Ritual of Rest #5 - Decluttering your Brain
In One Simple Step
My kitchen acts as the "brain" and control center of our home. When my kitchen is cluttered and dirty, I can't think—I feel foggy and frazzled. But, if everything is put in its place--if the countertops are wiped down and floors are mostly free of dog hair--then, magically, I can think.
Truly it's a phenomenal experience going from visual sensory overload to serene focus once the kitchen is cleaned up.
Most of my days I walk around with brain overload—and I bet you do too:
Everything from—planning next summer's trip, to scheduling alllll of the preventative doctor and dental appointments for my family (and then remembering to go to them), to shopping for new, overpriced insurance, to filling out forms and then filling out forms again and again, to making decisions, to my grocery list, to what am I going to cook for dinner, to carpool schedules, to making sure I check in on certain relationships, to worrying about the dream that hasn't actualized, to remembering to floss my teeth, to figuring out what size shoe my middle daughter is before I can order what she needs. I mean, my entire life and a million details are bumping around up there. I know it’s likely the same for you.
This week’s ritual will provide a tool to whip out in moments you’re ready to put all of those swirling thoughts “away” for a few minutes to enjoy the peacefulness and tidiness of a wiped down, clutter-free brain.
How to Declutter Your Brain in One Step:
1. On a piece of paper, write down in bullet point form, everything taking up space in your mind.
Include anything from your to-do list, to decisions that need to be made, to what you’re feeling anxious over, to your grocery list, to what you plan to cook this week for dinner, to logistics and beyond.
(If you don’t want to use paper, use the Notes App on your phone or something similar—that will work just as well.)
It's a tangible act to put all the things somewhere concrete for a period of time: the to-do list, the decisions that need to be made, the worries, the dreams, the planning and logistics to be worked out.
Once all the things taking up space are on a sheet of paper there are several next-step options, not limited to:
Simply write it all down and move on with a cleared-out brain.
Throw the sheet of paper away—if you really need to decidedly disconnect from all that's ticking around up there this is an intentional second next step to conscientiously say, “These details cannot have domain in my brain space right now.”
Put the list in an envelope as a means of setting these thoughts aside. I’ve read about some people who like to label their envelope with the word, "Trust," or something similar, as an intentional act of letting go of control of it all.
Save the list and use it later to organize and strategize all of the to-dos, tasks and worries, planning and so on taking up space in your head.
Once your brain is decluttered, you’ll be able to: sleep, journal, take a walk, sit in stillness and silence, meditate, pray, sip coffee or engage in whatever practice of rest you desire and need with a bit more focus.
This is a common practice. Most likely you've heard about it somewhere else before. But it's been a ritual that's proved to be highly helpful—one I often utilize when I’m craving those deeper moments of solitude or quiet but find myself distracted every other second by the sight of the dog hair on the floor—or rather, the flurry of thoughts floating around my head.
I always welcome a bit of clarity—and while I may not solve any big problems on my list by doing this, I do gain a sense of clear thinking for a period of time, and on most days that counts for a lot.