7 Simple ways to Spring Clean your Mind!

I know that feeling all too well: the one where you are trying to deal with so much stuff that mind clutter over flows! Before you know it you’re feeling overwhelmed….. discover some simple ways to de clutter your mind

East to West

In Easter philosophies, it is accepted that meditation and mindfulness can form part of the every day practice of navigating life and dealing with thoughts. In the West we are becoming more attuned to this practice but many of us think it has to involve long periods of silence and deep meditation. It doesn’t have to be that way – we can take steps to clear mind clutter quickly

7 Pillars of Mindfulness

According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a scientist and meditation teacher who developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, there are seven attitudes that form the foundation of mindfulness practice: “non- judging, patience, beginner’s mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance and letting go.”  You can include any or all of them in your mental spring clean:

1. Non-judging: this means not judging yourself too harshly – we sometimes do this and develop a ‘critical voice’ which may not even be our voice!  If that critical voice remains, it can clog our mind with stuff that gets in the way of making fresh decisions!
2. Patience: being patient toward yourself and your body:  sending gratitude to your body is a must – I often say this to clients who are looking to shed weight, how do you expect your body to work with you if you don’t thank it? Patience in clearing the mind clutter is also needed – when old thoughts come along to bother you, ask yourself ‘how does this thought serve me?’ ‘Is it telling me anything new?’ Or is it just an old pattern? Give yourself permission to clear those old pattern and look to replace them with something better: re-engage with a hobby, spend more time with people who are up lifting, slow down, create a space to breathe.
3. Beginners Mindset: no matter how old we are, we can have a beginners mindset, an open curiosity for new things; our brains are designed with the flexibility to adapt and change if we allow it to. This means being open to new ideas or changes that can benefit our lives. Ever thought about trying yoga/an art class/starting a a side hustle? Perhaps now is the time! Releasing our minds from old thoughts or habits creates space for new things.
4. Trust:  we should trust in our selves, our own abilities to do more of what we love.  Take time to sit with your feelings and give your unconscious mind the time to explore your instincts about people, situations and events. You will be surprised what happens when you learn to trust your inner power, old beliefs may fade or you may realise that you have been spending too much energy and thought in an area that does not require your time. Trust in what you need and release things that no longer serve your higher self.
5. Being Present: paying attention to each moment and to your breathing as though you’re doing it for the first time, being present is a way in which you pay attention to your thoughts but do not hold on to them – become an observer or a ‘wise witness’ to your thoughts – notice them come and notice them leave – you do not need to hang on to them, they are just thoughts in the moment and nothing more.
6. Compassion: be kind to yourself: silence the inner critic and have compassion for who you are. Basically, give yourself a break, you are only human. Compassion also means giving your self peace from the past or things that you may still dwell on from your past. The truth  is you were a different person back then. Those thoughts are not helpful in giving you any new information, why give them head space?
7. Acceptance & Letting go: sometimes we run a film or soundtrack in our head of how we would like things to be and then get upset or agitated when life throws difficulties in our way. Accept the things you can’t change, focus on the things you can be responsible for; let go of things that no longer serve you.

Start with the smallest things:

Spring cleaning your mind can begin with physical things within your immediate control: focus on an area in a room: a drawer perhaps, a cupboard. If you think about it, you will often ‘clear’ things such as the kitchen bin or your email in box! When we begin to clear things physically we feel better; this gives us the capacity for mental clearance too.

Like hypnotherapy, the 7 Pillars of Mindfulness are useful reminders that we can navigate overwhelm and take back control: our brains are designed to have thoughts, the good news is that we do not need to pay attention to every single thought we have. In fact, if you give yourself time, you can learn to notice your thoughts and watch them leave without attachment. Hypnotherapy sessions can help to clear unwanted thoughts or old patterns of behaviour by asking the unconscious mind to speed up the process. Hypnosis is a gentle and powerful way to create a space to safely process and release old mind clutter releasing new space for better possibilities.

If you are thinking of spring cleaning your mind, get in touch for a free phone consultation to see how I could help you.

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