Declutter Your Mind With One Simple Trick

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Over the last few years, my views on minimalism and living simply have evolved. I still have a lot to work on, but each day I am able to learn something new and work on living more intentionally. I get a lot of great tips from Maria, I read books on minimalism and follow many professional practicing minimalists who make it look easy. However, where minimalism has really surprised me is with my health and wellness. It’s amazing how much happier your mind, body and soul become, when you let go of all the stuff. This is especially true of your mind and all the clutter up there. Let’s learn how to declutter your mind with one simple trick in this helpful guide for busy women.

When you clean up the clutter in your home you feel free, light and happy. The same applies to your mind. Mind clutter can cause stress, anxiety, and tension. We all have so many tasks we are juggling, our poor brains are crying out for a release. If you want some good resources on managing your anxiety, this BOOK LIST may just be what you need. Or, if you really like to read quotes that can decrease anxiety, this QUOTE LIST is perfect!

Also, if you need help with decluttering your outside world and don’t know where to start or need motivation, check out this article HERE by Maria on what she learned one year into minimalism.

My Story

Responsibilities, schedules and tasks add up quickly, especially if you are a busy mom like me. I have two kiddos who attend two different schools this year, work part-time in an outpatient clinic as the department nurse, co-own this amazing minimalism blog, I’m co-authoring a book, running a household, maintaining a social life and nurturing a marriage with my partner in crime. All the while, trying to set an example for my children on how to be healthy in mind/body/soul by exercising regularly, eating healthily, living in gratitude, and practicing kindness. Whew!

I can honestly tell you that I would not have been able to handle these many tasks just a few short years ago.

However, I have learned over the years how to successfully navigate a busy schedule without letting it stress me out (also my kids are in school now, so that helps too 😊).  So, how do I stay sane and not fold under the pressure?

I do a daily brain dump. What the heck is a brain dump and how do you do it?  

The term was coined by David Allen in his book, Getting Things Done: take control of your life in a distracting world. Allen says that we shouldn’t be carrying around dozens of things in our brain that we need to do, want to do, wish we would have done, etc. Instead we should write it out somewhere on a regular basis such as on paper, a computer, or personal tablet. We should get it out of our heads and organize it somewhere else.

How to Declutter Your Mind With a Daily Brain Dump

There are many ways to get the clutter out of your mind. I have numerous ways that I do a brain dump, which I will show you here. Some of these are monthly, some weekly and some daily. Enjoy!

Monthly School Calendar

The first thing I do is make sure my family’s schedule is written out on a large calendar that I hang on the fridge. In the beginning of the month I write out every time each child should be dropped off and picked up at school for that whole month. This way, everyone knows who should be in school at what times. This comes in handy for my husband when I am at work. This is especially nice for those late start Wednesdays, early release days or no school days.

It got really old having to remind my hubby every time there was a time change to the kids’ schedule. Now he knows to check the calendar if I’m at work. I also write down their school reminders such as when library books are due, when preschool tuition is due, and when special projects or papers are due to be turned in for my second grader.

Pro Tip* Most schools hand out monthly or yearly calendars with days highlighted for early release, late start, or days off. If you don’t want to write out their schedule every month, just put that school-provided calendar on the fridge or in a designated place and check it regularly. Next year, when both my kids are in the same school, at the same times, I will be utilizing this pro tip.

Daily Planner

For the blog, freelance writing gigs and the book I’m writing, I have a cute little planner that I put all of my deadlines in. Every morning before the family wakes, I make a cup of coffee and open my planner. I update it with new deadlines or due dates, cross out any that I have completed and remind myself of projects that are due soon.

I do this everyday to ensure that I get the deadlines and due dates out of my head and on to paper. Some people like to do this on their laptop, phone or tablet with an electronic calendar. Either way works just fine. I like to carry my planner with me in my bag so that I can update it throughout the day.

If I didn’t get all of these projects on to a planner, my head would be spinning. It’s like my own personal assistant. I highly recommend having some kind of system for writing down your deadlines or due dates if you run a business, brand or blog. It works best if you can check it every day at the same time, to ensure productivity.

Weekly Meet Ups

Since Maria and I have a couple professional endeavors we do together such as this blog and a book we are writing, we schedule regular meet ups for a brain dump. If you have a partner(s), collaborators, clients, coaches, even mentors that you work with, I highly recommend scheduling regular meet ups to hold yourself and each other accountable.  

These can be either in person or on Skype. If you are short on time or can’t seem to connect due to schedules, you could even do a regular email brain dump until you can meet up.

We share ideas, write out visions, create “to do” lists, assign each other tasks and make deadlines for the blog and book. It is the most efficient way to make sure we are both on the same page and everything gets accomplished. I always leave our “brain dump meet ups” with a new sense of motivation and direction. These meetings are only a couple hours, but highly productive.  

Side Note* I also recommend having regular brain dumps with your partner and family to get out your ideas, thoughts, concerns and goals for your life together. Don’t let it fester in your mind, until you end up snapping at the next person who looks at you sideways. It’s also a smart idea to meet with your partner and plan your financial goals for the month (I stole this idea from Maria). Another idea is to have regular family meetings where everyone gets a chance to talk about their concerns, wants or ideas for the household. This will ensure your children feel a sense of home life structure, learn responsibility and feel like their voices are being heard.

Nightly Journal

Not only can your mind be full of due dates, ideas, information and schedules, but it can also be full of emotional clutter. The best way that I get my emotions out of my head is by writing them out in a journal.

I started out writing in a gratitude journal many years ago and haven’t stopped journaling since. I find that it is best to get it out right before bed to ensure a good nights sleep. During the day I am flooded with many emotions and feelings and if I didn’t get them out on paper, I would probably lay in bed with my head spinning. If you want to start journaling and don’t know where to start, read this article on a gratitude practice.

Journal entry ideas for your brain dump:

• What or who are you grateful for today?
• Was there a situation that bothered you today and why?
• What or who made you happy today and why?
• Who or what made you mad or sad today and why?
• List 3 long-term and 3 short-term goals for your business/brand/blog
• What did you do today that you are proud of? Describe it.
• What are you going to do better tomorrow and how does this look?

Final Words

Our brains are similar to computers in which each thought is like an open tab. We all know how distracting it can be to have 5, 10, even 15 different tabs open at the same time on our computer. Our minds are no different. The more tasks we have “open” in our mind, the less likely we are to be efficient and successful. This is because we jump from thought to thought, never focusing on one thing, and never really accomplishing anything.

As researched on Live Science, our brains can actually only store 3-4 ideas at once in our “working memories”. So, we pose the risk of forgetting to do something when we have more than 3 or 4 ideas or tasks that we are thinking of at once.

Instead, do a monthly, weekly and daily brain dump to declutter your mind. You are sure to feel lighter, happier and less stressed in no time.

Go ahead, get that mind clutter out and see how free you become!

Join the Discussion

Tell me in the comments below how you declutter your mind!

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Author

Sara Halcumb is a Registered Nurse, wellness blogger, mother and wife.

Sources

Allen, D. (2018). Getting things done: take control of your life in a distracting world. New York: Penguin Books.

Moskowitz, C. (2008). Mind’s Limit Found: 4 Things at Once. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/2493-mind-limit-4.html