How to Declutter Your Mind and Live Intentionally

Posted by admin on March 15, 2020

Do you have a cluttered mind that feels impossible to declutter? No worries! In this post, you’re going to learn exactly how to declutter your mind and live intentionally so that it stays that way!

I’ve been right where you are and it seems like you’ll never fully clear out your mind, but that isn’t the case.

The key to decluttering your mind and living intentionally is by creating systems that support you. Odds are you haven’t had that until now, and the change you’re about to experience through implementing the things within this post is going to be life-changing!

It is possible to have an uncluttered mind. Let me show you how!

How to declutter your mind

There are nine key things you need to do to declutter your mind. The best way to implement them is one step at a time.

You’ll start with the first step, conquer it, then move onto the next step. This takes time, so don’t rush it.

1 // Start uncluttering your mind with a thought download [brain dump]

Grab a notebook and start writing anything and everything that comes to your mind. What thoughts have been on repeat in your mind and what just randomly surfaces?

Keep writing it all out until you feel like you’ve written every thought possible.

Once you finish writing, start crossing off things that isn’t actually important and let release them.

By writing it all out, your brain knows it doesn’t have to keep it on repeat for you. The action of crossing off anything that isn’t important helps the thought loop complete, which is a very important step.

For the things that feel important to you, write them out in list format so that it is easy to prioritize how you will accomplish them.

Evaluate what is on your list to see if there is anything else that doesn’t really matter and cross them off.

Next, you’re going to prioritize everything that made it through two cuts and give them a time frame to be completed.

The time frame helps you feel in control of the things you believe are important. This process will take a big chunk of clutter from your mind and you may already feel complete, but there is something else you need to do to ensure you complete this thought download.

Is there something on your list that leaves you saying, “I don’t know how to do this”?

This is detrimental to the process, which means you need to take one additional step to completing the process.

You want to be decisive when planning out the things on your list, and with the thought of “I don’t know”, you’re allowing yourself to stay in confusion, which isn’t helpful at all!

All you have to do is ask yourself, “If I did know how to do this, what would I do?”

Odds are you already know, but your brain likes to keep you comfortable and doesn’t just easily deliver the answer.

By asking yourself this question, your brain searches for the answer and helps you complete your thought download.

2 // Declutter your home

Have you ever noticed that your home is a direct reflection of your mind?

If it is cluttered, odds are it is because your mind is cluttered. If it is clutter-free, odds are you feel clutter-free.

With your thought download complete, it is time to bring your home up to speed with your mind.

This is a powerful step, because you’ll feel in control of your internal and external states. It also prolongs how clear your mind is, because you aren’t worried with what all you need to tidy.

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3 // Prioritize your life

What are your priorities? Does everything feel important to you and you feel like you cannot remove anything from your plate?

I ask, because my life gets the most hectic when I lose sight of my priorities.

Taking a few minutes to ask what is important to me and if I only had one hour each day for each priority, what would I accomplish, I easily see where my hang up is.

For a quick example, these past couple of months, my fur baby, Chevy has been my main priority. She’s gone through two surgeries and the healing process has been very slow.

I hadn’t realized the emotional toll caring for her was taking on me and still filled my work plate as if everything was normal. Within two weeks, I reached full exhaustion, but couldn’t figure out what to do about it.

When I took a few minutes to look at what was actually happening in my life, I realized I needed to change up my schedule to allow more room for my personal life.

Since then, I have taken a full day off work [which is rare for me], asked my husband for more help, and actually slept a full 12 hours to allow my body to recover.

Now that I have realigned with where my priorities actually are versus where I want them to be, I feel renewed and accepting of that.

I removed a big project from my plate until my fur baby is healed, because she is higher on my priority list. This allows me to have the room to care for her and still do things that have to get done in my business.

Sometimes it is hard to see where your priorities need to be versus where you want them to be. However, once you align with where things are and plan accordingly, things are easier.

When you determine what your priorities are for your current place in life, ask yourself what can be eliminated from your plate.

Eliminating just one thing from your plate can provide a lot of benefit.

4 // Create a schedule

Want to keep your mind clutter-free? Then you need to create a schedule that supports you!

I posted the following post on Facebook that explained how I’m now planning my weeks to support my mental health above everything else.

You cannot help others without helping yourself first, so you have to remain your #1 priority!

I have a confession. 😬😬😬I’m a workaholic… and now in recovery.I honestly love what I do and can do it every day of…
Posted by The Tannehill Homestead on Saturday, March 14, 2020

Step 1: Schedule breaks

The first thing you should schedule on your calendar are your breaks. This ensures that you actually do things to help you feel your best.

This is the best thing I have ever done for my mental health!

Schedule in the following:

Sleep
Vacation
Self-care time
Relaxation time [TV or reading a book]
Meal time

Putting each of these things on your calendar FIRST, ensure that you don’t over commit yourself. You won’t want to break an appointment with yourself, especially if that includes vacation time or enjoying a massage.

Step 2: Schedule in work time

Obviously, you don’t want to book anything during work time, so put that on the calendar next.

If you have children that have extracurricular activities, you’ll want to put that on the calendar as well.

From here, you can see what time you have left to commit to other things.

What about the tasks that are repetitive?

For things that you do weekly, like cleaning, meal planning, and/or grocery shopping, you want to plan them to where they run efficiently and as simple as possible.

I like to clean and tidy my home daily. It usually takes less than 30 minutes a day, so I don’t have to use an entire weekend day cleaning my home. You can learn more about that here.

Ask yourself what is the simplest and quickest way to accomplish these tasks.

Does meal planning and ordering groceries on Sunday, then picking up groceries after work on Monday seem rather simple? If so, put that on your schedule and see how well it works.

If you find that doing it differently would work better for you, change it up and give that a try.

Keep fine tuning your repetitive tasks until you feel you’ve got your system down to a simple science.

I will say that meal planning is definitely the best, because it reduces how often you think about what to cook and ensures you have everything you need to execute your meals for the week!

5 // Stop multitasking!

Multitasking isn’t effective, because you are simply hopping from one thing to the next then back again.

It isn’t a system that serves you, because of how long it takes to effectively focus on a task.

Instead, single focus on the task at hand and see how much quicker you can accomplish things on your list. Also pay attention to how much better you feel mentally afterward.

6 // Reduce information intake

The more information you consume, the easier it is to clutter your mind. If you really want to learn how to declutter your mind, use a minimalist approach to taking in new information.

Ask yourself why you’re consuming certain information and if you’re actually benefiting from it.

It is okay to be super picky about the information you consume. Here are a few things you can do to reduce information intake:

Unsubscribe from emails
Declutter who you follow on social media
Reduce your TV time [especially the news]
Turn off phone notifications
Switch to instrumental music
Remove social media from your phone
Establish a daily time limit for the information you consume

The less information being presented to you helps reduce the clutter in your mind and allows you more space for processing.

The hardest and best thing I have done to create space in my mind is logging out of Instagram for all of 2020. It created a lot of unnecessary clutter in my mind and gaining that space has allowed me to live more in the present moment, which is freeing.

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7 // Move towards the resistance

Is there something you want to do, try, or achieve, but your mind seems to create a block when you think about it?

The best thing to do is work towards achieving that thing. Your brain wants to keep you safe, and when you try new things, it isn’t sure that will keep you alive. So as a defense mechanism, your brain will create all kinds of clutter to stop you from pursuing that thing.

Do it anyways!

You’ll find yourself on the other side so thankful for going for it anyways, and your mind will learn that doing new things isn’t going to hurt.

For example, you’re currently learning how to declutter your mind and live intentionally. Do you feel any resistance to this process? If so, that is your brain’s way of saying this is outside of its comfort zone and doesn’t want you to proceed.

I’ve felt this, and I promise you will feel better by ignoring that resistance.

8 // Change your diet

By eating healthier, we give our body the fuel it needs to perform at optimum levels.

If you’ve been eating a lot of junk food and drinking sodas, you probably feel sluggish and tired.

By switching soda for water, you can feel completely different and able to accomplish the things you want to do.

I’m not suggesting you completely change your diet over night, but doing at least one thing to be healthier can have a large impact on your mental health.

9 // Choose to be kind

It’s easy to judge others and feel that negative energy, but it doesn’t serve you at all!

Instead choose to be kind!

It doesn’t have to be a big grand gesture. A simple complement to a stranger can improve your mood significantly.

Doing this on a regular basis will help you increase your overall happiness and reduce the noise that normally flows when you’re judging others.

The world needs more kindness, so be that light!

Now that you know how to declutter your mind, it’s time to live intentionally

It’s not enough to know how to declutter your mind, because you don’t want to always be in a reactive state of mind.

Yes, you’ll likely start from a reactive state of mind, but I want you to also know how to declutter your mind using a proactive approach.

1 // Know your WHY

Why do you want an uncluttered mind? What are the benefits of an uncluttered mind?

Ask yourself WHY? seven times in a row until you can pinpoint why this matters to you.

This will help you stick with a proactive approach and live more intentionally.

2 // What are your values?

Knowing your values will help you keep things off your plate that don’t matter.

So what do you value?

Love
Financial freedom
Learning new things
Serving others
Personal growth
Being self-sufficient and caring for the environment

These are just a few examples of values. There isn’t a list of right or wrong, unless you aren’t being honest with yourself about your personal values.

3 // Set goals for your life

Whether you just want to stay in alignment with yourself or accomplish mind-blowing goals, you need to set goals for your life.

Having a purpose allows you to live as intentionally as possible, and setting goals helps you define your purpose.

For example, my long-term goal is to help as many women as possible declutter their lives so that they can achieve their dream life.

In order for me to achieve my long-term goal, I have to lead by example and continually seek to find women that need my help.

This goal encompasses all of my values, my WHY, and my priorities. It also includes what truly makes me feel fulfilled and helps me thrive.

4 // What are you grateful for

Having a daily gratitude list helps you see what you do have in life, which is very important. A gratitude list shows you that you always have enough and are extremely blessed!

The warmth and goodness that comes from focusing on being grateful pushes out negativity and makes room for you to focus on the good.

5 // Don’t be afraid of resistance

I know I mentioned this above, but it is very important for you to understand that resistance isn’t a bad thing.

The best things in life are the things we work hard to achieve, so lean into it and achieve all the things you dream of in this life.

We only have one chance at living our best life, so don’t waste it!

6 // Daily habits matter!

The smallest things you do have a massive impact on your life! Make sure you’re doing things that support your life long-term versus the here and now.

I recently read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear and it taught me a lot about habits. While I have a lot of good habits already, there were a lot of little ones that I realized I needed to shift.

One example being how I plan my week. By switching my rest time from last on my planning list to first, I’ve planned to always have time to fill my cup so that I can perform at optimum levels.

Bonus

Read ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Living Intentionally’ – A Guest Post by Sarah at Fruitful Home Co. I asked my friend, Sarah, to share her best tips for living intentionally, because I want to make sure you have all the tools in your tool belt to live your best life!

Take action

Now that you know how to declutter your mind, it is time to take action!

I’ve got several resources to help you inside of my FREE Resource Library! Get access to it by clicking the below photo!

Final thoughts

Learning how to declutter your mind takes practice, but the more you practice, the easier it becomes to have an uncluttered mind.

Don’t try all of these suggestions at one time. Take your time implementing each one, and I promise you’ll be able to declutter your mind easier than you ever thought possible.

Give yourself grace and enjoy the process!

It's time to learn how to declutter your mind using reactive and proactive strategies! Are you excited to finally have an uncluttered mind?

The post How to Declutter Your Mind and Live Intentionally appeared first on The Tannehill Homestead.