In the spirit of spring cleaning, I’d like to move beyond the conventional messes, and dive deeper into sources of mental clutter. The things that clog our brains can be just as easily swept out and organized as the things around our homes, and it’s always good to clear those cobwebs!
Doubt
Doubt is a sticky little beast that can easily wind its way into our psyche and bring us to a grinding halt. When we get caught up in doubt, it’s not hard to stray from the path and get mired down in indecision. Give yourself a pep talk and remind yourself of how awesome you are.
Intrusive Thoughts
Few things can bring your motivation to a grinding halt like intrusive thoughts. First of all, remind yourself that intrusive and negative self-talk is pretty much all lies. And then push it out of your head with positive commentary.
Procrastination
Putting things off is normal, but when you start running up against all the hard deadlines, it’s easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed. Make your to-do list, and get things done. It’s ok to be flexible, but your mental state will be much improved if you’re not constantly stressed about getting things done.
Doom Scrolling
In the current climate, and with our access to social media and 24/7 news cycles, it’s so easy to get caught up in endless rabbit holes and scrolling through all the craziness. Sometimes, you just have to say “enough is enough” and move on to other, more productive activities.
Over Commitment
“No.” is a complete sentence, and when your head is cluttered with too many commitments, it’s time to put that sentence to work. Being busy is one thing, but not being able to keep your head above water is another. Do your best to prioritize what’s really important to stay on track.
What are your sources of mental clutter and how do you combat it?
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I can certainly be my own biggest cheerleader and some days the exact opposite. It’s amazing how powerful our own thoughts can be!
It’s amazing how we can let doubt niggle at us and negative self talk can cripple an effort. This is something I try to be mindful of and I try to turn thoughts around when I have them.
No is a complete sentence! I definitely need to remind myself of that more often.
Intrusive and negative self talk is almost all lies- I love that. It’s so true! I love this thought of clearing our mental clutter during spring cleaning.
I do not over-commit. I am an introvert so it is easy for me to not make too many plans. 🙂 I am getting better at not procrastinating. I have found that it is best to just do what I need to do at that moment and not wait till later.
I’m an introvert too, but I love doing things. It’s a rough juxtaposition. You are absolutely right. It’s best to get things done. But sometimes, I struggle. Boo.