Lose The Mental Clutter and Find Your Focus

by Leanne Sowul
published in Writing

Have you seen Marie Kondo’s new Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo? Marie teaches people how to do a deep declutter of their homes, often prompting emotional awakenings as the clutter is cleared. Change is sparked; lives are redirected. The show is apparently so popular that Goodwill and Salvation Army sites around the country have been inundated with donations.

I love decluttering, and I do it on a regular basis a few times a year, so removing clutter from my home isn’t something I need help with. What I’d love is for someone to come and declutter my brain. Imagine a Kon-Mari method where the result is a reduction of mental clutter, prompting changes in focus and reprioritized lives. Doesn’t that feel like something you need in your life?

Well, I’m no Marie Kondo, and I’m not about to be signed for a Netflix show titled Declutter Your Brain with Leanne Sowul, but I can share with you a five- step method that helps me lose my mental clutter and focus on what’s truly important.

Step 1: Do A “Brain Dump”

What to do:

Find a private space, then take out your phone and start your voice recorder app. Then talk out every thought or concern buzzing around your head. Keep talking until you feel completely emptied out. As you address each concern, try to hit on why it’s bugging you and follow the worry to its natural end. Then try to pivot to a potential solution to the problem. For example: “I’m worried about what my supervisor is going to say about the project I just turned in. Her feedback is so unpredictable, and that makes me nervous. I’ll calm my nerves by reminding myself that I did my best work, and by thinking up a few key points to defend my project if she pushes back on me.”

Why it works:

Stream-of-consciousness talking gets all your worries out in the open, which helps you to diffuse stress.

Tips:

The voice recorder part is important. You must talk out loud to truly rid yourself of all of your worries, and it’s easier to talk to something than into thin air. You can delete the recording immediately afterward.

Step 2: Write a List (or two, three, four…)

What to do:

Make a list of every nagging task that’s been distracting you. Jot it all down on one paper or document as fast as you can. It’ll be like microwave popcorn: first your thoughts will pop fast, then the pops will slow as you reach further into your mind. But don’t stop until every kernel has been excavated. After it’s all on paper, organize it into multiple lists: things to do, things to buy, issues to discuss with your supervisor, plans to schedule. You’re not just decluttering your mind; you’re also finding shiny new boxes to put your thoughts in!

Why it works:

It puts all the little things that have been bugging you into black-and-white, which makes them feel more manageable.

Tips:

Use scrap paper during the initial jotting so you don’t feel the need to write neatly or justify the use of a pretty notebook. You can always go neat and fancy when you’re organizing your lists in the second step.

Step 3: Distance Yourself

What to do:

This is the part where you step back from the emotional clutter you excavated in Step 1 and the practical, task-oriented clutter you unearthed in Step 2. Take some time to distance yourself from your clutter and enjoy the newfound space in your mind. I recommend meditating, taking a walk, or doing a creative project during this time.

Why it works:

You’ll begin to see all of those nagging tasks and worries as something separate from you, which will make them easier to release.

Tips:

Don’t rush this step. Your mental clutter will still be there after you’ve gotten some perspective.  

Step 4: Delegate Tasks

What to do:

Is there something on your to-do list that you don’t have to do personally? Assign the task to a co-worker, a helpful friend, a spouse, or a capable child. (Take note: delegation comes more naturally to men than women; women should see this as a skill worth cultivating.)

You could also outsource some of your work. Signing up for a laundry or cleaning service can have a highly positive effect on mental clutter, because those tasks are recurring and are made up of several smaller individual tasks that weigh on your mind (sort clothes, load washer, set timer to swap the clothes into the dryer, etc…)

Why it works:

It frees up your time and allows your mind to focus on deeper work.

Tips:

Throwing money at a problem only works if it results in permanently removing it from your to-do list. If you sign up for a grocery service that requires you to be home during a four-hour window, you may be trading one frustration for another.

Step 5: Forget the Rest

What to do:

Look over the lists you made in step 2. Is there anything on there that you can simply drop? If it’s neither urgent (like getting an oil change) nor important (like making a will), does it need to be done? Chances are, if it’s been lingering on your list for a long time, it doesn’t truly need to be there.

Then consider the brain dump you did in step 1. Are there any worries that you can release? (YES!) Put yourself in the mindset of accepting the things you can’t change so that you can let go of unnecessary emotional baggage.

Why it works:

Letting go of unimportant tasks and distracting worries allows you to focus on the things that are truly important.

Tips:

If you’re having trouble releasing a task or a worry, try writing it down and then destroying the paper as a symbol of your release.

What are your favorite methods for reducing mental clutter? If you have anything to add, please leave a comment. I’d love to expand these five steps. Hey, you never know— maybe Declutter Your Brain with Leanne Sowul will actually be a thing!


Leanne Sowul is a writer and teacher from the Hudson Valley region of New York. She’s the curator of the website Words From The Sowul and authors the “Be Well, Write Well” column for DIY MFA. She writes historical fiction and personal essay, for which she won the Scott Meyer Award in 2017; her work is represented by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary Agency. Connect with her at leannesowul(at)gmail(dot)com, at Facebook.com/sowulwords, or on Twitter @sowulwords.

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