Mind Clutter

Clearing out mind clutter starts by being aware of all the thoughts that run through your head.

You know...the stress, the worry, the negative thoughts, the imagined disasters just waiting to happen, and the many ways we're actually quite mean to ourselves...

...all inside our own heads!

I affectionately call that stuff 'mind clutter.'

If you looked at how much time you spend each and every day, letting your thoughts run away with the same thoughts that made you feel bad yesterday, last week, last month, and last year, it's no wonder you often feel behind, overwhelmed, and stressed out.

Your thoughts play a HUGE role in how your day goes.

I'm sure that's not a surprise to you, right?

But did you know that just because you have a thought, doesn't mean it's true?

(Just like everything you read in the papers isn't always true, either.)

One of the reasons those thoughts keep running over and over in our heads for years is because we never actually stop to question whether they are true for us.

We simply believe them as gospel and let them run amok inside our head.

What if you slowed down enough to actually listen to the phrases you say to yourself, and see if they even make any sense?

Write these emotional clutter thoughts down. Put them in black and white (and don't make them 'sound pretty' when you do...write down what you are actually saying to yourself in your head.)

You'll be shocked.

Any of these sound familiar?

• "Aaaarggghh - I'm so lazy!"
• "Why didn't I work harder on that project?!? I'm such a loser! Can't I do anything right?!?"
• "I really messed up that presentation. I'll never figure this out."
• "My sister would have done it better. She's always better than me."
• "In fact, everyone is always better than me!"

These thoughts are MEAN. 

Really mean. And they create a ton of mind clutter. They make you feel BAD.

Would you EVER say these things to your best friend? Or your daughter?

And you're saying them to yourself, the one person you can never get away from.

Once you've noticed what you're saying to yourself, you can start to change the words.

Use language that's more affirming and more supportive. And make sure that the new way you talk to yourself is still true, so you'll believe it (but you'll be supported rather than put down.)

Like this:

• "Looks like I really didn't want to do that, since I really put it off. Wonder why? What could I do differently next time?"
• "I made a couple of mistakes during that presentation. The rest seemed pretty good, though. I bet I can ask someone to help me improve...I can learn how."
• "I've got my own strengths (and my own weaknesses). How about I focus on what I do well?"

It may seem a little corny, or too simplistic, but when you start rewriting your own thoughts, you will start feeling and acting differently as well.

It takes time to gently clear out mind clutter (sort of like, when you were a kid, wiggling a tooth that was loose...bit by bit).

And it's worth it!

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