Did You Know Physical Clutter Contributes to Mental Clutter? (Downloadable Flip-book or PDF)

Did You Know …

Physical Clutter Contributes to

Mental Clutter ?

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Did You Know …

Physical Clutter Contributes to Mental Clutter

by Cliff Moore v2.0

The Brand of Me

for

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be modified or altered in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author.

DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinion based on the new conditions. The report is for informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report, neither the author nor his affiliates/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a fully qualified professional should be sought. This report is not intended for use as a source of psychological, health, legal or accounting advice. You should be aware of any laws which govern business transactions or other business practices in your country and state.

Any reference to any person or business whether living or dead is purely coincidental.

Written by: Cliff Moore v2.0, SPE for The Brand of Me Personal Branding & Development Since 2009 cliff.moore@thebrandofme.biz Checkout our other “The Brand of Me” Publications.

Copyright © Cliff Moore v2.0, 2021

Table of Content Introductio .................................................................

Causes of Mental Clutte ............................................

Environmen ............................................................

Peopl .....................................................................

Distraction ...........................................................1 Thought ...............................................................1 Mental Clutter Creates Mental Habit ...................1 Mental Habit ..........................................................1 Everyday Stres ......................................................1 Decision ................................................................1 Un nished Busines ...............................................1

Overcome Negative Thought ..............................1 Mental Impacts of Clutte .........................................2 Procrastinatio ......................................................2 Perfectionis

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Anxiet ..................................................................2 Conclusio ................................................................2

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Bonus Chapter - Basic Meditatio ........................24

Introductio he word decluttering doesn’t just apply to housekeeping. In a household setting, decluttering refers to cleaning, general tidying, and eliminating things from the home that have become useless or obsolete

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The same concept can be applied to your mind. It’s the process of lowering the burden on your mind by eliminating unnecessary worry and thoughts.

Making changes to your life and your thought processes can accomplish this. Although your mental processes always cause clutter, external events can serve as triggers Eliminating the triggers is a powerful way to declutter your mind. But you can also have ineffective habits for dealing with stress, boredom, and uncertainty.

Excessive thinking can be another form of mental clutter. It uses valuable resources and drains your ability to focus Your environment is another possible source of mental clutter. A cluttered environment isn’t conducive to a calm and relaxed attitude. The people in your life can also clutter your mind

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Causes of Mental Clutte Environmen Your environment includes your home and work environments. You spend most of your time in one of these two places. Avoid underestimating the impact your environment can have on your mental clutter. Removing environmental clutter can have a positive effect on the clutter between your ears Cleaning your of ce won’t trigger feelings of sentimentality, but decluttering your home will. The most important criteria when deciding whether or not to keep an item are • •

Do I love it Do I need it

If the answer is “no” to both questions, get rid of it.

Sentimentality is a trap. There’s no reason to keep your plastic prom corsage from 1986 if it spends its entire life in a box in the garage However, there are worse offenses in the universe.

Just be aware of the tendency of sentimentality to contribute to your environmental and mental clutter

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Declutter your home and work environments rst 1.

Tackle one room at a time. Let’s not lose ground before we even get started! Attempting to take on too much at once will not only lead to failure, but you’ll also increase your level of mental clutter

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Start at the top and work your way down. Look at anything hanging on the walls. Do you love it? Do you need it? If the answer to both questions is “no,” sell it, throw it away, or give it away. Regardless of which option you choose, do it quickly

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Go through any closets, drawers, and shelves. Repeat the same process. If you don’t need it or love it, get rid of it

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Finish the room. Consider the furniture, books, items under the bed, your clothes, and so on. It would help if you considered every single thing for elimination. Be ruthless. You don’t use 90% of your possessions. You won’t miss them

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Complete the rest of your domain. Address your work environment. Your work environment might consist of a desk and cubicle or an of ce.. Declutter whatever falls under your responsibility. Pay special attention to your desk and old les. Take the appropriate actions

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Other areas to consider decluttering include

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Remember your car. You can declutter your vehicle every time you ll your gas tank.

Don’t just stand there watching the numbers increase on the gas pump! Declutter your car while you wait Remember your digital environment. This can be the most tedious part of your decluttering efforts. It might take the better part of a Saturday to complete Computer. This includes your computer desktop and all your les. Eliminate everything you don’t need. Organize les and icons as necessary. Consider defragmenting your hard drive after you’re done. Declutter your work computer, too Email. How many emails do you have that you don’t need? Remember to spend time on all your email accounts Phone. Delete old text messages. Delete apps you no longer use. Update your apps as necessary

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It might seem counterintuitive to address your environment when your challenge is more psychological!

Your environment can in uence the amount of stress and anxiety you experience. It can trigger mental habits that create the mental clutter you’re trying to relieve. More on this will be shared later in this book starting on Page 19.

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Peopl Some people are complicated to get rid of from your life. Your children, for example, are a good example. No matter how old your children are, the bond between a parent and a child is compelling.

However, there may be times needed to exclude your adult children or your parents from your life. Everyone does not have a place in your life.

1. Your life is a precious gift. Take care in deciding who you want to invite.

2. Consider how much the people in your life both contribute to and detract from your happiness: 3. In what ways do people contribute to the negativity? These individuals do not have a pessimistic attitude toward your life. They have a gloomy outlook on life in general. These are the cynical individuals, complain about everything, and drain the life force from you every time you contact them. Ask yourself why you keep them around.

4. Take a look at the toxic people in your life.

People who are poisonous get in your way. They are the individuals who stand in the form of you achieving your objectives. They're discouraging and sabotaging our efforts to achieve our goals.

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For some reason, if you don't improve yourself, they seem to feel better about themselves.

5. It's uncommon to come across people who genuinely want to see you succeed. However, that is not an excuse for tolerating those who purposefully create obstacles in your path of life.

6. If it is a close friend or family member, the rst step is to have an open and honest discussion.

Show them the door if that fails to have any effect on their behavior.

7. Friends from a different epoch. It could be a former college classmate or a former coworker from 20 years ago. Is there anything else you have in common with me besides a shared past? What level of pleasure do you derive from your interactions with them? Consider your options and make the necessary modi cations.

8. Friends on social media with whom you are not familiar. You're familiar with these individuals.

They're Facebook "friends" who are friends of friends of friends, and they're friends of friends of friends. Surely you don't want to see the birthday pictures of their grandchildren?

9. If you're promoting your company through social media, the more people you have, the

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better. Alternately, make the necessary reductions.

It is important to keep separate your actual friends and business customers. Obviously, some will be both 10. Consider the people you interact with daily at work. You have fewer options in this situation. You might be able to get rid of those bothersome employees who work for you, but even that is dif cult in today's society. You may be able to nd another position within the same company or at a different organization. You may have to re your boss and look for another job.

11. Every person in your life does not deserve to be a part of it. To the best of anyone's knowledge, you only get one shot at this game. Make sure that the people in your immediate vicinity are not affecting the quality of your experience. Remove those people from your life who aren't necessary or who you don't care about.

12. Make room for people who will make a positive difference in your life and happiness. Search for people the impact you with positive vibes. They will help keep you keep on track

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Distractions can be clutter in themselves. When they divert your attention away from what is essential, distractions can also contribute to clutter by encouraging more items in your home.

Procrastination is a self-in icted phenomenon that affects everyone at some point in their lives.

When you procrastinate, you never feel good about yourself. The work that you've been putting off is still looming over your shoulders. There is no amount of distraction that will eliminate that nagging feeling. Keep checking the time and shifting your attention back and forth between the distraction and the work you should be doing. It's getting late. As a result, there is a lot of mental clutter.

Some distractions aren't all that distracting in the rst place. They are simply a more enjoyable alternative to the work that you should be doing at the time. Some distractions, on the other hand, are extremely distracting in and of themselves.Evaluate the distractions you face in your life each day 1. How do you waste time? Forget about procrastinating. If you have nothing pressing on your schedule, how do you waste time? Make a list.

A few popular culprits include

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Distraction

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These are likely the same ways you spend your time while procrastinating

2. Consider the cost of losing that time. Even if you only waste one hour per day, and it’s likely much more than that, that’s 365 hours per year. That’s over nine 40-hour workweeks. That’s over two months! What else could you do with that hour •

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3. Make a list before bed. Prepare a list of the most important 3-5 tasks you have to do the following day. Ensure that at least half of your list are items that will move your life forward in some way 4. Understand why those items are important.

Understand the bene t you’re gaining by taking these actions 5. Reduce each task to the necessary steps. Tasks that are too big or too poorly de ned encourage procrastination 6. Reduce your distractions. Set a timerRemove any potential sources of distraction from your environment. You should turn off your phone. Turn off your internet connection. Unplug the television from the wall outlet. Close the door to your of ce and leave the room. If you have to, lock yourself in a closet with nothing in it. Lock yourself in a bare closet if you must Distractions are everywhere. Some of us are naturally better at ignoring distractions than others. Use your time to the best of your ability by reducing the distractions in your life. You’re then in a stronger position to avoid procrastination

Consider that the worst procrastinators you know are struggling the most with life. Procrastination is perhaps the greatest fertilizer for mental clutter.

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Thought Your thoughts are where the mental clutter begins. Get control of your thoughts, and you will minimize mental clutter. This is a signi cant task, and not for the fainthearted! It can be done, though Several things affect your thoughts, including • • •

Mental habit Everyday stres Making decisions, especially when there are too many option Un nished busines Keeping to a schedul Unanticipated outside in uenc

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Mental Clutter Creates Mental Habit Clutter breeds more clutter!

Physical Clutter contributes to Mental Clutter in a number of ways.

Mental Clutter contributes to the development of mental habits, which in turn triggers the accumulation of additional Physical Clutter.

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Mental Habit Like your actions, many of your thoughts are habitual. You nd yourself thinking about the same old things over and over again. You nd yourself daydreaming about the same imagined future time and time again. This mental clutter can consist of either positive or negative thoughts, but it is still there There are other mental habits that provide little bene t •

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Comparing yourself to other

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Mentally checking out when faced with stressful situation

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Thinking about the past and the futur

Contemplate whether you struggle with any of these negative mental habits

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Everyday Stres This is a signi cant development. As your level of stress rises, your mind becomes increasingly cluttered. Your thoughts become more uncontrollable and negative as time goes on. The fact that stressful events frequently precipitate many serious mental health issues should surprise anyone. The amount of mental clutter you have is directly proportional to the amount of stress you experience daily.

Most of the time, it is the accumulation of minor details that have a signi cant impact. Traf c, late bills, a runny nose, and irritated spouse, and a broken shoelace are just a few of the things that can throw your brain for a loop. A large number of minor stressors can be just as stressful as a small number of large ones.

Decision Making a lot of decisions can really wear you out and create mental clutter. There’s a reason why Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, and Albert Einstein limited their daily wardrobes to just a few items – the elimination of choice

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When you are faced with a large number of choices, mental clutter develops.

Several studies have also found that making decisions reduces your ability to make other decisions. Every day, eliminate as many potential decisions as you possibly can.

One advantage of routines is that they are easy to maintain. Habits remove the need to decide in most situations. Maintain the same healthy breakfast routine and commute to work using the same route every day.

Use your habits to your advantage and save your decision-making muscles for when the stakes are high

Un nished Busines Often the result of procrastination or leaves a lot of un nished business takes up valuable mental space.

It’s the phone call you need to make. It’s cleaning out your storage unit. It’s nishing your taxes. It’s getting the oil changed in your car Indecisiveness also delays items that are started, put on hold, and many times not completed

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Overcome Negative Thought Does a state of mental negativity af ict you? Do you tell yourself things that aren't true? Do you have apprehensions about the future? Do you constantly criticize yourself and spend an excessive amount of time dwelling on your shortcomings? It's only natural.

Scientists have devised a theory to account for all of this negative thinking.

It was necessary for human survival.

Unfortunately, it is no longer bene cial.

There was a time when food was in short supply.

There were potentially lethal animals present.

According to legend, a member of another tribe may beat you to death with a club simply for gazing at his mate. Those who were overly cautious and worried were more likely to survive than those who had a more relaxed attitude toward life.

Now that we have grocery stores and police, the majority of predators are no longer a problem. To ght our wars, we have armies at our disposal.

Your negative way of thinking is something you inherited from your parents. It is, however, no longer helpful to you

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Deal quickly with your negative thoughts 1. Understand that your negative thoughts are hurting you. 90% of your worries and negative self-talk are doing you more harm than good in the long run. If you believe that simple fact, you'll be halfway to achieving freedom 2. Be observant. Learn meditation skills that will be helpful. Notice when you’re having a negative thought 3. Distance yourself from the thought. When you think to yourself, “I’m not good enough to do this,” change it to “I’m having a thought that I’m not good enough to do this.

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This simple process puts space between you and the thought. You realize that it’s something separate from you

4. Replace the thought. Reverse the thought. Tell yourself that you’re good enough. Tell yourself that things will be okay. Is it true? Well, it’s no more of a lie than telling yourself something negative.

Considering that things usually work out, it’s more accurate than your negative thoughts 5. Surround yourself with positive people. A positive person thinks the best possible thing will happen, and hopes for it even if it's not likely.

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According to Psychology Today, Clutter causes stress in part because of its excessive visual stimuli.

It also signals to our brains that our work is never done and creates guilt, anxiety, and the feeling of being overwhelmed. March 9, 201 What Is the Impact of Clutter on Your Life? Clutter may have a signi cant impact on our feelings about our homes, workplaces, and even ourselves. Is it possible for a cluttered home to affect your mood?

Yes, without a doubt! We feel anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed when our areas are a complete mess Clutter as a signi cant source of stress in our daily lives. However, one aspect of How Clutter Affects You is the unnecessary stress that it causes.

The Effects of Clutter ‣ Clutter causes us to become distracted by diverting our attention away from what we should concentrate on. ‣ Clutter makes it more dif cult to relax, both

physically and mentally, according to psychologists.

It constantly signals our brains, telling them that our work is never nished ‣ Clutter can cause feelings of guilt and

embarrassment, signi cantly when unexpected visitors drop by our homes or places of business ‣ Clutter frustrates us because it makes it dif cult to

nd what we need quickly.

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Clutter Effects You Physically and Mentall

Mental Impacts of Clutte Procrastination Clutter and the Procrastinato The study’s ndings, which were published in Current Psychology (January 3, 2019), revealed a signi cant link between procrastination and clutter problems across all age groups. They found clutter issues to be associated with life dissatisfaction among older adults and younger adults

Procrastination is a habit that requires focus and a desire to break. One that you’ve most likely been working on since you were in high school, if not longer.

Clutter is one of the most common consequences of procrastination. Clutter, according to one de nition, is “a decision that has been postponed.” Sincerity is damned; when we look around our of ces and homes, the things that are strewn about or stacked high are there because we couldn’t think of a better place to put them when they were the rst perfect spot to store it would be discovered “sooner.”

Alternatively, here’s a more signi cant problem: all the photos, memorabilia, and un nished projects that I haven’t gotten around to nishing, so they’re stashed away in plastic totes in my basement

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Procrastination is an opportunity that we all have to deal with at some point in our lives, and decluttering is probably one of the top ten things on the list of things that people put off until later. Even though it is easy to get caught up in the never-ending cycle of procrastination, breaking the process is not as dif cult as you might think. All you require is a strategy!

They frequently associated procrastination with the personality trait of perfectionism. Because perfectionists are concerned about not completing a task perfectly, they put it off as long as they can—the greater the fear of failure and ridicule, the greater the procrastination by perfectionists.

Perfectionis Clutter and the Perfectionis The insecurity and anxiety that perfectionists experience when they fall short of their standards cause them to live in constant fear of private shame and public humiliation. It doesn't matter how successful and hardworking a perfectionist appears to be in the eyes of others; they will never feel good enough One would think a perfectionist would not clutter; however, the opposite is true. Perfectionists are more likely to accumulate extra items to stay prepared, and they are also more likely to have dif culty purging their possessions

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With age, people’s frustration with Clutter tended to increase. It stems from a perfectionist mindset that when it comes to decluttering, you spend a lot of time researching options without ever committing to any because you’re afraid you’ll make a mistake or because you believe there’s something even better around the corner.

Anxiet Clutter is a symptom and a cause for anxiety Things that have sentimental value are the most common sources of Clutter and the most dif cult to get rid of altogether. While it’s natural to want to hold onto objects that bring back memories, many Doctors say it’s important not to confuse letting go of an item with letting go of the memory “I might need these someday,” for example, is one of the most common pieces of logic that causes Clutter.

“These might be of use to you.” “If I lose (or gain) a little weight, these might t again.

After all, according to some estimates, the average adult makes 35,000 conscious decisions every single day. That’s a lot of anxious choices is easy to understand why some people let things pile up In cluttering discussions among experts, they often de ne it as relationships, activities, and emotional issues that no longer serve a purpose in one’s life

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Conclusio A large part of your misery is caused by mental clutter. According to conventional standards, you may be living an extraordinary life. A lovely home, a rewarding career, a happy family, and a plethora of excellent “stuff.”

All of those beautiful things can be undone by mental clutter, which can be overwhelming.

Fortunately, you have complete control over your mental clutter.

Examine all of the factors that could be causing your mental clutter and take steps to eliminate them.

Pay close attention to your surroundings, the people in your life, and any distractions that may arise. These triggers are responsible for mental static.

In the end, your thoughts and mental habits are the most signi cant contributors. Focused breathing, meditation, and addressing negative thoughts are the most effective tools you have at your disposal to combat stress. Make use of all of the resources available to you to achieve the mental peace you deserve In most cases, Clutter only serves to increase the amount of Clutter in the environment

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Bonus Chapter - Basic Meditatio Your Breath is the Key Breathing is pretty amazing. It’s the only bodily function that you can consciously control or have done for you automatically. You can breathe more deeply or more shallowly on command. Fast or slower isn’t a problem either. On the other hand, you can forget all about breathing, and it still happens An adult at rest takes roughly 20 breaths per minute.

That’s over 28,000 breaths per day. Most of those breaths happened without any intention on your part.

You weren’t even aware of at least 99% of them Some might argue this arrangement is necessary for speech to occur. Maybe it’s more than that. Perhaps it’s the secret to managing your thoughts There are two ways breathing bene ts mental clutter Changing your breathing can change your physiology. Try breathing faster for a minute and notice how you feel. Now breathe very deeply for a minute and see the changes.

Changes to your breathing change your physiology. Changing your physiology can change your thoughts and your focus

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Focusing on your breath can keep your mind in the present moment. Your breath is your thread to the present. No matter how distracted you are by your thoughts, focusing on your breath can bring you back to reality Breathing doesn’t seem too exciting, but it’s a powerful tool. What could be more simple? However, there is a skill component to using your breath in your clutter-reducing efforts. It will take time and patience to develop fully 2.

Use your breath to alter your physiology 1.

Find a quiet place, if possible. If you’re at work, close your of ce door or head for the bathroom: the more solitude you can nd, the better. However, the technique will work anywhere, especially with practice

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Take a comfortable position. Seated is best.

Ideally, you can assume a position that you can maintain for at least ve minutes without moving

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Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Allow your stomach to expand. You’re not trying to breathe so deeply that you feel pain. Just take a full breath. Feel the air pass by the tips of your nostrils. Then relax and allow the air to expel naturally • Avoid overcomplicating the technique. Full, slow, and easy breaths are the objective. Paying attention to your breath for just ve to 10 minutes can be

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enough to feel a signi cant reduction in both your stress level and mental clutter This simple technique can be used anytime you’re feeling stressed, or your mind is cluttered. This process falls short of true meditation, but you can receive many of the same bene ts.

This focused breathing technique can be used in the car, during a meeting, or any time you need to gain back control of your racing brain Meditation is the next logical step. Meditation is like focused breathing on steroids. It’s more than just a quick x. It can transform your life There are many scienti cally proven bene ts to meditation 1.

Meditation decreases depression. Meditation has been shown to reduce the obsession with one’s discomfort and distress. In other words, you spend less time thinking about your challenges. It leads to a lower incidence of depression

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Meditation increases the ability to regulate your mood. We have some control over our moods, just not as much as we’d like. You can probably think of someone in your life that regulates their moods very poorly. You never know what you’re going to face when you see them. Meditation enhances the ability to manage your moods

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It decreases anxiety. Both emotional and physical stress markers are reduced in those who meditate

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It increases the ability to focus and work under stress. For those who meditate to declutter their minds, this can be one of the most signi cant bene ts • It’s not easy to sit still for an extended period and maintain your focus. As that ability grows, you can apply it to other areas in your life

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Meditation increases resilience. You’ll be overwhelmed less frequently and nd it easier to continue during times of stress

There is a nearly endless list of the bene ts provided by regular meditation. But meditation is a great tool to declutter your mind When you’re in a better mood, feel less stress, and can focus, your mind is less cluttered Everyone has a vague idea of what is involved in meditation, but the details are a little fuzzy for most.

There are many types of meditation Mindfulness meditation is an excellent choice for those who want to declutter their thoughts. This type of meditation is based on observations. You’re not thinking, evaluating, or interpreting your thoughts.

There’s no judging involved

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You’re just paying attention in a particular way Since it’s just a particular way of paying attention, you can do it during various activities. These include • Drivin • Eatin • Cleanin • Showerin • Mowing the law • Using the phon

While some forms of meditation attempt to limit thoughts, mindfulness meditation notices the thoughts that appear. This technique is excellent for beginners because limiting your thoughts is very challenging Mindfulness meditation is a simple, yet challenging, process 1.

Assume a comfortable seated position. A comfortable chair is a great option. The oor or bed is also acceptable. Comfort and support are essential

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Become aware of your surroundings. Notice the temperature of the room. Notice the physical sensations of your feet, hands, back, neck, and every other part of your body. Notice what you can see in the room. What do you hear •

Avoid judging anything. Even labeling isn’t permitted. For example, you might notice a blue piece of artwork on the wall.

It’s not appropriate to say to yourself,

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“Wow, that’s kind of ugly.” Saying something positive about the artwork isn’t any better! Avoid even saying to yourself, “Blue artwork.

Keep your thoughts limited to what you can see, hear, and smell. If you hear a dog bark and remind yourself that you don’t like that dog, you’re not mindful. Just notice the dog barking It’s surprising how relaxing this can be.

Just notice and keep your brain’s big mouth shut. Do this for ve minutes

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Turn your attention to your breath. Feel the breath moving through your entire body. Begin by focusing on the movement and sensations in your chest and abdomen, starting at the nostrils. Keep your attention on the part of your body where the breath is most easily felt • Continue this until the end of the meditation.

Strive for a total time of at least 20 minutes

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Notice your thoughts. Invariably, it won’t take too long before you realize that you’re thinking about your meeting tomorrow or your best friend from third grade. That’s okay. Again, avoid labeling your thoughts. The following are unacceptable • “That’s a weird thought.

• “Why did I think about that?

• “What’s wrong with me • “I must be nuts.

• As you would with the sights and sounds in your environment, pay attention to the

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thought without judging or labeling it as you would with them Return your awareness to your breath. It’s that simple

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Over time, you’ll nd that your thoughts, judgments, and tendency to label things will decrease. The result is a decrease in your mental clutter.

Consider how much mental noise you generate each day. Imagine you’re walking from your car into work.

It’s 90 degrees outside. Think about the conversation you might have with yourself • “It sure is hot today.

• “I wonder what the news predicted for the high today.

• “It’s okay. We’ll be in the air conditioning soon.

• “That’s a nice tree. I wonder how old it is?

Labeling things in your environment is a habit that accomplishes little. You don’t need to tell yourself it’s hot outside. You already know! You don’t need to comfort yourself by telling yourself that you’ll be in the cool a/c in just a minute. You already know! You can see the tree just ne, too Meditation helps to quiet this unnecessary mental noise. When you stop generating mental chatter, you can deal with the actual clutter in your life much more effectively. You’ll be amazed at how capable you are

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Dealing with Thought-Based Clutte There’s good news. All of your mental clutter is ultimately self-induced. Fortunately, that means that your mental clutter is under your control. It also means that you don’t have anyone to blame besides yourself Written by: Cliff Moore v2.0, SPE for The Brand of M Personal Branding & Development Since 200 cliff.moore@thebrandofme.biz Checkout our other “The Brand of Me” Publications.

Copyright © Cliff Moore v2.0, 202

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