The Power Of Clear Thinking

To be honest, the power of clear thinking is largely underrated. Most people are busy living their lives without giving much thought to how clear their mind is or isn’t. 

One of the biggest roadblocks to a clear mind is not realizing how chaotic your thinking may actually be. Why, because so many of us have accepted our overactive brain activity as normal, without noticing our thought patterns and certainly without questioning it.

Does your mind ever feel like you’re continually turning the dial on the radio, but all you get is fuzz? You know what station you’re trying to tune into, but no matter what you seem to miss the mark. 

What if you could clarify that signal almost instantly, and think more effectively whenever you desire, especially in times of utter chaos?

Having the ability to clear your mind is a superpower that is often overlooked. Your ability to make quality decisions will improve exponentially once you learn the art of clearing your mind and making space for wisdom.

Here are ten tips to increase clear thinking:

1- Go for a walk 

Taking a walk will clear your head almost instantly, especially if you have the opportunity to be in nature. Usually, when you’re experiencing brain fuzz, it’s because you have too many thoughts at the same time. Changing the scenery and getting your heart rate up all contribute to the clarity of thought. 

2- Declutter your space

A cluttered external environment contributes to a cluttered internal environment. When you have files and paperwork all over your desk and your room is a mess, you’ll have issues finding what you need. When you have a bright, clean, open space, you can focus much better. If you find yourself consistently unable to tune in, declutter your space and see if that helps. 

3- Minimize sugar from your diet

Sugar and simple carbohydrates make it much harder to focus. After you eat sugary foods, your blood sugar spikes, leading to irritability and brain fog. To make matters worse, once your blood sugar crashes again, you may experience mood swings, anxiety, and lethargy.  

If you can, try to minimize sugar from your diet to improve mental clarity.

4- Get more sleep

Sleep experts recommend adults receive between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Sadly, most clock in way below. One of the most profound effects of sleep deprivation is brain fog. If you regularly have issues with mental clarity, consider slowly working more quality sleep into your night, perhaps by going to bed just fifteen minutes earlier, and slowly working your way up from there. 

Alternatively, you might consider taking a power nap if possible during the day. Closing your eyes and dozing off for 15 to 20 minutes mid-day has more benefits than a cup of coffee, and can have profound effects on your energy level. 

5- Meditate

Meditation is another excellent way to help gain mental clarity. Even if you don’t have much time on your hands, you don’t have to sit for hours in lotus position on the floor to benefit from meditation. Closing your eyes and focusing solely on your breath for as little as sixty seconds can boost your brainpower.

6- Write in your journal

One of the most efficient ways to clear your brain is to do a brain dump, where you write all your thoughts in your journal. Set a timer and let your ideas flow. Whether you choose to type your thoughts or write them down on paper is up to you. Releasing your thoughts will help you organize and prioritize what needs your attention right away versus what can wait. 

7- Make decisions quickly 

Analysis paralysis occurs when you have too many options. You wind up spending so much time weighing the pros and cons of each, leading to inaction and brain fog. While carefully considering details is usually a good thing, in excess, this will weigh you down and slow your progress. When you must make a decision and find yourself stuck, set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes – whatever feels right for your situation. Force yourself to decide as soon as the timer goes off. Making quick decisions will free your mind and help you think more clearly.

8- Cross something off your “to-do” list

If you have a ton of responsibilities and have competing obligations, brain fog is inevitable. To free up mental capacity, free up your schedule. Make a list of everything you need to accomplish and tackle the simplest things first. As you free up your time, you’ll clarify your thoughts. 

9- Reduce caffeine intake

While some caffeine can give you energy, increase focus and therefore heighten productivity, going overboard could have the opposite effect. If you’ve been drinking too much caffeine and find your mind racing, it may be time to cut back. Consider opting for another energy-boosting technique that has cleaner results – such as going outside for a brisk walk, or taking a power nap. 

10- Consider your physical needs

Finally, when you’re dehydrated, hot, hungry, sick or tired, decision-making is harder. Consider your basic needs. If you need physical care, you’ll have a much more challenging time organizing your thoughts. Stop, take a break and figure out what you need to feel better. Once you handle your physical needs, clearing your mind will be a lot easier.

We all suffer from having too many competing thoughts from time to time. However, constantly having an overactive mind that keeps you stuck on the treadmill of life isn’t going to cause you to live your best life. Over time, the people and projects in your life will suffer. Consider assessing where you are on the spectrum and take action to clear your mind on a regular basis. You’ll be so glad that you did.

As always,  

Be well + prosper,

Elaine xx