By Amanda Cole
When our minds are cluttered, it wastes so much mental, emotion and physical energy.
We feel confused, distracted, disorganised and we can’t focus on the present; disconnecting us from our relationships, environment and potentially precious moments.
As people, we tend to live either in the past, drawing on previous experiences or live in the future, and worry about what could be. It’s so important to pull ourselves back to living in the present, as it will help to declutter our minds but focusing on the now, rather than what’s already been and gone or what might be. This takes practice and some commitment, but trust me it works when you can master it.
What is cluttering your mind at the moment?
· Anxious thoughts controlling your days and nights?
· Using food and/or alcohol to feel 'better'?
· Feeling low in energy or mood due to ongoing stress?
· Making excuses to avoid achieving your health goals?
· Not wanting to look in the mirror and accept yourself as you are?
· Finding it hard to fall asleep and get a decent 8 hours?
· Feeling scared about doing something you want (or need) to do?
A cluttered mind often focuses on the negative, worrying about things outside of our control, holding onto past unfavourable emotions and experiences, and getting stuck in the same unproductive & unhealthy thought patterns and habits.
This is where many of us fall into the trap of procrastinating, self-sabotaging and not feeling good enough, simply repeating the same old negative patterns & habits we always have, which hold us back from reaching our full potential.
By decluttering, we can begin to break through those old thought patterns & habits.
What thought patterns can you recognise within yourself?
Those that could potentially be holding you back and reiterating doubt in yourself?
It could be you’re always super hard on yourself, never seeing what you do as good enough even though many people compliment you…
It may be that you start lots of online courses, trying to achieve something for yourself, but never finish them…
You may be desperate to join the gym or a new activity but keep putting it off and never do…
Perhaps you run a business and have lots of clients but you constantly fall short of your income goals
It’s vital to recognise those patterns to then be able to declutter and break through them.
Here are a few super helpful ways to quiet your mind, begin decluttering and create new, positive thoughts and habits;
Mediate -
By meditating you quiet your mind, help reduce confusion and distractions and focus your attention on calm, relaxation and stillness. By clearing your mind, you can bring clarity on what may be keeping you in negative patterns and be able to work to break through them. Build it into your daily routine, for 5-10 minutes a day.
Journal -
Journaling is a form of exploration in writing and is a perfect way to dive deeper into what is playing on your mind. Just let the pen flow and release all of the thoughts and feelings onto the page. You can then potentially come to a solution or at least feel more decluttered.
Positive self-talk -
You know that negative voice inside your head? It is usually there to reiterate our insecurities, whether it’s ‘I'm not good enough’, ‘I can’t do it’ or ‘I’ll never achieve that goal’. It all adds to the mental clutter.
Positive self talk has been shown to increase your self-confidence, develop resilience,
reduce stress and act as a coping strategy. Whilst combating negative language, thoughts and habits. Try ‘I am such a good person’, ‘I can do this’ and ‘I will keep going to achieve what I set out to’.
If you’re committed to making a positive change and breaking through your negative thoughts patterns and habits (and for this to be long lasting), then one of the most effective things you can do is hypnotherapy.
For those of you who aren’t sure what it's all about, the emphasis is on ‘therapy’ and nothing like the old stage hypnosis you may remember. Hypnotherapy is now recommended by the NHS for many issues, including overcoming negative thoughts and limiting beliefs and controlling habitual behaviour. It’s been shown to have far quicker and longer lasting results than forms of psychotherapy.
However, it’s not going to take months or years, in as little as 3-4 1 hour sessions, those negative patterns and habits can be removed and your mind de-cluttered for the better.
Good luck on your decluttering journey and if you need any extra support, don’t hesitate to contact me.
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Amanda is a Registered Hypnotherapist, Hypnobirthing Practitioner, Women’s Self-Belief Mentor and is on a mission to empower mums. She works with client’s in person locally to Sussex and nationally online. Amanda is also a Mum to two young children, loves a spa day and would never say no to a bottomless brunch!
+44 (0) 7584 073 299
