Julze Best is one of our APDO members with a business called Holistic Home. Based in Hampshire, she also covers Surrey, West Sussex, Dorset and Wiltshire, but travel further afield when required.  As the name suggests, she works holistically with both the home and its occupants, to help people to understand and release attachments to their possessions, to feel supported by their environment and to manage stress levels.  In this guest blog,` she talks about what mental clutter is and how to declutter it.
What is mental clutter?
A never-ending list of ‘shoulds’ – All those things that must be done.
Regrets for all those missed opportunities of the past.
Unfinished business; email to send, phone calls to make, bills to pay.
Worry about things that may never happen.
Grumbling and criticising; These are simply habits we get into which keep our energy levels low.
Striving for perfectionism; Then beating ourselves up for failing to achieve it. I know all about this one (still work in progress)!
Mental Clutter causes stress and stress is ultimately the cause of illness, so instead you could:
Change the ‘shoulds’ to ‘coulds’; taking pressure off ‘having’ to get things done. Make it your choice ‘to do or not to do’. A subtle language change which makes an empowering difference.
The past has gone. It can’t be changed. Leave it there and put your energy into creating a great vision for your future.
Get on and set time aside to complete outstanding tasks, clearing those niggling mental lists.
Exchange worry for using your imagination to create something worthwhile and inspiring. Worrying is a waste of energy.
Focus on and speak about the good bits about your day/week/life and sensor out the bad bits; It takes practice but you will be much more fun for others to be around (and feel so much better yourself)!
Let go of needing to be perfect; Who cares anyway? Probably only you!
