If you’re anything like us, you have about a million different thoughts and ideas throughout the day. For example, how many tabs can a human brain open at once?
The truth is that it can have adverse effects on your mood, productivitycreativity, etc
When your thoughts and ideas are chaotic and disorderly, it can cloud your vision and decision-making in the outside world.
Not to mention that this can lead to paradox of choice (i.e. decision overload), excess stress, and even relationship issues.
If that sounds like you, learning to organize your thoughts can help you stay more focused, energized, and productive. And especially, healthy.
However, it’s not as easy as 1, 2, 3 – no matter how badly we wish it was.
So, first – know that you are not alone; there is something you can do about this jumble of thoughts, ideas and feelings that are ravaging your mind.
Now, here are our practical and effective strategies that can help you learn to organize your thoughts and use your intelligence and skills to their fullest potential.
How to organize your thoughts
We have all had the experience of having way too many tthings happening at once.
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed with too many things on your mind. The feeling is REAL. But we can help you get rid of that feeling by compartmentalizing your thoughts and prioritizing them with doable tasks.
Because when your head is clear, your overall view of any situation changes, your mood changes, and so does your ability to do shit.
So how can you organize your thoughts? Let’s go.
♡ Try mind mapping.
Mind mapping is a tool that helps you organize your thoughts and ideas in a way that makes them easier to understand. It’s like creating a bubble map for your thoughts.
When you use a mind map, you start with a central idea and then drill down into the details around it. It can help you organize your thoughts by determining which ones deserve the most attention and help you make connections between your different ideas.
Here are some great instructions for creating your own mind map.
♡ Make a daily mental discharge.
Take a sheet of paper and start writing down your thoughts and ideas. “Mind” or “brain” dumping is as simple as that. You don’t have to be a writer it’s not you have to be chic, and you certainly don’t have to worry about spelling or grammar. Just start writing and don’t stop until you’re done.
We also recommend that you think out loud during this process. Thinking out loud has many benefits, including reducing brain fog and improving mental clarity. Learn more about thinking aloud, here.
Once you’ve written it all down, continue. Now it’s time to reflect. Review it and ask yourself: what are the most important things here? What should I do next? How can I organize these ideas so that they make sense? Don’t worry if it takes time, you’ll get better with practice. For more, check out Lauryn’s post on the morning pages.
♡ Create a priority list.
It’s a habit that’s really worth it once you get started. You’d be amazed how much more productive you can be when you can simply write down your most concrete ideas and then rank them in order of importance or urgency.
The Skinny Confidential HOT MINUTE Planner has so many helpful prompts which of course includes a TO-DO section where you can write down your top priorities. Lauryn likes to write 7 things, to learn more about the Ivy Lee method, check out this post.
♡ Keep a journal
You don’t have to be a writer to benefit from journaling. (See all the amazing benefits of journaling here.) Keeping a journal can help you organize your thoughts, reduce mental clutter, achieve behavioral patterns, and help you clarify what you’re thinking (or thinking too much).
It’s important that once you start writing, you don’t worry about how it sounds or how it flows. Just get words on the page. If you don’t know where to start, just start by writing down all the random thoughts you have – they don’t have to be in any order. You will feel so much better when these thoughts are out of your head and onto paper. Here is a lovely diary & our favorite pen to help you get started.
♡ Use your calendar.
Whether on your phone, a desk calendaror one planner (or all 3), keeping track of appointments, birthdays, events, activities is very useful. Once they’re out of your brain and placed elsewhere, you can free up mental space for other things that are important to you.
♡ Develop a soothing ritual.
We know how hard it can be to focus on the task at hand and get things done when your mind is racing. That’s why having some sort of calming ritual at the end of the day can be SO USEFUL.
First, find a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle. Then light some candles, turn off any distracting electronics, and practice some essential self-care. One, because you need it. Two, because you DESERVE it.
Self-care looks different for everyone. But to inspire you, here are some of our favorite ways to unwind, decompress and clear your mind.
+ Take a nap
+ Bing your favorite podcast or TV show
+ Take a relaxing herbal bath
+ Make a Apple cider vinegar hair rinse
+ Treat yourself to a facial massage with the HOT MESS ICE CREAM ROLLER
+ Make a exfoliating foot mask
+ Treat yourself to an instant lift with the PINK BALLS FACE MASSAGER
In all, try to find a ritual that helps you eliminate excessive thoughts and worries that may be weighing on your mind.
♡ Meditate.
Meditation is a simple practice that can help you organize your thoughts, reduce mental clutter and reduce stress levelss. We know – it’s easier said than done. But the benefits of meditation combined with the delayed gratification to begin a transformative meditation ritual are well worth the effort.
If you’re new to meditation, we’ve got you covered. Check Lauryn’s specific mediation ritual and his tips for getting started.
Take back your life by organizing your thoughts.
So there you have it, a step-by-step guide to organizing your thoughts.
We hope you find these tips easy to implement in your life. Let us know your thought-organizing tips below.
x, The Skinny Confidential Team
+ discover the iPad case Lauryn swears by hard work.
++ stem what lauryn’s mentee learned of its mentorship program.
GET ORGANIZED:
