When your mind drifts, where does it go? Do your thoughts fill you with love or do they fill you with fear? Do they uplift and support you or do they doubt and weigh you down?

It’s important to acknowledge this because what we think, we become. Our thoughts manifest what is around us and our thoughts often control how we feel.

We take the time to organize our space but what about organizing our thoughts? We have years of thoughts that no longer serve us, that are holding us back and it’s important to release them and be in a clear mindset.

When we are overwhelmed with our thoughts, we become frustrated and it can be a challenge to get out of the clutter and chaos. When we are mindfully organized, we feel a sense of calmness and our day will flow much smoother.

Thankfully, we have the power to change negative thought patterns.

I do my best to live in an environment that is organized. Everything has a home and my space gives me a sense of ease. Here’s the problem: my thoughts were not organized but rather cluttered with the past, sprinkled with doubt and after loss, there was darkness. Thoughts would play over and over again and I would catch myself living in fear.

Clearing out the Clutter in Our Minds

Last year, I decided it was time to face this—to acknowledge my thoughts and release them. As I set out on a journey to clear my mind clutter, I really started to tune in to where my mind would drift and what thoughts consumed me.

By acknowledging these thoughts, I was able to see them and sort through them. I faced them rather than turning my back and allowing them to linger. Through this journey, I felt and saw firsthand the difference this made.

It was amazing how clearing the clutter opened my mind to see the beauty that was within and around me. Through daily practices and effort, this has been a life changing experience. I chose to trust in myself instead of my ego being in charge. It was then that fear gracefully changed to love.

Here are some tools that can be used to clear your mind clutter:

1. Make time to see what’s around you.

Take the time to see the beauty that is around you. If you find yourself in your head and not paying attention to where you are, look around and find love in something. It could be in the sky, the way the clouds move or a reflection in a window and say—I see love in the blue sky.

By acknowledging this beauty through eyes of love, you are able to see where you are and be there. It helps stop the mind chatter and brings you to the present moment.

2. Keep a personal journal.

Writing your thoughts down is a great way to express and release them. If we don’t let our thoughts out, we then bottle them up. If we keep them inside, our ego can take ahold on these thoughts and twist them in ways they shouldn’t be.

Let your thoughts and feelings out. Journaling brings clarity to your thoughts and feelings, helps you understand yourself better, reduces stress, allows you to self-reflect, and helps with healing. Let the pen move and see what surfaces.

3. Have fun throughout the day.

Yoga and being outside in the fresh air are environments that make me feel happy. This is a place to focus on me and remove myself from the hustle. It is a place to relax my mind and be fully present in where I am and what I am doing.

When you are in the moment and having fun, mind chatter will drift. There isn’t time to dwell on the shoulda, woulda, coulda because you are in a space of enjoyment and fulfillment. It is important to do things that you love and enjoy.

Find what brings you joy and make time for it. Fun is essential.

4. Love what you do—because why not?

You decide how you are going to go through each day, the line of work you are going to be in, and the people you will surround yourselves with.

Choose wisely. Choose with love. Do what makes you happy, motivated and inspired. There is always an opportunity to do this and to change where you currently are in life. Live each day with passion.

5. Slow down and seize the moment.

Our days can be busy, fast paced, and filled with noise. We try to keep up with all that is going on around us and our minds race as we move through the day. Make an effort to slow down and breathe. Our breath is the one thing that will always keep us in the present moment. Breathe in and out, and slow down.

As you rise in the morning, it is important to move through the day with thoughts that encourage you. It is important to be grateful for where you are and what you have. Take the steps to step out of your head and into the moment. Have control over your thoughts, don’t let them control you.

You are here to be happy. Let go of what does not serve you and practice living a mindfully organized life.