Decluttering your mind for better mental health

How do you feel when you don’t stay on top of cleaning your house?   

The clutter is piling up in every room, forcing you — in a lot of cases — to walk around the piles as you navigate from one room to the next. Pretty blah. 

What you might not realize is that your mind fills up the same way if you don’t stay on top of your mental health and aren’t proactively decluttering.

Each day comes with its fair share of challenges, stresses, and strenuous moments, all of which can impact you moving forward. It’s time to learn to deal with this mental mess, to move on and not let it weigh you down and prevent you from moving forward. Otherwise, you will be drowning mentally in the clutter of past experiences. 

If your mind isn’t decluttered from time to time, it will feel like it is constantly in overdrive;  you are just putting one fire out after another in your daily routine. There will never feel like there is room for more.

“Don’t look back, you’re not going that way” – Mary Engelbreit    

Yes, looking back can serve as a reminder of the lessons we have learned, so the mistakes are not repeated.  However, the only thing we should hold onto is the great memories, the people and experiences that have been part of the journey.

Everything else will weigh you down as you continue to blaze your life path.

Learn to let go,and you will find your anxiety around those less-than-good experiences will dissipate, allowing you to enjoy what is happening at the moment better.

Stop. Breathe. Reset.

Did you ever stop from your hectic day and breathe? Take 10 minutes before or after a meeting and clear your mind. Listen to music in your car, sit on a park bench and take in what is happening around you.

Life moves at the speed of light, and sometimes it feels like we don’t take time to slow things down. It may seem impossible with your busy schedule, but scheduling time in your day for a mental break and following through on it is imperative. We’re not saying it will be easy. It will be a struggle at first, but as you declutter your mind and find success, it will become part of your normal routine.

Physical organization = Mental health organization

Keeping your life organized can significantly help your mental health. 

Do you have a day planner where you can write down all of the things you have going on and remember each day? This could be your phone calendar or a physical planner you keep tucked in your purse or the glovebox of your car. It reduces the number of things that you have to remember if you do. Keeping a diligent calendar also gives you a better handle on your schedule and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 

The same goes for your house. A clean and organized house will reduce anxiety. Maintaining that cleanliness promotes good mental health. It will feel like a great accomplishment, one you can relish in!

Reach out

A lot of anxiety, depression and other mental health struggles are rooted in a state of overwhelm, where there is too much going on to effectively process and find a way forward. Our counsellors are available to help you learn techniques and coping strategies to help you in those moments. Reach out for support.