From Overwhelmed to Organized: Managing Mental Clutter
Hi, I’m Rachel. I’m 36, a single mom of two energetic kids, and an HR manager for a mid-sized company. If my life were a movie, it would be titled Chaos: The Musical, complete with a soundtrack of my kids screaming, my boss asking for “just one more thing,” and the relentless buzz of my phone.
For years, I lived in a constant state of mental clutter. My brain was a crowded whiteboard, crammed with to-do lists, reminders, anxieties, and random thoughts like, Did I leave the oven on? What’s for dinner? Is that weird cough a sign of something serious?
One day, I realized I couldn’t keep living like this. I was constantly exhausted, snapping at my kids, and forgetting important things—like a client meeting I once missed because I was too busy untangling a phone cord my toddler wrapped around the cat.
I needed to get my mental clutter under control. Here’s how I did it—and how you can, too.
Step 1: Brain Dump Your Thoughts
The first thing I did was a “brain dump.” Sounds fancy, but it’s basically taking everything swirling in your head and dumping it onto paper. I set aside 15 minutes, grabbed a notebook, and wrote down everything:
Tasks I needed to do (buy milk, email my boss, pay the electric bill).
Worries that kept me up at night (Am I doing enough as a mom? Will my kids resent me working so much?).
Random things I didn’t want to forget (that one amazing lasagna recipe I saw on Instagram).
Seeing it all in black and white felt surprisingly freeing, like unloading a suitcase I didn’t know I was carrying.
Step 2: The Power of Prioritizing
After my brain dump, I realized my mental clutter wasn’t just about having too much to do—it was about not knowing where to start. Everything felt urgent, even when it wasn’t.
I created a simple system to sort my tasks into three categories:
Must Do Today: Non-negotiables like work deadlines or urgent errands.
Should Do Soon: Things that can wait a few days, like cleaning out the car or scheduling a dentist appointment.
Nice to Do If There’s Time: Aspirational tasks, like finally organizing my closet.
This system helped me focus on what mattered most without feeling overwhelmed by the less-urgent stuff.
Step 3: Creating Mental "White Space"
Mental clutter isn’t just about tasks—it’s also about emotional and sensory overload. My brain was constantly buzzing with notifications, background noise, and other distractions. To create some mental “white space,” I made a few changes:
Digital Detox: I turned off non-essential phone notifications. No more pings from group chats or social media while I was trying to focus.
Quiet Moments: I started waking up 10 minutes earlier to sit with my coffee in silence. Just 10 minutes of peace in the morning made the rest of the day feel less frantic.
Journaling: At night, I’d spend five minutes writing about my day. This helped me process my thoughts and clear my head before bed.
Step 4: The Magic of Micro-Steps
One of my biggest problems was procrastination. I’d look at a huge task, like reorganizing my kids’ toys, and feel so overwhelmed I’d avoid it altogether.
I learned to break big tasks into micro-steps. Instead of “reorganize the toys,” my list looked like this:
Sort stuffed animals into a bin.
Throw out broken toys.
Label bins.
Completing even one small step gave me a sense of accomplishment and momentum to keep going.
Step 5: Practicing Self-Compassion
Here’s the part I didn’t expect: a lot of my mental clutter came from beating myself up. I’d think things like, Why can’t you handle this? Other people don’t seem to struggle like you do.
When I caught myself spiraling, I started replacing that inner criticism with kindness. Instead of saying, You’re a mess, I’d tell myself, You’re doing your best, and that’s enough.
The Results
After a few months of these strategies, my mental clutter didn’t magically disappear, but it became manageable. I still have days where my brain feels like it’s on overload, but now I have tools to calm the chaos.
I’m more present with my kids because my brain isn’t stuck on an endless loop of to-dos.
I’m more productive at work because I know how to prioritize.
And I’m kinder to myself, which makes everything else feel just a little bit easier.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, know this: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to stay stuck. Start small. Do a brain dump. Turn off one notification. Break one big task into tiny steps.
Mental clutter isn’t something you fix overnight, but with patience and a few strategies, you can create the clarity and calm you deserve. And trust me—if a single mom juggling work, kids, and a mischievous cat can do it, so can you.
