At the moment my head is crammed full. So full in fact that it feels like it might just explode. Have you ever felt like this? It’s not a great space to be in.
What it feels like to me is this: I am under pressure, I feel tension mounting, it is disturbing my sleep because I am waking up too early with all these thoughts on my mind. I am then feeling so tired during the day that I need to nap and then it is a perpetual cycle. I am often finding that I am counterproductive when my head is so weighed down with things to do and deadlines to meet.
How do we stop this from happening? With busy lives, and goals to achieve and opportunities not to be missed. Well have you got a minute? If you haven’t then you are definitely under the threat of Head Clutter. I have some methods and tips that may help.
Take a Breath – I really want you to do this, take a whole minute to breathe, just allow yourself to Stop and just Be.
Believe – Believe in yourself, truly accept that you are doing your best, no matter what is the outcome.
Stop Grasping – Allow the process of time to guide you.
Trust – Staying present in the moment will stop you feeling regret about the things that you cannot change in the past and it will halt the anxiety and worries about what may happen in the future.
Now that’s all the emotional response, now for the real nuts and bolts of clearing head clutter.
Keep a diary for 48 hours whilst you are in the thick of it. I know, this sounds crazy, like another thing to have to do. But this method of recalling what you have squeezed into your day and all the things you have committed to and all the necessary and unnecessary obligations you have met, will show you in black and white how you have managed your time and more importantly where you can:-
Take a breath again, remember it’s just a minute, only a minute of breathing.
When we slow down our breath, we give ourselves a chance to connect with the flow of life. We disconnect with the pressure to achieve perfection and just Be. No matter what, everything will be ok and it will get done.
Some of the areas I have let go of to help ease my head clutter is:
I don’t take calls when I know I don’t want to engage with distraction. I reduce the chit chat, a quick text when you are in the middle of something important will suffice.
I keep emails shorter and I try to make my point in the first sentence.
Finish the Cycle. So many of us multi-task, the pressure of this is enormous. Starting something and then trying to focus on another distraction really does create head clutter. Allow yourself to finish what you started, finish that cycle and then take a minute to breathe.
Set your own Agenda, do not allow others to dictate the pace for you. Saying no may make you feel unpopular temporarily but it will halt the resentment that you feel when you take on other peoples stuff.
Lower your Cross bar, we are the only ones who set the height of our cross bar. Do yourself a big justice here and let go of perfection.
Write, Write and write it all down. When the pressure is mounting, write it down. Now cross 50% off. Tomorrow is another day, this is not to promote procrastination in yourself but it is to help you realise that not everything can be completed in a day.
Recognise the difference between Having and Living. Take a breath and think before you make a purchase or take on a time commitment. Can you afford it and do you have the spare time to fit it in?
Accept only one deadline at a time. Why because you will feel calm and will enjoy the process.
When you are under pressure, words come quickly and arguments and tension appears between all the people we interact with. Take a breathe for a minute. Reschedule a moment of conflict for another time. This is will help to dissipate the moment and will allow your head to feel relaxed.
Image sourced from Free digital photos.net
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