Mindful Or Mind Full? How Decluttering Your Mind Can Support Your Mental Health
It was a Wednesday morning, and I was sitting in my chair working on my new book, Sprouting Happiness. As I looked down at my smartwatch, I noticed my heart rate was climbing. I wasn’t moving, but my anxiety certainly was. Thoughts in my mind spun in every direction... What if the book fails? What if I can’t support my family? What if I’ve made the wrong decisions?
My mind wasn’t just full. It was cluttered and crowded with worries, fear, and all the imagined futures I couldn’t control. And in that moment, anxiety became the thief stealing the present from me.
I needed to do something to take control back. Thankfully, I live near the beach, a place that holds countless childhood memories and, more recently, has become my sanctuary. With a notepad in hand, I sat by the sea and just breathed. Five minutes passed. The waves, the salty air, the cries of gulls—all of it worked like a natural balm.
The clutter began to lift. And in that space, I began to write. On one page, I jotted down every negative thought. On the opposite page, I challenged them: Is this true? What evidence do I have?
The result? I couldn’t prove any of them.
An hour later, my heart rate was back to normal and my mind clearer.
That hour taught me something essential: decluttering the mind is a form of self-care. It’s an intentional act, one that requires self-awareness, a change in pace, and often a reconnection with nature or movement. In a world overflowing with information, opinions, and comparison, it’s no wonder our minds often feel full to the brim.
Someone who lives and breathes this work is Debbie Evans, an experienced holistic health and wellbeing coach. Her insights on mindfulness and mental clarity are both wise and refreshingly grounded.
Debbie Evans - Experienced holistic health and wellbeing coach
A Mindful Conversation with Debbie Evans
What is mindfulness?
“Mindfulness is simply the open acceptance of everything in the present moment,” Debbie explains. “You can’t turn off your brain from thinking, but you can eventually create space where you allow these thoughts to pass like clouds, witnessing but not reacting.”
How can we start decluttering the mind?
“It can feel like opening a box of frogs!” she laughs. “Everything pops up at once. But the first step is just to check in with how you’re feeling. Often, we treat our thoughts like facts, but they’re not. Observe them from a place of stillness and ask yourself, ‘Is this true? Or am I just feeling?”
She adds that anxiety is often about the future, while depression lingers in the past. “But we can’t live in either. All we truly have is the now, and this is where change begins.”
What can a decluttered mind show us?
“Clarity, truth, and sometimes the parts of us that need healing,” says Debbie. “Self-awareness and self-acceptance are tools that allow us to unlearn old stories. The guilt we feel might be a call for self-forgiveness. The anxiety might be a message asking us to look more closely at what we need.”
Can our minds play tricks on us?
“Absolutely. Our brains are wired with a negativity bias designed to keep us safe. But it doesn’t always help. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between a stressful commute and being chased by a dinosaur. When you understand that your thoughts aren’t always true, you can change them.”
Instead of spiralling into “I’m not good enough,” Debbie suggests we pause and say “I understand I’m feeling this way. Let me explore why.”
This opens up space for truth, peace, and intention.
What practices can support a clear mind?
“Get out of your head and into your body.” That’s Debbie’s mantra. “Yoga, breathwork, and even simple mindful walking can bring us back to ourselves.”, “We process emotions when we move. When we’re overwhelmed, we disconnect from our bodies. Movement brings us back. It clears emotional pathways and allows us to return to a state of calm and equilibrium, mentally and physically.”
Key Takeaways
When it comes to mental health, our mind becomes the centre of attention, and whether it is a help, or a hindrance will depend on what is consuming it at the time. So, what can we take away from my story and conversation with Debbie?
1. A cluttered mind distorts reality.
When anxiety takes over, our thoughts often spiral into worst-case scenarios. Taking time to pause, reflect, and challenging those thoughts helps us see things as they are, not as our fear paints them.
2. Changing your environment can shift your mindset.
Stepping away from your immediate space and into nature, like the beach, can help reset your nervous system and create space for clarity and calm.
3. Mindfulness is not about silencing thoughts but observing them.
As guest expert Debbie Evans shares, mindfulness gives us the ability to witness our thoughts without judgment, helping us declutter the noise and reconnect with what really matters.
We all have our minds in common, and taking time each day to care for them can make a powerful and positive difference to our mental health.
Reflection Question:
What thoughts are taking up space in your mind right now? Which of them truly deserve to stay?
Read more here…
Check out my bestselling book, Sprouting Happiness - The 5 Branches to a Happy and Balanced Life, and its supporting journal, to learn more about this story and how you can proactively focus on your long-lasting happiness to make a positive impact and help you GROW.
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