The simple trick for a clear mind that psychologists themselves use

Sometimes I have a day that slips through my fingers by half past eight in the morning. Then I run around a bit breathlessly all day trying to get it under control, but I actually know from the start that it's a lost cause. This usually has to do with the state of my mind. Chaos in the morning? Chaos all day. But there is a psychological trick to solve this that psychologists themselves also use. And if it works for a psychologist, then it should help me too. Right?

All you have to do is monitor yourself, and you do this by making a trigger list. By writing down a thought that distracts you from what you are supposed to do, you create space in your head to focus. I am quite a sucker for, nice notebooks, so I was already googling for a nice example to keep my trigger list in, but a note-taking app will suffice as well. You can literally write down anything, from the colored laundry you still want to do today (I really must not forget that) to your thoughts about a discussion you had and worries about that one friend. If it makes your head overcrowded, then it needs to come out.

When everything is black and white, it may provide some relief in the brain, but it doesn't mean that your thoughts around that subject disappear. Therefore, it is wise to write down an action for everything, so you can wrap it up in your head for now. This is how your brain actually works; when it knows you are going to take action, it gets reassured. It can apparently be that simple. making it easier to get rid of that stressed feeling.

Make a distinction between what you can do something about and what you cannot, and now give the actions a time slot to finish them. This way, you can determine whether something still fits on your to-do list or if you need to schedule it for later. And voilà, you have monitored yourself towards a calm mind.

If I had known it was that simple...

Source: Tijdwinst.com