3 Methods for Clearing Mental ClutterWritten by ADD Management Coach Jennifer Koretsky
Many adults with ADD have a hard time slowing down their brains. Thoughts often come at whirlwind speed, and it can be hard to concentrate on tasks at hand when so many other thoughts are floating around in brain. I call this "mental clutter."Often times, mental clutter is made up of worries and bad feelings. (Very few people get overwhelmed by amount of positive thoughts in their heads!) Regrets of past and worries about future can easily overshadow present moment. Self-doubt can also take up a lot of space in mind. When an excess of these types of thoughts take over in brain, it can be stressful, upsetting, and sometimes even paralyzing. The best way to clear this mental clutter is to process thoughts, rather than letting them swim around in your brain. Doing so will allow you to focus on present moment, and feel more calm and centered. The following 3 methods have proven very helpful in clearing mental clutter. 1. Write A great way to clear mental clutter is to transfer thoughts from your brain onto paper. This can be in form of a to-do list, an email to a supportive person in your life, or a journal entry. When thoughts are recorded, there is no need for your brain to hold on to them. Additionally, if you feel weighed down by a situation (like an argument with a family member) writing about it can help you process your feelings. You can get a better grip on events, how you feel, and what you might have done differently. A page or two might be all it takes.
| | NotOneOunce -- Junk at the OfficeWritten by Will Clower, Ph.D.
After post-Halloween sugar surge, everyone coaches you to get candy out of your house. This is terrific, but many people solve problem by taking it straight to office. Yes, it’s now off of your kitchen cabinet, but you've just relocated it to filing cabinet all day. And, as holiday season marches onward, treats and snacks and goodies start piling up, all red and green, from M&Ms to Cupcakes, on meeting room tables, receptionist’s desks, and most of all … in break room. The short term problem If food is in front of you, you’ll eat it. Sad as it sounds, mere presence of food is enough to stimulate eating. You can say you’ll be strong (and maybe you can for a while), but sooner or later you give in and have just a couple of those candies, cakes or whatever. Face it. Food stimulates feeding. The long term problem Practice makes perfect. If you practice eating throughout day, you will become very good, very skilled, at eating throughout day. Plus, your body comes to expect it, to crave another nibble, and to nag you for that next treat. This is how you create conditions of long-term overconsumption simply by keeping food around your house or office.
|