Gen Zen: How I learnt that 'mental decluttering' can help me focus and filter out negative thoughts

SINGAPORE — "You seem distracted" is something I would often hear my friends telling me whenever we met for a meal or to hang out. 

I had always brushed them off as mere passing comments until one of my friends spelt out more bluntly how I would be present physically with them, but not mentally.

"Every time we meet, it is like as if you have a million thoughts running through your mind and you don't look like you are concentrating on our conversation," my friend said.

It came as a surprise to me because even though it's true my mind was filled with many competing thoughts on a daily basis, I didn't know that it would translate to something that my friends would notice.

Seeing how confused I was at her remark, she explained that she could see how hard it was for me to keep my mind focused when I was often preoccupied with the many demanding aspects of my job.

She then asked if I had ever tried to do something called "mental decluttering".

"I read about it a while back and one of the things they said that could help with decluttering is to practise mindfulness," she said.

She shared that she too had been noticing that she was becoming distracted easily from her tasks, which prompted her to search online for ways to address the problem. 

Since finding out about the concept and utilizing the tips she picked up, she has felt a change in her productivity, especially when it came time to focus on tasks or even conversations with colleagues.

Feeling curious, I decided to explore the concept a little bit more by speaking to psychologists to find out if mental decluttering could be just as effective for me.

MENTAL DECLUTTERING

Mental decluttering refers to the process of clearing one's mind of excessive and unnecessary thoughts and worries, in order to focus on the thoughts that really matter.

"Unlike physical clutter, we can't simply discard thoughts but we can learn to 'let go' and create more mental space by not holding onto them too tightly," said Ms Ooi Sze Jin, psychologist and founder of A Kind Place.

The practice would also better enable the individual to make decisions or develop an understanding of a situation without having to filter this through the noise in their mind.

"One might also consider mentally decluttering if they find it challenging to stay focused on the tasks that they have to complete because there are negative thoughts ruminating in their mind," said Mr Haikal Jamil, senior clinical psychologist and founder of ImPossible Psychological Services.

This is also something to consider when negative thoughts, which are more prevalent at night, lead to difficulties falling asleep due to excessive worrying.

Mental decluttering also involves releasing emotional baggage as it occupies mental space, leaving little room for anything else.

"Just as a room can feel cramped when filled with too many things, our minds can become overwhelmed by excessive thoughts and emotions, and to declutter our minds, we must learn to let go of these burdens," said Ms Ooi.

Ms Ng Jing Xuan, a clinical psychologist at Open Journey Psychology likened mental decluttering to freeing up space in one's mind by letting thoughts "come and go".

"When we try to fight thoughts with other thoughts, we are holding an internal never-ending debate," said Ms Ng.

To assess if a mental declutter is needed, senior clinical psychologist Jocelyn Liao of The Psychology Atelier suggests pausing to reflect on one's mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

"Do we find ourselves more easily distracted or forgetful? Do we find ourselves anxious all the time? Do we feel so restless that our sleep, appetite and health are impacted?" she asked.

"If many of these questions resonate with us, they may signal a need for us to mentally declutter, regroup and recentre ourselves."

HAVING A CLUTTER-FREE MIND

In order to maintain a clutter-free mind, Ms Liao of The Psychology Atelier suggested a few ways in which we can declutter.

• Practise mindfulness strategies to help us observe the mental clutter without judgement or getting caught up in it
• Practise single-tasking and completing one task at a time to stay focused while filtering out unnecessary distractions
• Manage information intake and resource allocation by setting boundaries on screen usage, digital consumption and distractions
• Make basic self-care a priority and this includes getting balanced nutrition, regular exercise and sufficient quality sleep
• Declutter the environment, both physical and online, to reduce distractions and unnecessary information

She added that decluttering can also lead to reduced stress and anxiety, improved accuracy and productivity, as well as optimised cognitive control and enhanced mental clarity and focus.

When asked about how often should a person mental declutter, Mr Haikal from ImPossible Psychological Services said that the frequency of mental decluttering varies depending on individual needs and circumstances.

"Some people benefit from daily practices such as journaling or thought monitoring to maintain mental clarity while there are others who naturally adopt a more positive mindset, or turn to other ways to deal with their problem such as seeking social support."

He also added that with mental decluttering, it can help to reduce the level of cortisol in the body — a stress hormone which increases the experience of negative emotions, such as irritability and anxiety.

On the other hand, Ms Ooi from A Kind Place, believes that it is beneficial for everyone to engage in mental decluttering from time to time as we risk becoming overwhelmed and irritable when our minds become cluttered with thoughts and emotions.

"Taking breaks and learning to let go of these mental burdens, whether through meditation or mindfulness techniques, can help maintain our well-being and prevent physical and emotional strain," she said.

Like Ms Ooi, Ms Ng from Open Journey Psychology also believes that it can be beneficial for everyone to mentally declutter in order to have better focus and more clarity in thoughts.

"By acknowledging what are the difficult thoughts we are experiencing, we can process them if necessary such as through journalling to further clarify on those thoughts, or to let the thoughts go."

The psychologists, however, cautioned against considering going on a holiday or switching off from the world as forms of mental decluttering.

Ms Ooi from A Kind Place said: "Going on a holiday or switching off from the world is like stepping out of that room for a while or switching the lights off to not see the items, but the mess remains when you return."

Agreeing, Mr Haikal said that these activities offer a break from the negative thoughts but are not strategies to mentally declutter.

"This is because mental decluttering involves a more active process in organising one's thoughts such as prioritising what is important for you and rationalising the validity of the negative thoughts," he said.