Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Ways to Improve Clear Thinking

Sometimes we can find ourselves in a kind of brain fog. Often it seems like we have so many plates in the air that we feel muddled. This leads to a lot of time and mental energy spent, but not much progress being made. We feel in a rut. But there are a few things we can do to get out of the fog and on the way to achieving our goals.

Get away from multitasking. This is often considered an attribute, but it is really preventing productive work. Constantly switching tasks makes your concentration suffer. Reduce tasks to the top five and finish one before moving to the next. Turn off cell alerts to avoid the temptation to switch tasks.

Not everything is urgent. We must learn to distinguish between important and unimportant tasks. Many of these are distractions we allow to take us away from the job at hand. Often these distractions are welcome as the task you are on may be onerous. Keep on task!

Try to work in a clutter-free space. Crazy clutter has been found to cause low-level anxiety. Of course, your space was not cluttered in a day, so make a plan to declutter in short bursts daily. Make it a daily habit before getting down to work. 

Stop feeding your comfort zone. It does provide security, but in the long run, comfort is bad for the brain. Being active mentally increases the brain’s regenerating capabilities. Going beyond the familiar is essential. New experiences, skills, and ideas improve mental clarity. 

Be active. There is a direct correlation between physical well-being and mental health. Moving your body regularly will improve your cognitive skills. Go for regular walks to blow off that fog on your brain. Make it a habit.

Lastly, try and stay off media as much as you can. We’ve all been guilty of hopping on Facebook or Instagram, and before we know it, an hour has gone by. It is an easy wormhole to fall in. Try to create instead of consuming. Limit all the “noise” coming at you from all directions.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO