When I do spring cleaning at home, I not only get rid of the dust in the corners and clean the windows, I also move the furniture to see if there is something hiding behind it. I also take out the stuff from the shelves and see what I still need and what’s served its time.
The things I let go, I can let go with gratitude. They served me well for a time, and now it’s time they find a new purpose.
I donate clothes and bring the books to the open bookshelves nearby. I drop some old PC cables at the recycling facility.
Decluttering things and thoughts is similar
I find the same is true for my thoughts. I have so many useless thoughts every day, that I want to declutter – to make room for new ideas and experiences.
I have this picture in my head that my thoughts are living in a room where they make up all the furniture and other fixtures.
Over time, my headspace has got crowded and there’s little room to navigate freely and bring in new stuff.
Instead of enjoying this room that’s full of fresh energy and curiosity, I need to find a clear path and I bump into a drawer that’s standing in my way.
Every piece of furniture is representing a belief, past experience or collective mindset that has settled in my home.
It’s a bit like I have treated my living room like a closet.
© Samet Kurtus on Unsplash
The process of decluttering your headspace
To declutter, I get a piece of paper and write down all useless thoughts that emerge.
If you ask yourself what falls into the category of ‘useless’. I would define it as follows:
Useless thoughts are ones that don’t support or serve me in any way. This kind of thoughts are sticky and reinforce attitudes and ways of looking at myself and my environment that do not correspond to how I’d like to be or move through the world.
Piece by piece, thought by thought, I’m taking them out of my room.
Before I bring them to the dumpster, I collect them in a jar for the week.
Maybe my old self is trying to hold on to a thought. Maybe I’ve thrown something out that’s still valid?
In any case, if it’s a valuable thought it’s better to have it in writing than moving in my head and taking up space I can use for something else.
Invitation for the week:
Collect your useless thoughts and release them
This week, I’m collecting my useless thoughts in a jar. Do you also want to clear your headspace?
I plan to make it a little ritual of transformation and clearing the air. Maybe I’ll burn them as a sign of transformation.
- Take a few minutes every day and write down on a piece of paper useless thoughts that you’ve had that day.
- Put them in your ‘useless thoughts’ jar.
- At the end of the week, you can go through them again. Revise what you want to say goodbye to and what you want to keep. Say thank you to the rest and let them go in any kind you like.
- Celebrate releasing your thoughts with a little ritual:
As a sign of transformation, you can burn the paper in your sink (be sure to take care of fire safety) or ceremoniously bring them to the trash bin and consciously let go.