We clean our homes, our offices, our rooms, our cars, and more, but we don’t clean our mind often enough.
Today, that changes, as we dive deep into a few different habits you can begin to implement today to ensure yourself a clean and clear mind when you need it most.
Here Are 13 Ways To Clean Your Mind And Build Peace Within:
1. Start Unfollowing
We can find ourselves glued to some sort of device these days, the most popular, your cellphone. Social media is an amazing advancement in technology, it has brought us together as a species.
We can now communicate way more efficiently than any other point in history. We can share pictures, videos, memes, with people around the world. Some, who we don’t even know, but just end up responding to in some thread.
Those pictures, videos, games, memes, all end up having an effect on our brain, on our psychology.
Disconnecting from your device, and social media, and allowing for your brain to detox, is a great way to clean your mind.
Perform a “cleaning” of your social media accounts, streaming programs, and unfollow any accounts or streaming programs that you believe is not conducive to your mental health.
Sometimes we just end up so overwhelmed with new information and news, that it creates a cloud over our mental clarity.
From time-to-time, it is good practice to filter through your devices and unfollow things that do not align with your direct path.
2. Be Socially Selective
Always staying aware of your environment is an important skill to develop.
I am a big believer of the idea, that where you put your time, and how you spend your time, plays a big role in who you become.
We are surrounded by people all the time, and we need to communicate with people in order to survive and thrive—it is a part of life.
If you are looking for a tip, or golden nugget, on how to clean the mind—this one is big. The people you choose to surround yourself with, end up having a significant impact and influence on you.
Therefore, you want to ensure yourself that you invest your time around the right people. People who are going to make you better and have a growth mindset towards change and improvement.
3. Live In The Moment
Sometimes we need to forget the past and not wait for the future.
It’s really easy to get caught up on the past, or seeking too far into the distant future. You end up in a mental place that is everything but the moment at hand.
Learn to break free from worry and just live in moment by appreciating where you are in your life. Gratitude is the place where you want to spend most of your time during worrisome moments.
Detach yourself from everything around you, and really soak in all the appreciation for the life you live.
We all have struggles, we all have pain, we all have circumstances in our lives that could use improvement. The important thing, is to always keep a positive perspective on life and keep moving forward.
The best way to achieve this is to stay even keel, live in the moment, and be grateful for who you are.
4. Exercise
When I first started to exercise, I started exercising because it was an outlet to getting what I wanted most—to be in better shape physically. I committed, I got the results, and then I would quit all together. My weight would get back to my original starting point, and then I would repeat the cycle. Exercise became a chore.
It wasn’t until I realized that exercise is far greater than something one takes on just to lose weight, where things really changed changed for me.
If you can take some time to allow a paradigm shift here, you will be glad you took the time to understand this and believe the following:
Exercise is a form of meditation, it is a therapy, it can clear your mind like nothing else. Now, a great way to experience these benefits, is to adopt a new mindset as to why you exercise. You need to decouple exercise and weight loss, and recouple exercise with therapy.
Growing up, I always looked up to people who could carry such a discipline for so long. I admired the trait of consistency over time. I always wondered how in the world they were able to carry on for so long.
It wasn’t until I learned that the real consistent ones are not working out to lose weight, they are mainly carrying out the discipline because it is an extremely effective habit that can provide benefits beyond just the physical.
One of those benefits being, the cleaning of your mind and providing clarity.
5. Eat Healthy
There are two very distinct physical feelings that are pronounced through your daily nutrition. It’s either the good feeling you have or the bad feeling you have after what you have eaten.
Think about the last time you were on a roll with your nutrition. You were doing great, feeling great, and energized. You are more clear and more alert.
Then think about how you feel when you are on a poor diet, eating all sorts of delicious, highly processed foods. The feeling of lethargy, lack of motivation, and lack of drive are a few that should surface quickly.
We just don’t feel and function the same way when we do not pay attention and focus on what fuel we are feeding our bodies.
So, the next time you feel off, or you feel like your mind is a big mess all around, and you can’t really put your finger on what it could be, audit your nutrition habits over the past 7 days and see what you find.
6. Pray & Meditate Alone
Sometimes all we need is some uninterrupted alone time to clear the mind of racing thoughts and find a calm and centered state.
Finding a good time throughout your day where you can consistently sit alone, and pray, or meditate, is an excellent approach towards cleaning the mind and gaining clarity.
I have found that visualization can play a very powerful role in the process of achieving your goals or simply analyzing your life.
Take a moment to sit alone, daily, and visualize where you are in the moment, what thoughts are cruising through your mind, and focusing on your breathing.
I find that during overwhelming moments, a quick few minutes alone praying, and clearing the mind of stress is something everyone should be practicing in some shape or form.
7. Journal
Journaling is a powerful tool if you learn how to harness it properly. Taking some free time out of your day to sit and jot down your thoughts and current circumstances are great ways to get the mind to problem solve.
If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, where anxiety is running high, stress is present, and you are trying to figure out how to deal, try journaling.
Journaling is a great way to clean your mind and organize your thoughts. My favorite time to journal is first thing in the morning, after waking up and getting dressed. Sitting down and organizing the day is a great way to get a jump on the day.
I am a big believer that time is everything. It is your most valuable asset and if you are wasting it by not planning, then you are only setting yourself back in life.
Journaling first thing in the morning is an excellent way to set your daily goals and tasks, and also clear your mind of any mental fog or distractions you might have.
8. Clean Up & Organize Your Space
Everyone knows that a clean, organized space, is much better for your sanity, than a space that screams chaos due to it being dirty and messy.
The problem is, sometimes, it just sneaks up on you. No matter how organized you think you are, there are always moments where the mess just piles up right under your nose.
Anytime where you may feel like a wreck, down, tired, restless, scattered minded—look at your current space and ask yourself, what could use some cleaning?
Simply by the actions of picking up and cleaning, there is a therapeutic effect that takes place in the mind. Before you go thinking I am crazy, just hear me out.
Think about washing dishes—a chore, I know. But once you begin washing the dishes, you go into a flow where the mind is clear, the water is running, and you are cleaning something that is dirty. After each clean dish, you get happier because, well, one, you are almost done, and two, because things are now clean.
This applies to a lot of chores and tasks around the house. Sure, you may not want to do it, but you know that once it is done, you can exhale, plop on the couch, and feel good about yourself and your space.
It’s truly a great way to clean the mind.
9. Create A Solid Morning Routine
A solid morning routine can be life changing. I believe there is not enough emphasis around the power of having a routine.
Routines, help you to get to bed at a decent hour, they help you achieve goals, they help you improve yourself the more you carry them out.
The only thing is, that routine has to be built and set in place, by you. You are the architect, and your day is your canvas. In order to move with consistency and achieve results, you gotta have a routine in place.
A morning routine in particular, is the perfect place to start building a daily routine if you don’t already have one.
10. Sleep A Minimum Of 8 Hours Each Night
Just recently, I was entering a slump. Life felt like it was moving like molasses, and I couldn’t seem to get the things that I needed to get done, completed.
Day, after day, was more of a slump as my focus and energy just wasn’t there. I knew something was off, but I couldn’t really identify it until I started auditing my day and looking for variables that have changed as of late.
I narrowed it down to a few things I could improve, but the main one that stood out to me was sleep.
We have all been there, where it’s late, you have work the next day, but you just entered some quiet time to just loaf and watch some tv in peace. The only problem is, that this pocket of time, is usually found late at night while everyone is asleep.
Delaying that gratification of staying up late, and gravitating more to an understanding that a good night sleep will pay off huge the following day, is the way to go.
In the moment, you may lean more towards staying up late, and it may not be the “fun” choice, but your body and mind will thank you later.
Don’t short yourself on sleep if you don’t have to.
Sleep schedule is one habit that you want to stay as consistent and disciplined with as possible.
If you do, you will quickly see just how powerful great sleep is.
11. Listen To Some Positive Audio
Each day take some time to listen to positive audio. I believe that over the years it has brought value to my day and to my overall mental health.
We get caught in these echo chambers, and sometimes to get out is not that simple. It takes time, reflection, and a new mindset.
Sometimes listening to positive words and reading positive words is all we need.
Listening to a positive podcast on the way to and from work is a great habit to instill into your day. It can help you focus before work and put you in a peaceful place simply with positive words.
Listening to positive audio can also help you decompress and keep your mind on a focused trajectory.
12. Go Outside And Get Some Sun!
Sometimes, all we need is a little bit of time out in the open fresh air.
When was the last time, you put on your running shoes, and went outside for a nice long walk under the bright warm sun?
If you are like most people, you really don’t dedicate too much time or awareness to such a question. It’s actually become pretty normal today.
We have so much going on today, that we rarely stop to think about how much time we are spending outdoors.
A great way to just disconnect and clean your mind is to go out for a nice long walk amongst nature.
Experience the sky, the sun, the greenery, and just soak it all in.
Nature is one of the most beautiful gifts we have on this planet, and we should appreciate it as much as we can.
13. Take A Long Shower
No matter what I have going on in my life, a shower always helps me clean and clear my mind.
You know those days, where you are at a point of burn out, and any little task seems like a mountain to move?
Yea, those days.
Sometimes, an extra shower on those difficult days is all we need.
The sound of the water, the sensory deprivation, the moment alone—all are a recipe to clean your mind and get your right back on track.
I see it as a little life hack. Just one of those things you can do for yourself that will make you feel better in the moment and after.
