Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Decluttering Our Thoughts

Clutter isn't only those piles of belongings on floors or shelves that serve as barriers to comfort and serenity in your home. The clutter between my ears causes me the most stress: all those things that take up space that I really don't need anymore. My brain can be a messy place, an interesting place, and, without a doubt, an overcrowded place.

Thanks to therapy and mindfulness practice, I've learned how to pare down my thoughts. As I have made a practice of cleaning up my physical space, I can regard and contemplate the piles of thoughts that I've created in my head, decide what I need to keep and what I can throw away. Lately, I've been throwing out self-judgment and harshness. I've reorganized outdated ideas about what I need to be doing with my days and my life, scrapped fear and insecurity. Clearing out the negative mental clutter has created a lot more space for curiosity, positivity, and creativity.

How do you sort through your clutter? What are you making room for?

I hang on to thoughts that serve me well and chuck the rest.

Hazelden Foundation

Sobriety and sanity: A lifeline to both