How To Declutter Your Mind

by ajohnson | Apr 29, 2023 | Blog, Life, Opinion

When it comes to clutter, your home is not the only place where you can find it. When you are juggling between life and work, or when you work like a robot at home, you are bound to accumulate mental clutter. Mental clutter refers to all that stuff going on inside your head.

How do you know you have mental clutter? Well, you would be stressed, you would be anxious, you would be exhausted. In short, life would seem unbearable to you. I know the feeling and I’m here to help!

However, quitting your job or running away to the mountains long term might not be the best alternative for everyone. What you can do is start decluttering your mind.

How? Just swear by these 10 routines, and you’d be good to go. But first, let’s go over some common causes of mental clutter.

How To Declutter Your Mind

Causes of Mental Clutter

There are many factors that can come into play when it comes to the build-up of brain clutter. To name just a few, anxiety/depression, physical and mental stress, ADHD, mom life, a new job, a new relationship, a new baby, procrastination, bad habits, and leading a generally unhealthy life can all lead to mental clutter. Especially if you are experiencing more than one of these factors at once. All of this can make our minds feel so crazy, so remember throughout all of this, you’re not alone.

Routines to Clear Your Mental Clutter

Here are 10 routines to clear your mental clutter:

1. Exercise

Starting with the least favorite yet most effective. It has been proven by science that exercising drastically reduces stress levels. It stimulates the release of endorphins, what you call happy hormones to keep your mood in check.

However, if exercising seems overwhelming to you, you can start with the ones that you enjoy. If you enjoy dancing, ditch the push-ups and indulge in a 20 min Zumba session to wave goodbye to stress and anxiety. 

You don’t have to pay for gym memberships; it’s perfectly fine if you do workouts at home. You can find plenty of guidance videos on YouTube for the same.

2. Have a morning routine

If you feel trapped inside the 9 to 5 culture or all-day working-home-maker, your daytime routine would be most stressful. You would not find time to do things that you like, and that would make work much more frustrating than it ought to be. 

However, if you consider adhering to a morning routine every day, you can spend some time with yourself, drink coffee in quiet & peace, and do things you enjoy. Things you really enjoy, not scrolling on social media all morning. 

Thus, create a morning routine for yourself, and include all those activities that provide you peace. Make sure you follow the routine before you leave for work (Wake up earlier if you have to and try and reduce your social media intake).

3. Use a planner

When you don’t use a planner, things can get overwhelming for you. Your daily tasks might look like a mess. But if you function using a planner, and have the day well planned and scheduled, it will all feel easy. Moreover, with the systematic organization of your daily tasks, you would be equally motivated to get them over with. Stop feeling behind all the time, grab a planner! 

4. Read a book in peace

Those people who enjoy reading books can easily reduce their stress levels. Reading allows peace and quiet that your work life does not. All the more, reading a book is no less than an escape. It takes you to the work of fiction, and you are no more concerned about chaotic work-life outside.

Even when you are in your office, spend at most 15 minutes reading. However, if you cannot do it there, use your commuting time.

5. Write it down

Feeling you are on the edge because there’s so much in your head? Work stress, home stress, career stress, financial burden, and whatnot.

I know how frustrating it can be. But you are just human to feel overwhelmed, irritated, and exhausted. However, there is still something that you can do about it.

LET IT ALL OUT on a piece of paper. Write down everything you feel. Even the negative thoughts. Organize your thoughts however you want. Be raw, be vulnerable, feel free to clench your teeth, and tear the paper into two. Time spent doing this exercise will never be wasted. For a more tailored way of journaling, try bullet journaling!

6. Set priorities while you work

People say multitasking can be beneficial, but the truth is, it only makes you stress more. And it can actually increase stress throughout the day, on into the night. Thus, when you have piles full of work, do not stress instead prioritize your tasks, and deal with them one by one.

Those with earlier deadlines, or those that are most demanding, prioritize them.

7. Clean up your surrounding area

Your mind might not work best if you are surrounded by clutter. So to clear mental clutter, you might as well need to clear the clutter around you. So fold the blankets, tidy up your bed, and desk, and then start with work. An untidy workstation would only add to your stress, deal with it first.

I know personally when my office or kitchen is cluttered or messy, I can’t think. I have to stop what I’m doing and clean up. When I’m done, and only then, can I get back to work or think straight.

8. Set aside time to actively reduce mental clutter.

So, how do you clear your mental clutter? It’s actually quite simple. You just need to create some daily routines and stick to them.

The first thing you need to do is take a brain dump. Write down all of the thoughts and feelings that are cluttering your mind. Get them all out in the open so you can deal with them one at a time. Kind of like a mental to-do list.

Then, start by focusing on the most important tasks. Don’t try to do everything at once. Just stay focused on one single task at a time and pay attention to what you’re doing. This will help clear your mind and make space for new thoughts and ideas.

9. Develop a mental health-focused routine.

You also need to create some regular routines for your mental health. This could include things like yoga, practice meditation, or journaling. These activities will help clear your mind and keep it healthy on a regular basis. This might also include developing a way to set boundaries at work and with family that gives you much-needed time to declutter the mind.

10. Address your physical clutter.

Finally, you need to address your physical clutter as well. But not just your immediate surroundings this time. This can be anything from a cluttered desk to a messy bedroom to a messy car. Start by clearing off one surface at a time and focus on organizing one drawer or shelf each week. It may take some time, but eventually, your physical space will reflect your mental space.

By creating some simple daily routines and sticking to them, you can clear your mental clutter and improve your mental health. So don’t wait any longer, get started today!

When clutter fills your mind, it is a sign that you have to do something about it. You need to de-stress and focus on regaining your mental energy. We sincerely hope that these tips help you do just that. JUST RELAX.

I hope these tips are helpful and bite-sized enough to help you remember that mental clutter is possible to remove and will help you to get things done more efficiently when you take the time to clear them out instead of piling them on!

How To Raise Good Kids

by ajohnson | Apr 18, 2023 | Blog, Life, Opinion

The family is the core element of community building, and a parenting style nourishes a child’s socialization values. It includes compassion, ethics, respect, and a sense of responsibility. When it comes to my daughters and precarious situations, I take that precious 5 seconds of deep thinking. It’s both a struggle and an opportunity to learn.

As a parent, the task of raising decent human beings with good character is on your shoulders from the second you find out you’re pregnant. You do your best so they’ll become better members of society. The idea of positive parenting is daunting but it’s not without fun moments and golden opportunities.

I’ll share with you some of the tips and tricks I learned along the way on how to raise good kids!

How To Raise Good Kids

Whether they’re inside or outside your home, teach kids the power of having positive thoughts and a healthy mindset. Forge it by focusing on building a solid relationship with your kids, one that thrives on trust and mutual respect. Understand their thoughts and learn how to help them flourish. And by doing this, you won’t just raise positive kids, but you’ll raise happy kids.

Create a Sense of Certainty

Your children learn when you set boundaries for them. They need to have a sense of certainty to think their actions through and mindfulness when making decisions. If there’s an opportunity, include them in the decision-making.

One example is delegating household chores. Huddle with them while creating a list, and discuss every part of the process. Explain to them why these rules are in place or what will happen if they fail to do their tasks. Raising emotionally capable kids includes encouraging them to be patient, compassionate, resourceful, and gritty.

A child learns through what they see in their environment, and it’s up to us, their parents, to help them mold their logic and ethics. Society is not without laws and structure, and in your home, make them follow a set of rules and guide them in understanding the consequences of their actions.

Encourage Learning

Kids have different learning motivations, the same way that their personalities vary. Show them that anywhere is a place for learning, it is not limited to traditional educational environments such as school. By giving them the right motivation, you are helping them enhance their passion, abilities, and desire to learn. Here are some ways that help them discover the fun of learning:

1. Let your child explore instead of imposing control.

Guide them through the process. Learning is a positive experience, and they must feel supported while making choices through activities and in an environment conducive to their learning. When teaching your child to read, let them select the books, or if they’re not proactive enough, choose them based on their interest.

2. Encourage your child to explore their favorite topics.

Let them enjoy the learning journey by focusing on what they consider a fun lesson. Listen actively to what they have to say, and learn about what things they pay attention to more than the others. In doing this, you are bringing joy to their idea of learning.

If you show interest in their interests, they might perform better. Research has shown that successful kids who grow up with adults that encourage them to pursue what they are most passionate about, tend to do better in school and develop good socializing values.

3. Encourage questions.

When kids develop curiosity, you allow them to explore their surroundings. As it is essential in their learning, it’s also crucial in personality development. When you are nurturing a curious child, you are raising happiness in their lives.

Be Present

To raise good kids, spending time together as a family and allotting one-on-one time with each child is key! Maybe, make a Friday tradition of watching movies, and as they grow older, ask them to set a special time and eat dinner together. Research shows that family meals (either around the dinner table or at least all together somewhere else) promote healthy eating habits thus preventing kids from developing an eating disorder in the long term.

University of Minnesota researcher Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., MPH, RD, said that “It doesn’t have to be a home-cooked meal. The idea is to bring people together”. Through her research, she found out that those who experience eating meals regularly in a positive atmosphere are less likely to show signs of eating disorders like vomiting, diet pills, and chronic dieting.

Allow Them To Express Their Opinion

Encourage sincere and open communication, they’ll feel comfortable expressing their thoughts. It fosters trust and minimizes negative thoughts. It will be easy for them to tell you if uncomfortable situations overwhelm or confuse them.

According to Judith Smetana, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester who studies the development and family relationships, one of the common challenges in most families is the ability to “balance teen’s need for autonomy with other concerns.” In her study published in 2016, she and her colleagues found that disagreement regarding the bounds and limits of parental authority can cause bad behavior problems. It’s usually the source of adolescent-parent conflicts. As well as the use of drugs and alcohol at a young age.

Be Consistent

If you want to raise good kids, then help then become fully functioning adults. Your children will remember how you connect with them emotionally, the activities you did as a family, and the frequency of sharing a meal. It’s where consistency comes in and it matters because it indicates how you sincerely and mindfully engage. Model positive behavior and keep a positive attitude – be a role model.

If in every instance of a tantrum at the grocery store, they see you helping them process their big feelings, then you are showing them stability. During their learning process, it helps them get better at internalization.

Consistency comes with expectations, and children see the world through patterns. I constantly struggle with it because parenting could be so frustrating and alienating at times, but every time I try, I also feel better that I did. If you’re like me and patience is not your strongest suit, take time to reflect and remind yourself that you are creating the blueprint of your child’s emotional well-being.

Raising good kids isn’t an easy task, but it certainly is doable.

Positive parenting solutions work wonders when it comes to parent-child relationships. The influence of happier parents strengthens the emotional intelligence and mental resilience of their young children. Kids learn positive behaviors from their parents – you!

Parenting is the most critical public health issue faced by societies across the world. Young children need to have a nurturing relationship with their parents or guardians. Another published study claims that if children have their parents’ social support coupled with an open and positive parent-child interaction, they will most likely do better in the community.

So, next time when you’re on vacation, about to enjoy an exquisite steak, and your child suddenly decides that it’s the best time to throw a fit, give yourself a chance to pause. Think things through. Remind yourself that kids feel with big emotions, it’s up to you how you will help them navigate them. With all the resources available on positive parenting, look at your role holistically. In essence, you are a teacher, a nurse, a transformational leader, an inspiration, and an ultimate supporter.

How Does Responsible Parenting Affect a Child’s Physical Health?

Studies have shown that responsible parenting has a positive impact on the physical health of children, including improved sleep and fewer behavioral problems. Responsible parents are able to spend more time with their children, which may help them regulate their emotions. Furthermore, responsible parents who help their children with good behavior are also raising kids who will be successful as adults and feel like they can succeed in life.

Responsible parents are also better able to help their children learn how to control their emotions and understand how other people feel. Helicopter parents tend to hover over their children too much, but if you can strike a balance between being present for your child and giving them space when they need it, then you’ll be teaching your kids how to take responsibility for themselves—which is arguably one of the most important things you can do as a parent.

Being a parent is a commitment.

You set the foundation so your kids will have a positive outlook on life and healthy emotional well-being. You are their provision of support – give them positive affirmations, provide them with respect, protect them, and convey your love to them. As they grow, you should develop that depth of knowledge on how to best support them in every milestone of their lives. And it’s never too early to start developing that positive psychology.

While they’re little, time seems to be so slow and their dependence too high. However, that could all change. In a blink of an eye, you are releasing them to the world, and hopefully, with the innate pride that you’ve raised a good person who will do positive and great things.