Choosing Simplicity: My Oversimplified 3-Step Mental Declutter

Minimalism is a lifestyle.
Simplicity is the choice we make to maintain the minimalist lifestyle.

It’s a brand new year, and I spent some time evaluating my mental priorities. They remain the same: to keep my life simple and my mind clear.

I don’t know if it’s because of my poor mental health or perhaps I’ve been home too much, my mind has been plagued by a cloud of dullness. It was overcast up there most days.

After another decluttering session, it became clear that I have to be more watchful of how I use my attention.

Recognizing what affects our attention

Ever pick up your phone to check your email, only to open a social media app? 5 minutes later, you forgot what it was you pick up your phone for.

That has been happening to me more. I wasn’t getting forgetful, I was getting distracted.

In our world of smartphones and interactive screens, everything is clamoring for our attention. Advertisers are constantly seeking new ways to creep into our lives. Social media algorithms calculate and deliver to us what engages us the most.

These things are designed to catch our attention. Don’t hate them, it’s how businesses work.

However, attention is a precious commodity – right up there with time. Attention, being intangible, seems inexhaustible, but it’s not. Just as we can squander time, and we can squander attention too.

Some of us don’t mind the distraction. After all, people use social media and play games because they’re bored.

Some of us mind it very much – I’m one of them. Maybe I have a smaller well of attention, I become scatter-brained rather easily. Luckily, we’re in control of what we want to allow into our immediate consciousness.

Just like physical clutter, the way to deal with mental clutter is to declutter.

Look at your typical day, observe what uses up your attention.
Remove what doesn’t align with your values, and keep those that do.

If you find social media too intrusive, take them off your phone. Or set up a timer that limits your time spent on the app.

Unsubscribe from mailing lists, even from mine, if you find that the emails they send only clutter up your inbox.

If the news bothers you, stop reading or listening to them. At the very least, know that news tends to report negative, violent, or disturbing things because those engage people more. Things are never as bad as it sounds on the news.

If you have too much on your plate, recognize it for what it is, both literally and metaphorically. Take some of it off your plate.

Take responsibility for our choices

Still, getting rid of mental distractions wouldn’t work if we don’t take responsibility for our minds.

It’s very important to become aware of the impact social media or advertising or busy-ness have on our lives, but it wouldn’t make a difference until we admit that we’re, ultimately, the ones in control of our actions.

To make a change, we have to let it sink in that we are responsible for our minds and our actions.

I’ve been full of excuses. I hate exercising, and I still do. But this year I finally admitted that I’m full of shit and my sedentary lifestyle impedes my clarity of mind.

Yes, this lazy ass will start to exercise. I don’t know how I’m going to make a habit out of it, but I will try because I can no longer stand the haziness in my head.

Truth be told, it was hard admitting that I’m ill-disciplined. At the same time, owning my choices is so empowering I almost feel freed by it. I say almost because it wouldn’t mean anything if it doesn’t last. And you know what, it’s up to me to make it last.

Whether it is over-scrolling on the phone, or taking on too many activities, it’s up to us to prevent spreading ourselves too thin if we’re feeling overwhelmed.

We have to own our choices and be responsible for them. No one can help us if we don’t help ourselves.

That said, it helps to be kind to yourself. We’re not out to judge. Judgement and criticism will only hurt our progress.

Be empowered. It’s all in a choice

Simplicity is a choice. Clarity is a choice.

I suppose this is a great way to start off a new year. Now, I’m no therapist, but I’m going to give my simplified mental declutter a real shot. If you’d like to give it a try too, here’s the summary.

1. Observe and recognize what’s affecting you
2. Take responsibility for your mind and actions (with compassion)
3. Make the choice to keep or change the things in your life

Then keep repeating the three steps until you get your life relatively on track. And don’t be too serious. That’s my fault, I have a serious disposition.

Minimalism is very much a lifestyle about intention. It’s a lifestyle of deliberate, conscious choices.

I choose simple,
I choose space,
and I choose clarity,
so I can enjoy peace.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this, you may want to read about why minimalism is so beneficial to our wellbeing too.