We all know how our “stuff” gets in the way of our personal and work lives. It holds us back, causes stress, keeps us from focusing on the present moment, and sometimes overtakes the present moment. However, objects aren’t the only things that can keep us from living presently and fully. There is, sadly, such a thing as mental clutter. Mental clutter is the trash of our minds which we allow to control and consume us, and in many cases proves even more detrimental to our overall happiness than physical disorganization.
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(continued…) If mental clutter were a business, Gossip would be the CEO. Sometime during our formative years we are all taught that other people’s opinions of us are important. So many people agonize over what others are saying about them, in the process losing control of their life. It’s completely absurd to forsake control in exchange for anxiety over what a co-worker may be thinking; you have no control over it now, and you never will. We should always strive to handle ourselves with the utmost professionalism and class, as that’s what we can control. A true professional will also never have gossip about others crowding her mind. She knows it’s addictive, it’s slime, it’s probably out of context, and it’s probably not true; she doesn’t care to go anywhere near it. People’s opinions are essentially trash that doesn’t belong in your mind, distracting you from the things you really enjoy. Throw it out.
Everyone has had a relationship that felt like cancer; you didn’t know you were in any danger until it had spread, slowly sucking all your time and energy and infecting the rest of your life. There are two keys to fighting the disease of a bad relationship: a) early detection and b) surgically removing the infected area. Identifying a diseased relationship early on is very difficult because often it takes time to really, deeply understand a person and their faults. However, as soon as you encounter repeat evidence that something’s off with the balance of the relationship, deal with it. Talk to the person about what has been bothering you in an unemotional, logical, balanced manner at a neutral location. Tell them exactly how you feel, but don’t get heated. How they deal with the confrontation and their actions after the fact will tell you if the relationship is worth holding on to. If they promise to change, monitor them and see if they stick to their word. If they don’t, get the junk out of your life. If it’s bad enough, you may have to pull the person out of your life by the roots. Remember that once you remove the infected relationship, your other healthy ones will be able to flourish.
So many people work themselves up for no other reason than to be worked up. They ruminate on the importance of a project until anxiety causes the heart to race and adrenaline to course through the body. This unnecessary pressure is just as bad as gossip. Concentrating on the project’s magnitude doesn’t help the project get finished. In fact, it delays the project’s completion, enhances stress levels, and increases the likelihood of mistakes. Instead of stressing about your obligations, do your obligations. The rest is wasted time and energy that does absolutely nothing for you.
Gossip, faulty relationships, and mental pressure are intangible, but definitely cause as much stress as misplacing your passport. Take precautions against them, recognize when you are engaging in these destructive behaviors, and get back on track. Getting rid of clutter will help in meeting expectations, but getting rid of mental junk gives you the freedom to truly excel.
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