DECLUTTERING YOUR MIND/SPACE

A couple months ago, I found myself in a creative/schoolwork slump. I was extremely lazy with my homework and never tended to threads & such.

I made excuses in order to make myself feel better. To others, it may have looked like I wasn’t doing anything but I convinced myself that I was working. I stayed on Tumblr for hours a day a telling myself that I was looking for artistic inspiration knowing I was just wasting time. I was delusional. I was missing assignments. After I missed an essay for my English class and I realized that was the last straw.

I bought a planner. I started to write my ideas for posts down in a notebook. I even started creating the graphics again! I slowly crawled out of this hole I was in for months.

For the first post in my minimalism series, I wanted to introduce something that would not only benefit your mental space but also physical space. Here’s a few points on decluttering your mind and space.

Identify the problem.

Visit a therapist if necessary. Don’t be ashamed–mental health is just as important as physical. For me, I could tell where my problem stemmed from, but it’s not always that easy. Make sure you’re taking care of your mental health!

Clear up your personal space.

Throw away those old papers from last semester. Tidy up your room. Hang up the laundry you washed three weeks ago. You may not realize it, but a clean room can really affect your mood. Walking into a messy room every day can subconsciously bring you down. In order to get organized, purchase cheap containers from Burlington, Home Goods, the Dollar Store, or the dollar section at Target.

Clear up your thinking space.

Get a notebook or journal. I love my Passion Planner. You really can’t remember everything. I relied on my mind basically my whole life, but I realized that I couldn’t do that anymore. Ironically, I’m a writer that doesn’t like to write stuff down. I’ve had to force myself to write things down but it has made my life much easier. Rather than stressing yourself out and trying to remember everything, it’s better on your mind to just write everything down.

I also like to just lay down in my room and listen to music at a soft level. It helps to have some time to reflect on yourself and your recent actions. It definitely keeps me calm and prevents stress.

Keep it clean!

Find ways to keep yourself from falling back into your slump. Painting my nails is fairly therapeutic for me as well. I never really used my words as therapy, but journaling helps me in several way. First, if I’m upset, I might not go and say something hurtful to someone I care about. Writing something down gives you the chance to see if what you’re saying will hurt another person. Second, I get the opportunity to see how my thoughts and actions have changed over time. My journal serves as a record of my emotions and allows me to go back and reflect on myself. Finally, it allows me to work on my writing. As a writer, I’m constantly finding ways to improve on my writing. My journal also serves as a self-reflection tool for my work!

Don’t forget to tend to your mind and emotions. It’s very, very, VERY important. I cannot stress it enough. Take time to take care of yourself.