I typically struggle to explain mind clutter to people. If you look at the phrase literally, then one might think it means having so many thoughts going on in your mind you cannot think straight. However, one could argue everyone has a million things going through their mind, so does that mean everyone has mind clutter? Not exactly. Mind clutter exists in people who have so many things going through their mind it’s preventing them from achieving other things.
Let me explain with an example. The other day I was discussing mind clutter with a friend. In a sort of “aha!” moment, she said, “Oh, so there’s this penny that fell on my living room carpet on Saturday. All weekend I walked past that penny, noticing it, but never taking the time to bend over and pick it up. Finally, on Monday morning, I picked it up and placed it on a table. What’s funny is I have a loose change jar. So, even though I picked the penny up, I still haven’t completed the process of putting it away. I wonder what’s holding me back?"
Let me explain with an example. The other day I was discussing mind clutter with a friend. In a sort of “aha!” moment, she said, “Oh, so there’s this penny that fell on my living room carpet on Saturday. All weekend I walked past that penny, noticing it, but never taking the time to bend over and pick it up. Finally, on Monday morning, I picked it up and placed it on a table. What’s funny is I have a loose change jar. So, even though I picked the penny up, I still haven’t completed the process of putting it away. I wonder what’s holding me back?"
My friend’s example is very common. More often than not, we don’t pick things up right away. Instead, every time we walk past it, we say in our head, “I should pick that up.” The same could be said about a lot of things: “I should clean out my pantry,” “I should organize my craft room,” or “I should go through that stack of papers on my desk.”
These “I should” thoughts are basically mind clutter. What innocently started as physical clutter has now created mind clutter. Imagine how much mind clutter is created when there a lot more items/things out of place in your living space? Cramped closet anyone? Stuffed-to-the-gills garage? Dresser drawers that won’t open due to being overfilled?
Clutter doesn’t just appear in massive amounts one day. It starts out slowly, with one small item that doesn’t get addressed. Slowly it turns into more and more and more. And now, not only is your space full of disorganization, but your mind is full of it too.
Physical clutter overwhelms and slows you down. So does mind clutter. More often than not, your physical space is a reflection of your mental space, and before you can get organized and ‘fix’ the space, it’s important to pay attention to the reason you didn’t pick up the first piece of clutter when it started. However, it’s important to make sure you’re not bullshitting yourself with excuses. If your reason for not organizing your closet is because you “don’t have time,” I would challenge you and say….bullshit.
These “I should” thoughts are basically mind clutter. What innocently started as physical clutter has now created mind clutter. Imagine how much mind clutter is created when there a lot more items/things out of place in your living space? Cramped closet anyone? Stuffed-to-the-gills garage? Dresser drawers that won’t open due to being overfilled?
Clutter doesn’t just appear in massive amounts one day. It starts out slowly, with one small item that doesn’t get addressed. Slowly it turns into more and more and more. And now, not only is your space full of disorganization, but your mind is full of it too.
Physical clutter overwhelms and slows you down. So does mind clutter. More often than not, your physical space is a reflection of your mental space, and before you can get organized and ‘fix’ the space, it’s important to pay attention to the reason you didn’t pick up the first piece of clutter when it started. However, it’s important to make sure you’re not bullshitting yourself with excuses. If your reason for not organizing your closet is because you “don’t have time,” I would challenge you and say….bullshit.
Here is the Homework for this Week:
When something drops on the floor or you see something on the floor and find yourself not picking it up: stop.
Take a few breaths. Even if it’s just for a few moments. Be present with yourself. Is it possible you feel overwhelmed?
There is hope. Just be present with noticing. My next post will take you to the next step.
Image credit: Desktop Disorder by Colin Campbell via Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0
Take a few breaths. Even if it’s just for a few moments. Be present with yourself. Is it possible you feel overwhelmed?
There is hope. Just be present with noticing. My next post will take you to the next step.
Image credit: Desktop Disorder by Colin Campbell via Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0
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