1 00:00:00,270 --> 00:00:06,600 In this video, we'll discover a guide to an organized mind, so now that you understand all the benefits 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:11,550 of an organized mind, you've got some ideas of the areas of your life that can be improved. 3 00:00:11,550 --> 00:00:15,610 By taking back this control, you need to know how to get to that point. 4 00:00:15,810 --> 00:00:20,430 We've already looked at the practical steps that you can take at home, at work and in your personal 5 00:00:20,430 --> 00:00:22,920 life to get rid of the chaos and clutter. 6 00:00:23,070 --> 00:00:28,680 This can make life simpler and happier, but how can you take practical steps to organize your mind? 7 00:00:28,890 --> 00:00:31,230 Here are a few top tips to get you started. 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,450 Make lists and journals. 9 00:00:33,660 --> 00:00:38,130 Many people find that making list or starting a journal is a good way to clear their minds. 10 00:00:38,250 --> 00:00:42,480 It will get rid of all the clutter that prevents them from moving forward in their lives. 11 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:47,550 You may find that you're unable to focus on the task that you need to accomplish because they seem to 12 00:00:47,550 --> 00:00:52,260 be running over and over in your head, composing a list of all the jobs and chores that you need to 13 00:00:52,260 --> 00:00:55,770 accomplish will help to set those intrusive thoughts free. 14 00:00:55,890 --> 00:00:59,960 Having a checklist of everything you need to get done will help you to see at a glance. 15 00:00:59,970 --> 00:01:06,240 All that must be got through by the end of the day, week or month when you can tick each one off, 16 00:01:06,450 --> 00:01:10,440 you will experience a great sense of well-being at a job well done. 17 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:12,900 Journaling is another useful strategy. 18 00:01:13,110 --> 00:01:17,700 It can be used to great effect to clear your mind and get rid of the clutter that prevents you from 19 00:01:17,700 --> 00:01:19,440 moving forward with your life. 20 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,910 You may be feeling anxious, stressed or depressed about situations in your life. 21 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:30,000 Keeping notes in a diary or journal will help to bring some clarity to the situation, put it into perspective 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,190 and enable you to find a way forward. 23 00:01:32,370 --> 00:01:37,170 It will also help you to release the tension that builds up when you're unable to express yourself and 24 00:01:37,170 --> 00:01:40,140 unleash the feelings that are causing you misery. 25 00:01:40,350 --> 00:01:43,200 Journaling also helps you to spot patterns in your life. 26 00:01:43,410 --> 00:01:48,840 It helps you to identify precisely what makes you feel miserable, stressed, angry or anxious. 27 00:01:49,050 --> 00:01:53,130 You can take action to avoid those triggers or address them in a healthy way. 28 00:01:53,130 --> 00:01:57,120 The next time those situations arise, learn to let go. 29 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:02,250 It can be hard to learn how to let go, since many of us are raised in an environment where we cling 30 00:02:02,250 --> 00:02:06,690 on to things, whether those be possessions, emotions or relationships. 31 00:02:06,870 --> 00:02:11,460 Unfortunately, this tends to apply to both the positive and negative ones. 32 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:16,350 Everyone will go through times in their lives when they feel unhappy, angry or frustrated. 33 00:02:16,650 --> 00:02:21,600 This is completely normal and is something that cannot be avoided, nor should it be. 34 00:02:21,810 --> 00:02:25,650 The key to overcoming those feelings, though, lies in how you deal with them. 35 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:31,860 Do you dwell on them and ruminate over them repeatedly, or do you find a way to release them from your 36 00:02:31,860 --> 00:02:33,720 mind and let them go? 37 00:02:34,050 --> 00:02:39,330 Mental clutter and chaos can ensue if you don't let go the negative emotions and feelings that you're 38 00:02:39,330 --> 00:02:41,280 clinging onto for dear life. 39 00:02:41,550 --> 00:02:46,770 The longer you spend focusing on them, the less time and energy you have available for the positive 40 00:02:46,770 --> 00:02:49,680 emotions that you need to get the most out of life. 41 00:02:49,950 --> 00:02:55,440 While all this makes sense, it can be harder than you imagined to let go of those negativities. 42 00:02:55,710 --> 00:02:59,730 So here are a few expert tips to help you face the pain. 43 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:05,640 If you're feeling anxious or stressed, your knee jerk reaction will be to protect yourself and hide 44 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:07,170 from the emotional upheaval. 45 00:03:07,380 --> 00:03:11,400 However, you need to go through the negativity to begin the process of recovery. 46 00:03:11,610 --> 00:03:16,580 If you delay the process, you'll never be able to completely overcome what you're feeling. 47 00:03:16,980 --> 00:03:18,390 Don't lie to yourself. 48 00:03:18,630 --> 00:03:22,110 Identify every part of the negative emotions you're experiencing. 49 00:03:22,290 --> 00:03:25,740 Don't try to convince yourself that things aren't as bad as they could be. 50 00:03:25,950 --> 00:03:30,000 Instead, acknowledge it, recognize it and then accept it. 51 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,160 Remember, nothing will last forever. 52 00:03:32,340 --> 00:03:35,190 Negative emotions are stronger than positive ones. 53 00:03:35,460 --> 00:03:41,040 But you must bear in mind that no matter how bad it feels, they won't last forever. 54 00:03:41,340 --> 00:03:48,180 Self reflect don't get trapped in a negative downward spiral, reflect on what's happened and work out 55 00:03:48,180 --> 00:03:53,250 how you can avoid descending into a pit where more bad things will inevitably happen. 56 00:03:53,550 --> 00:03:54,990 Don't fear the future. 57 00:03:55,170 --> 00:04:00,480 Although you have negative emotions now the future is bright and you can rise up and embrace it only 58 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:02,720 after you let these negative feelings go. 59 00:04:02,950 --> 00:04:04,680 Avoid multitasking. 60 00:04:04,860 --> 00:04:09,900 We're all trying to juggle more than at any other time in history, so it isn't too surprising that 61 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:11,610 we all try to multitask. 62 00:04:11,610 --> 00:04:14,640 Yet this isn't as helpful as you might imagine. 63 00:04:14,850 --> 00:04:18,330 Multitasking will make you less, not more productive. 64 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:19,590 Evidence is shown. 65 00:04:19,590 --> 00:04:25,470 If you shift between tasks, you can waste as much as 40 percent of productive time while you feel like 66 00:04:25,470 --> 00:04:26,400 you're achieving more. 67 00:04:26,430 --> 00:04:27,840 The chances are that you aren't. 68 00:04:27,990 --> 00:04:34,320 If you put all of your focus on one task, it will be completed more efficiently and also more effectively. 69 00:04:34,530 --> 00:04:39,210 Multitasking has a negative impact on the quality of the output you produce. 70 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:45,570 It's even been shown that multitasking impacts negatively on the way your brain works, slowing it down 71 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,370 and making it less efficient. 72 00:04:47,610 --> 00:04:53,220 That means you need to eliminate unnecessary distractions that are causing your mental clutter and narrow 73 00:04:53,220 --> 00:04:55,530 down your focus to the task in hand. 74 00:04:55,740 --> 00:04:59,940 Make decisions and stick to them when you're able to make a decision and stick. 75 00:04:59,970 --> 00:05:05,430 To it, you can really weed out the indecisive clutter and chaos that fills your head when you haven't 76 00:05:05,430 --> 00:05:11,100 planned a specific course of action, while it may sound simple to make a decision, the reality isn't 77 00:05:11,100 --> 00:05:12,120 always that easy. 78 00:05:12,330 --> 00:05:17,700 Many of us waver between possibilities and struggle to come down on one side or the other when there 79 00:05:17,700 --> 00:05:19,020 are two different options. 80 00:05:19,290 --> 00:05:24,600 The key to effective and decisive decision making is to focus on what's really important and to bear 81 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,620 in mind that gratification will almost certainly not be immediate. 82 00:05:28,830 --> 00:05:34,440 You must be self-discipline once you've committed to a course of action and not be tempted to fall at 83 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:35,310 the first hurdle. 84 00:05:35,430 --> 00:05:40,080 If you don't stick with the decision you've made, you'll never be able to achieve a clear mind and 85 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:41,800 take back control of your life. 86 00:05:42,030 --> 00:05:43,560 Be kind to yourself. 87 00:05:43,740 --> 00:05:48,720 If you're to truly organize your mind and find inner peace, you need to learn to start being kind to 88 00:05:48,730 --> 00:05:49,340 yourself. 89 00:05:49,530 --> 00:05:54,930 While most of us agree that kindness brings better quality to your life, many of us still fail to show 90 00:05:54,930 --> 00:05:58,440 ourselves the self care that makes us happier and more positive. 91 00:05:58,530 --> 00:06:01,520 But what does being kind to yourself actually mean? 92 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,390 How does it look in practice? 93 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,330 Essentially, you'll have to learn how to nurture yourself. 94 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:12,090 After all, you can't rely on kindness being shown to you by strangers, but you can always show it 95 00:06:12,090 --> 00:06:12,930 to yourself. 96 00:06:13,170 --> 00:06:17,360 Being kind to yourself means looking after your own physical and mental wellbeing. 97 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,600 It means having discipline, health habits and living a balanced lifestyle. 98 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:27,210 This comes in the shape of getting enough quality sleep, taking exercise to strengthen your muscles, 99 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,530 keep your heart healthy, and help you stay flexible and drinking plenty of water. 100 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:37,170 It means going to the doctor if you experience a health problem and adopting healthy coping mechanisms 101 00:06:37,170 --> 00:06:40,520 to get you through the challenges and stresses of everyday life. 102 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,720 Remember, too, that being kind to yourself is an ongoing process. 103 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,030 It doesn't mean taking a couple of days to nurture yourself. 104 00:06:48,030 --> 00:06:53,760 If you're feeling especially low or distressed, it means taking regular time every day and week to 105 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:55,290 look after your well-being. 106 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,960 Don't wait until you're sick to care for yourself. 107 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,450 Don't wait until you're exhausted before you take a break. 108 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:07,500 Prevention is better than cure, so make sure you adopt a maintenance self care regime.