the power of journaling to unclutter your mind in 4 easy steps

“The mind is like water, when it’s turbulent it’s difficult to see. When it’s calm everything becomes clear.”

When your mind is weighed down with negative thoughts, life can seem so much harder to deal with. A cluttered mind, or Mind-Clutter as I like to call it, can really make things difficult to see clearly or as they are. Not only that, but it can become even more difficult to navigate your way through life’s challenging moments.  

Mind-Clutter can also take a toll on your stress and anxiety levels too. And a mind full of churning negative thoughts can lead to unhealthy coping behaviours that can damage your health, such as binge drinking, smoking and over-eating, to name but three. 

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So here are some of my tips that show the POWER that journaling has for uncluttering your mind!

Accept What Is

By accepting What is – right here and now – you are acknowledging your reality in this moment. And whilst your reality will no doubt change over time, by accepting What is, just as it is, everything in your life can change. Your journal can help you in this process by helping to identify what you can control and what you can’t.  Then all you have to do is take your attention away from what you have no control over and reroute yourself toward what is within your control.

Create a Decluttering Routine

By establishing a daily journaling routine, you can proactively manage your Mind-Clutter on a regular basis by allowing your thoughts to flow onto the pages of your journal, directly from your mind via your pen! Just make sure that you won’t get disturbed whilst you’re journaling, and you give yourself time to really get everything onto the page.  Better out than in!

Release What No Longer Serves You  

It’s a really simple thing to do, but very few of us take time to release what no longer serves us. Instead, we carry it around with us, letting it manifest physically in aching shoulders, tension headaches or a churning tummy.

When you feel this out of alignment life can become a struggle. Releasing the beliefs and thoughts that no longer serve you can free up space for what’s truly meant for you. Your journal is the perfect place to do this. Create a list of the things, people, activities, commitments etc. that you’re happy and ready to let go of. Writing them down in ink makes them much more real.  

If you want to go one step further, and really help you on your way to letting these things go; copy the list you have written in your journal. Go outside somewhere safe where you can burn things – like your barbeque or fire pit – and set light to the list. You can use some incense sticks to do this like Palo Santo, Nag Champa or Patchouli which all cleanse and protect. And as the smoke rises, literally watch What No Longer Serves You disperse into the ether.

Power Prompts to clear the Mind-Clutter 

Here are some of my tried and tested prompts to get you thinking and motivated when you’re journaling. These prompts can set you up for an incredible rewarding and fulfilling journaling session. 

Write any of these in your journal (or create your own) and write down how you feel about them at this moment in time. Don’t sugar coat it, be honest with yourself, but remember to be kind. Never berate yourself for feeling a certain way. 

• What things have been weighing on my mind lately … 
• What one thing really frustrates me the most … 
• I would really love to let go of … 
• What’s no longer supporting me … 
• Here’s another way I can see this situation is … 
• If I could change one thing right now it would be … 

By uncluttering your mind and getting rid of what no longer serves you, creates space for what does serve and Nourish your Soul. The Power of using your journal to not only identify what the clutter looks like in your life, but also gives you’re the room you need to map out your new–look, clutter-free future.