Introduction

Our lives can impose a lot of conditions on our psyche. We get an influx of tasks, and negative self-talk, or the general hassles that comes with responsibilities we may have.

These things can contribute to mental clutter, which can pollute your mind and make your judgment clouded.

However, there are ways to ease mental clutter, but we must first understand what it is.

What is mental clutter? 

Mental clutter is all the unnecessary conscious and subconscious thoughts we hold in our mind that can present themselves as obstacles in our lives.

So, it’s time to decide, but you have many conflicting thoughts in your mind at once?

This is a form of mental clutter.

It is when you cannot think straight. Brain fog is another term one can use to describe mental clutter. 

Causes of Mental Clutter

There are quite a few causes for mental clutter or brain fog. 

Perhaps there’s a conscious or subconscious thing you fear doing. 

Or maybe you don’t want to do it because it doesn’t feel enjoyable. 

So, you procrastinate or avoid the entire task.

You may try to do other tasks in place of what you need to accomplish. 

But you allow your wants to override your willpower. 

Neglecting things that you know needs to get done will only persist in the back of your mind. 

So, while you are going about your day and being productive in other ways, you may put off some very important work you need to be doing. 

This creates mental anguish because you neglect what needs to get done. 

This can develop into negative self-talk until you complete the task. 

It will split part of your mind as you are doing other things because you know that there is something more important that needs your time.

This indecision can plague your mind until you make a choice.

Trying to spread yourself too thin can also cause mental clutter as you try to juggle several jobs, ideas, and activities.  

What clutter does to your mind? 

Some see mental clutter as an overload of information that makes your mind crash and stops normal function. 

It makes things much more complicated to process. 

Clutter also eats up our productive mental space.

When we have so much going on in our head, our memory becomes compromised. 

We don’t remember normal things as we would, which can add to the mental clutter.  

5 Types of Mental Clutter  

Negative Self-talk 

Many of us deal with matters regarding self-esteem and our confidence.

This can pertain to perceptions we have of ourselves that relate to our status, physical features, money, etc.

If you stand out or are different in your own unique way, then it’s probable you’ve dealt with negative self-talk. 

Many times we degrade ourselves or have subconscious limitations that play in our heads. We may say that we are broke, not as intelligent, or that we are unattractive. 

A part of us believes these concepts and they run in the back of our minds all the time.

Worrying (Chronic worrying can become addictive)

Are you apprehensive about things to come? 

This can provoke anxiety. 

You worry about how something will turn out. Perhaps you have a public presentation in two weeks and you worry about your grade.

Or maybe you worry about the job interview you had and whether you got the job. 

Worrying can become a habitual response to waiting. 

Perhaps you are not very confident in your abilities and worry that things will not go in your favor. 

Did you know that 91.4% worry predictions did not come true? 

You may use worry as a coping mechanism for those emotional triggers.

Fear (Dread of the unknown) 

Uncertainty drives many people insane, as they must have their blanks filled in. 

Knowing something with certainty gives us a sense of security. 

However, we will not always have the answers to our questions. 

This can cause a fear of the unknown as our mind concocts different endings to the story.

The fear can create a general disease in our minds as our mind runs wild with an array of negative results fueled by our fears. 

Carl Ed Baker, an Associate Professor of Theatre specializing in Technology, Innovation and Management at WSU suggests that we “replace fear of the unknown with curiosity.” Watch full coverage:

Guilt or shame (Unhappy about decisions we’ve made in the past, causes you to become angry) 

A guilty conscience can make you replay the decisions you’ve made in the past. 

Since you can’t go back in the past and undo anything just add more shame overall. 

It is like reopening an old wound and pouring alcohol on it. 

It just furthers the pain and the healing process

takes much longer.  

Regret 

Having regrets creates mental clutter because you will think about an array of things you should have or could have done. 

You continue to replay scenarios in your head, trying to see how the situation would have ended. 

A part of you feels that you must live with the regrets as you accept it as a part of your punishment for making the wrong decision or not doing something the way you think you should have.

So, it weighs on your mind, making you feel you are wrong.

2 Triggers of Mental Clutter 

The news (causes unnecessary guilt, worry and stress) 

No one enjoys hearing unpleasant news. 

Sometimes we need to unplug from the craziness of the world. 

Unpleasant news can cause worry or stress about potential dangers. 

Our minds may make matters worse, and then we feel guilty because we don’t feel as if we can make things better. 

It can create a sense of helplessness.  

Money (Causes fear, worry and even regret) 

Do I have enough? How will I pay for that?

These thoughts bombard our minds as we try to figure out how we will get enough money to do the things we need to do.

Even if a lack of money isn’t the problem, people still worry about making the wrong financial choices and have regrets on purchases they may have made.

Did I need that? Should I take it back?  

5 Ways to Clear Mental Clutter 

Practice Mindful breathing 

Mindful breathing requires a person to find a comfortable place to sit, take slow, deep breaths, and focus on their breathing.

It is okay if your mind drifts to some mental clutter.

Just try to refocus your attention to your breathing.

Don’t judge or interact with your thoughts.

Focus on the natural flow of breathing in and out.

The intrusive mental clutter will occur less and less.  

Here’s a quick tutorial:

Regular Exercise

Exercising is another way to escape the fog.

One of the most beneficial things to do is get up and train in the morning. Instead of calling it ‘exercise’, rephrasing it to ‘training’ has a slight psychological benefit to me.

Here’s some psychological benefits gained through exercise.   

•       Improved mood
•       Reduced stress and an improved ability to cope with stress
•       Improved self-esteem
•       Pride in physical accomplishments
•       Increased satisfaction with oneself
•       Improved body image
•       Increased feelings of energy
•       Improved in confidence in your physical abilities
•       Decreased symptoms associated with depression

Keeping a Journal

I know its cliche, however, sometimes you need to do a brain dump. You’re thinking, but I’m not a writer. So what? It’s your thoughts, no one else’s.

This is an internal process, stop thinking about Stephen King, James Patterson, or  J. K. Rowling.

Write whatever comes to your mind; you can also draw, paint, or make a collage in a journal. 

When I started keeping a journal, I reflected on all the people and/or things in my life and made a “Thought Cycle.”

Let’s say something good happened at work, I’d write the word work and break down the specifics.

This process has helped me to keep my thoughts organized, realize my triggers and focus on solutions to address my issues in each category.

My thought cycle:

Here’s a reminder of some benefits per University of Rochester Medical Center:

• Manage Anxiety
• Reduce Stress
• Cope with depression

Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by:

• Helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns
• Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them.
• Providing negative thoughts and behaviors

Read or listen to a book  

Sometimes you need an escape from the brain fog.

Allow your mind to drift into a cloud of fantasy with an enjoyable fiction novel or any book that will keep your attention.

Have you ever been so immersed in a wonderful movie that you forgot your worries for the day?

A book can give you the same relief.

Say no no interruptions 

Learning to say no to interruptions is tough.

Whether it’s the premiere of a recent show, gossiping at work, tempted to procrastinate, spend money or eat something unhealthy.

So what do you do? 

When you feel you’re going down that slippery slope of mental clutter.

Pull yourself back and take action.

Do something you know you need to do, despite whatever thoughts arise.

It takes time to foster healthier habits, however, make slow changes to replace those negative habits with healthier ones. 

Conclusion

We all experience mental clutter.

This makes decisions more challenging.

Some of us express how we deal with it by avoidance and some of us procrastinate.

However, there are ways to resolve mental clutter so you can have a clearer mind, better judgment, and overall more clarity.

Saying no to those thoughts helps and taking a moment for yourself to recenter your mind.