What is emotional clutter and how to manage it.
Emotional clutter is a lot like physical clutter. It can make you feel heavy and bogged down. It can literally weigh you down and make you feel overwhelmed with everything around you. And when it builds up too much, it leaves little room for anything else, draining you of all your energy so you can’t focus on anything else.
If you don’t want to end up being swamped by your emotions, it’s important to be able to ‘declutter’ certain feelings and clear out space for newer, healthier emotions. Here are five ways to help you with the process of managing emotional clutter
#1 Change how you view and talk about yourself
This first point is probably the most common cause of emotional clutter.
Do you often tell yourself that you’re no good at something? Or that you can’t do something? Or even, maybe, that you don’t deserve something? These negative thoughts can create a snowball effect, making you feel like the world’s against you. Negative thoughts like these hang around in our minds, waiting for moments to pounce out on us and bring us down.
The first thing to do is stop telling yourself these negative things and start saying positive things instead. Rather than convincing yourself that there is no point in trying something because you feel like you will not be able to do it, tell yourself something positive. Something like ‘I won’t know if I can do it or not if I don’t try. If I can’t manage it at first, I’ll try again’. A positive and uplifting spin on words can make all the difference to your emotional wellbeing.
Practice self-love and forgiveness. Imagine you’re talking to your best friend. How would you speak to him or her? Try to speak to yourself in the same way. Be kind and compassionate towards yourself when difficult emotions come up. Nobody is perfect, so stop trying to be – it’s okay to make mistakes.
#2 Let it out
Holding onto difficult or upsetting emotions soon leads to a build-up of stagnant or negative thoughts. There are lots of ways to process this emotional clutter and get it out.
Write down your thoughts in a daily journal. For every difficult or uncomfortable thought or feeling, write down something you are grateful for. Replace the emotional clutter with new, positive thinking. Practicing mindfulness and doing yoga are also effective ways to calm the mind and declutter emotionally.
#3 Spend time with people who make you feel good
Is there someone in your life who grinds you down, criticises you or makes you feel unworthy? Why do you spend time with that person? On the other hand, can you think of someone you enjoy seeing, someone who encourages you and appreciates you?
The more time you can spend with positive people, the more you can clear out some of your own emotional clutter.
#4 Avoid emotional triggers
This might seem like something that is easier said than done but it definitely gets easier the more you do it. The first thing to understand are your own emotions triggers and what they are. Then be mindful of what triggers your emotional responses – work through these issues slowly and calmly, one by one. Note down what happens that makes you feel a certain way. How can you avoid those things happening in the future?
#5 Accept that you can’t control how others react to your emotions
The only person that we can control is ourselves. While we might not like how someone else behaves or responds to us, we can’t control it. Trying to get other people to change, is fighting a losing battle, and will only result in frustration and anger.
Try these 5 ways to clear out the emotional clutter and you’ll be able to make better decisions and solve problems more efficiently. They can help you free up mental space for your work, relationships, or other activities that are important to you.
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