Detox Your Mind: 7 Ways to Declutter Your Mental Space for the New Year

Many people use the New Year to detox their bodies by avoiding alcohol, eating a nutrient-rich diet, or committing to a new exercise routine. In addition to these healthy changes, it’s the perfect time to focus on detoxing your mind. By quieting the noise, getting clear on your intentions and priorities, and resetting your focus, you can improve your concentration, stress, and mental health. Here are the best ways to clean up your cognition and declutter your mind in the new year.

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1. Set and Prioritize Your Goals

With our ever-growing to-do lists and increasingly busy schedules, it’s easy to get distracted. It’s common to feel like you’re being pulled in multiple directions, like there is never enough time, or you’re always a step behind. Our brains become overloaded with all the tasks we need to do and all the details we need to remember. If you don’t intentionally prioritize your attention, it may start to feel like you’re just spinning your wheels.

By clarifying what you want to accomplish, mapping out how you will get there, and determining which goals are most important, you give your brain a clear directive on where it needs to focus and what it can let fall by the wayside. Take some time to think about the year ahead and set quarterly goals for yourself. Instead of one large goal like “run a half-marathon before the end of the year,” break this up into four smaller goals that can be accomplished quarterly. This will help you think through the small steps you need to take to be successful and prevent the larger goal from feeling too overwhelming. 

Once you’ve listed your goals and broken them down into smaller goals by quarter, consider which is most important to you and rank them. A clear order will help you decide what to focus on when you’re short on time. 

2. Avoid Early Morning Input

For most of us, the first thing we do when we wake up is check our phones. We look at our texts, emails, and social media accounts and check the news. What you take in when you first open your eyes sets the tone for the day. If you got a discouraging email from a coworker or an annoying text from your aunt, you’re bound to feel grumpy. You may feel disheartened if you see a new post from your friend who is taking a dreamy vacation in Italy. If you read local or world news and learn about injustices and crimes, you’ll likely start the day feeling agitated. 

Instead of reaching for your phone first thing, keep it on “do not disturb” for at least 30 minutes after you wake up. Avoid checking news or social media apps. Start your day phone-free, and prevent these external stimuli from determining your mood and distracting you. By keeping your mind clear, you can set intentions for the day and start your morning with a calm, focused mind.

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=how-to-manage-stress>How to Manage Stress and Cortisol Levels</a></a>.</div>

3. Limit Social Media

Everyone has fallen victim to mindless scrolling. Social media apps were designed to keep you on their platforms as often and as long as possible. While cute animal videos and funny memes can make you smile, It’s easy to get lost in the picture-perfect world of people you may not even know and spend your valuable time swiping through videos and pictures that make you feel like you’re not pretty enough, talented enough, successful enough, or loved enough. Don’t fall prey to this trap.

Give yourself a social media time limit that you adhere to each day. Set the alarm for 5 minutes before opening the app so you don’t get lost in the doom scroll and come out feeling bad about yourself and having wasted time. 

4. Meditate Daily

Meditation is hands down the best thing you can do to clear your mind and refocus. Meditation has been shown to improve memory and attention, increase your self-compassion, and lower your stress levels.¹

While we can’t erase stressors from our lives, we can change how we react to them. Meditation can influence your psychological reaction to stress, allowing you to stay cool and calm under pressure. On a physical level, it has also been shown to decrease blood pressure and heart rate and even reduce inflammation.¹

The good news is that you don’t need to be a Buddhist monk to reap the benefits. Start small with 5 to 10 minutes each morning, and try using a meditation app to guide you. 

5. Try Meditative Movement

If sitting still for even five minutes sounds unsettling, there are other ways to clear your mind. Many people find that gentle exercise, such as walking, doing yoga, or practicing tai chi, helps them eliminate excess energy while clearing their minds. Get creative and find a practice that works best for you. 

6. Exercise Regularly

The physical benefits of exercise are widely known, but what about the cognitive benefits? Regular physical activity has been shown to support brain health by improving learning, memory, and focus. Additionally, exercise has been associated with significantly lower rates of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, exercise has been found to protect against the negative effects of stress, making people more emotionally resilient.²

7. Practice Gratitude

If you only institute one new habit this year, make it the habit of practicing gratitude. Focusing on everything you’re grateful for can reduce stress, improve sleep, strengthen your immune system, and even support optimal digestion. You can do this by writing them down in a journal each morning, capturing them in the notes section of your phone, or even just saying them aloud to yourself in the mirror. Gratitude is the practice that keeps on giving back.³ 

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn More: </strong><a href=can-stress-make-you-sick>How Can Stress Make You Sick? Body and Mind-Related Effects</a>.</div>