Decluttering Your Mind

Cultivate Wellness

Mental Health Chat

Spring Cleaning:

Steps to Declutter the Mind

By Kendalle Wexler, MS, LMFT-Associate Supervised by Dr. Katrina Cook, PhD, LMFT-S

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of thoughts you have in a day? These thoughts may be about house tasks, school assignments, work projects, financial planning, and so on. When thoughts clutter our minds, we may experience difficulty in making decisions, completing typically simple tasks, or even managing a conversation with others. The good news is that you are absolutely not alone. Here are five quick easy strategies you can use to declutter your mind and tidy up your mental space.

1. Write It Down

Sometimes when we have thoughts floating abstractly through our mind it can be particularly distracting and difficult to remain present. Having a journal to quickly jot down thoughts as they come up throughout the day can help to organize them in a concrete and visual manner. Seeing your thoughts written down allows you to more easily create a paced-out plan to address them and ease their intensity on your psyche.

2. Organize Your Space

Your environment impacts your internal processing. If your physical space feels chaotic to you, that is likely to be mirrored in your mental space. Your home does not have to be pristine with labels and categorical systems in order for you to achieve mental clarity. If that is helpful for you, lean into it. Otherwise, I simply advocate

that you take note of the energy of your space. How do you feel when you’re in it? Organize your space in a way that promotes feelings of peace for yourself and mental tranquility. This will look differently from person to person.

3. Move Your Body

Energy is stored in the body and our thoughts can take on the form of energy. Have you ever felt a sudden flutter of anxiety when you start to think about a task you’re running behind on? That flutter is a form of energy seeking an outlet. Movement can be that outlet. Reflect on your favorite forms of movement— dancing, stretching, yoga, sports, etc., and utilize movement as a way to release built up energy. Pro tip: It never hurts to pair your favorite song with your movement of choice to really get those endorphins washing over your mental space.

4. Connect With Nature

When you feel overrun by your thoughts, you may also feel somewhat stuck in your head with a limited ability to view things outside of your immediate reality. Getting outside and connecting with elements of nature can be helpful in shifting your focus from intrinsic stress to external rejuvenation. Let the sun shine on your face, watch the leaves of a tree blow in the wind, and get your hands dirty planting fresh produce. Did you know that there are sources of serotonin in soil? Capitalize on this free source of serotonin and utilize nature to interrupt your thoughts and dip into a natural cleanse.

5. Check In With Yourself

Ask yourself why anxious or stressful thoughts are present and what obstacles you’re experiencing that inhibit their resolve. The thoughts are there for a reason and are likely important to you, which is why they are so persistent. Have an honest conversation with yourself to explore the meanings associated with these thoughts and what resources you have to work with–not against–them to lead to resolution.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of strategies to deal with intrusive thoughts. I encourage you to start small. Take inventory of what is shaping your thoughts and explore for yourself which approach, or combination of them, works best for you.

What strategy will you use this spring cleaning?