3394: Declutter Your Mind + Decrease Stress in 3 Easy Steps by Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom on Focused Thinking

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[00:00:57] This is Optimal Living Daily. Declutter your mind and decrease stress in three easy steps.

[00:01:04] By Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom dot com and I'm Justin Malek.

[00:01:08] Happy Sunday, welcome to the old podcast, that's the OLD podcast, Optimal Living Daily,

[00:01:14] where I simply read to you every day of the week including holidays.

[00:01:17] For now, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:25] Declutter your mind and decrease stress in three easy steps.

[00:01:30] By Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom dot com.

[00:01:34] I once heard that a woman's mind is similar to an internet browser being open with a million tabs.

[00:01:40] That sounds exactly what my head is like.

[00:01:43] I'm constantly running through a mental to-do list.

[00:01:46] Groceries, tasks, things I need to do months from now, things I've already forgotten to do.

[00:01:51] Honestly, it's exhausting just thinking about all that I think about.

[00:01:55] Add to all those lists the fact that my mind is constantly spinning around thoughts, feelings, emotions,

[00:02:01] and these dang postpartum hormones is enough to go crazy.

[00:02:04] I find myself often feeling stressed, inadequate, and lost in what I'm supposed to be doing

[00:02:10] because my brain is overflowing with information and noise.

[00:02:14] When I feel my anxiety starting to grow, I'm reminded to take a step back

[00:02:18] and evaluate just what exactly is going on in my head.

[00:02:22] Which types of thoughts are consuming me?

[00:02:24] Am I fixated on something?

[00:02:26] How positive do I feel on a daily basis?

[00:02:29] And when I realize that my brain is just too full,

[00:02:32] it's time to do a clean out of my mind.

[00:02:35] Three ways to clean out your mind.

[00:02:38] Number one, brain dump.

[00:02:41] One of the ways I've been able to cope with my postpartum anxiety better

[00:02:44] is by doing a nightly and weekly brain dump of tasks.

[00:02:48] Often my anxiety leaves me with racing thoughts that leave me feeling behind

[00:02:51] and like I am a failure because I can't get things done like I should be.

[00:02:56] Getting all of my thoughts down on paper allows me to free up the space for more positive thoughts

[00:03:01] and a sharp focus on what's important.

[00:03:03] I use a really simple template that follows the Franklin Covey method of organization

[00:03:08] that not only allows me to dump out all the tasks that I need to get done,

[00:03:12] but helps me prioritize them so that the next day I can actually attack the things that matter,

[00:03:17] not just the things that other people need me to do or that I think are priorities,

[00:03:21] but are really just procrastination techniques.

[00:03:23] Using quadrants, I can get down all of the thoughts of tasks that I need to complete,

[00:03:29] projects I want to work on, or goals I'm dreaming of.

[00:03:33] Quadrant one contains all the things that are important and urgent to complete.

[00:03:38] This could be something I have to pick up from the store for dinner the next day

[00:03:41] or a work email I have to write or respond to first thing in the morning.

[00:03:46] Quadrant two is all the things that are important but not urgent.

[00:03:50] Examples of what could go on this block include things like plan your child's birthday party,

[00:03:55] make that dentist appointment for next month, or work on your meal plan for next week.

[00:03:59] Quadrant three includes things that are not important but urgent.

[00:04:04] Now I'm not saying some of these examples aren't important to someone,

[00:04:08] but they just might not be to you.

[00:04:09] This could be things like make those homemade cupcakes for the bake sale tomorrow,

[00:04:13] because you know you can just buy them, right?

[00:04:15] Or go out of your way to pick up something a family member must have

[00:04:19] at the store near you.

[00:04:20] Finally, quadrant four contains all those things in your mind that are not important

[00:04:25] and not really urgent at all.

[00:04:27] Let's call these ones time fillers or ways you procrastinate.

[00:04:31] This could be the fact that you want to rewatch all of Grey's Anatomy

[00:04:33] before the new season starts, or rearranging your closet.

[00:04:37] By using this form when I do a nightly or weekly brain dump,

[00:04:40] it saves me time because as I write things down,

[00:04:42] I can categorize them and refocus myself for the week with getting done the things that must get done in that matter.

[00:04:50] Number two, evaluate your circle.

[00:04:53] Another great way to start to clean out your mind is to see who you've been spending time with.

[00:04:58] Now don't get me wrong, I love the people in my life a lot,

[00:05:01] but there are some who are just energy vampires.

[00:05:04] Do you ever stop and evaluate the mood you are in after you talk to specific people?

[00:05:08] Are you irritated?

[00:05:10] Does spending time with them cause you to complain or gossip more?

[00:05:14] Does your productivity stop when you have certain friends stop by for a little bit?

[00:05:18] We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with,

[00:05:21] and when you notice your brain getting more full of stuff that doesn't matter,

[00:05:24] such as gossip or negative thoughts,

[00:05:26] you should stop and see who you've been around.

[00:05:29] If you're primarily around people who complain a lot or always play the victim,

[00:05:33] you'll find that to be what happens to you as well.

[00:05:36] If there are people who get stuck in others' drama or always gossiping about what they see on social media,

[00:05:41] I bet you find your head getting clouded with the same types of thoughts.

[00:05:45] And if those people aren't very ambitious or goal-oriented,

[00:05:48] well, you get the picture.

[00:05:50] That being said, I don't think you need to just cut people out of your life,

[00:05:53] but I do think taking a space break is not a terrible idea.

[00:05:57] When I realize and can pinpoint which people in my circle seem to be changing my mood or mindset the most,

[00:06:03] I either take some time away from talking to them,

[00:06:06] I may even unfollow them on social media for a while,

[00:06:08] or I try to become more aware of how I am changing as a result in spending time with them.

[00:06:14] Sometimes just a day or two is enough to get your head on straight,

[00:06:17] let you put on your positivity panties and get moving.

[00:06:20] Other times you may need to do a long-term reevaluation of the role that person plays in your life

[00:06:26] and how you see the relationship continuing.

[00:06:28] Number three, add in some positivity.

[00:06:32] Once you've emptied your mind of the clutter and negative influences,

[00:06:36] it's time to add in some positivity.

[00:06:38] I firmly believe that your thoughts become your belief system

[00:06:42] and when you're able to put in as much positivity as possible into your brain,

[00:06:46] all those negative thoughts don't stand a fighting chance.

[00:06:49] I'm a huge believer in getting in at least 10 minutes a day of personal growth or development.

[00:06:55] This can be reading a book, listening to a podcast, or hearing someone read an audiobook.

[00:07:00] You can pick and choose what types of things you want to hear and need at the moment and dive in.

[00:07:06] Another great way to add more positivity into your mind is to add in some positive affirmations.

[00:07:11] I've been doing this for a few months now and it really has done wonders to change my mindset.

[00:07:15] I read one a day and repeat as needed.

[00:07:18] I have affirmations now on my planner, on my fridge, and as a lock screen on my phone.

[00:07:23] Anytime your brain needs a break, you feel overwhelmed and the stress of the day-to-day is cluttering your thoughts,

[00:07:29] I highly recommend taking a deep breath, putting on some music to help you relax,

[00:07:33] and taking some time to clear your mind and prime it for positivity.

[00:07:37] It's worth it to take the time to slow down to speed up and take care of you.

[00:07:42] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:48] Declutter Your Mind and Decrease Stress in Three Easy Steps by Kara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom.com.

[00:07:54] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:07:57] I'm a huge fan of the brain dump.

[00:07:59] I learned a technique in sociology class in college where you don't stop writing.

[00:08:03] You're not allowed to stop.

[00:08:05] You just keep going even if you can't think of anything else to say.

[00:08:08] And maybe that's really the best time to stop.

[00:08:10] And no one else should read it.

[00:08:12] You can even throw it away after because it shouldn't be very valuable content.

[00:08:16] But it helps you release all that junk in your head.

[00:08:18] I find it helps a lot.

[00:08:20] And don't type it.

[00:08:21] You have to write it.

[00:08:22] The only rule is to not stop even if you have to write,

[00:08:25] I can't think of what to say.

[00:08:26] I can't think of what to say like three times then so be it.

[00:08:29] But try that out.

[00:08:30] It's a great way to mind dump.

[00:08:32] Also, she has the quadrants in her post.

[00:08:34] You can save that and print it out.

[00:08:36] The link to her article is in this episode's description.

[00:08:39] But I'll leave it there for today.

[00:08:40] Have a great rest of your weekend if you're listening in real time.

[00:08:43] I'll see you tomorrow for Minimalist Monday where your optimal life awaits.