s cold, short days, many of us feel unsettled. In a recent Forge article, The Norwegian Philosophy of Thriving in Winter, James Ware shares the Norwegians’ secret for creating a positive mindset in winter. They focus on koselig, which is “a sort of shared, safe togetherness.” It’s a feeling of warmth and safety that can “describe a house, a situation, a meal, a conversation, or a person.” It’s similar to the word, cozy, or the Danish concept, hygge. Psychologist Kari Leibowitz researched the winter mindset. Ware shared her thoughts and said, “the koselig mindset is about making the best out of a bad situation.”  If you’re ready to change your attitude about winter, try one of the suggestions: create a cozy ecosystem at home and with people, find creative ways to be social, be in nature, and reach out to help someone else.

4. Interesting Season – Organizational Change

The cold temperatures, mounds of snow, and pandemic likely means you are spending more time inside than out. Are you working from home, helping your kids learn remotely, and trying to carve out some personal time? Is your home feeling cozy and supportive or chaotic and disorganized? Winter is a great time to set your organizing goals, declutter the extraneous, and create the calm at home that you deserve. Change is possible, especially with support. If you are struggling, enlist help from a compassionate and non-judgmental friend, family member, or professional organizer like me. I’m ready to help. Discover how virtual organizing can work for you. Let’s talk. Call 914-271-5673 or email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com.

5. Interesting Thought – Fear of Change

Let’s face it. Change can feel scary. Our fear can be paralyzing. However, I’ve noticed from personal and client experiences how our fear exaggerates the actual change. Fear isn’t a bad emotion. As a matter of fact, it’s present to warn us of danger and to take a specific action. When we move away from the familiar and comfortable, we can be afraid. Recognizing that growth and positive change are available to you on the other side can help normalize your feelings and move you forward despite your fear. 

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.