Mindfulness practices have been around for a long time, primarily in Eastern cultures, where religious beliefs often integrate meditation—a formal version of mindfulness. However, mindfulness doesn’t have to resemble meditation. At its core, mindfulness is:
Attention: Focusing awareness on what is happening in the present moment.
Intention: Being purposeful about where your attention goes.
Non-judgment: Observing thoughts and sensations without labeling them as good or bad.
It can be as simple as thinking about your breathing, which is something I’m familiar with as an endurance runner! However, as a mental exercise, I find that mindfulness helps me “clean out” the clutter in my head. It frees up room to focus and appreciate important things.
Just as people struggle to live in a hoarded home, we struggle to function with an overloaded, overfilled brain. Cutting through the noise—both external and internal—is essential for improved mental health, clearer thinking, and enhanced productivity. Here’s a streamlined approach to help you do that effectively:
6 Proven Ways to Cut Through Mental Noise
#1 – Reduce Information Overload
Constant inputs (social media, news, emails) fragment attention and heighten stress. It’s like having bees in your brain, a constant buzz of noise and distraction from the things that matter.
How-To
Digital Minimalism: Unfollow, unsubscribe, and delete apps that don’t serve your goals. Ask yourself what these things are adding to your life and whether they’re truly beneficial.
Information Diet: Consume intentionally. Ask: “Do I need to know this right now?” We can only focus on so much. I’m not suggesting we fall into an “ignorance is bliss” mindset but rather be intentional about the information we consume. If you can’t immediately do anything about it, does it need to live rent-free in your head?
Time-Boxing Media: Allocate a set amount of time daily for news or social media scrolling, such as 15 minutes during your lunch break. You want to avoid the endless, hours-long scrolls.
#2 – Control Your Environment
Your surroundings shape your focus and mood. A cluttered or dirty environment impacts your ability to focus. It can even make her more stressed or volatile!
How-To
Declutter: Tidy your physical and digital space—less visual noise means less mental load. Keep your desk clear (or at least organized), clean, and comfortable. On your computer, periodically clean out or organize digital files. Off-load necessary but currently unnecessary files onto an external drive.
Create Zones: Separate spaces for work, rest, and play. If that’s not possible, change lighting or posture to signal mental context shifts. For example, don’t spend your work-from-home days on the recliner!
#3 – Master Your Attention
What you attend becomes your experience. Do you dwell on the negative? Overwhelm yourself with a million tasks? Lose your nose to the grindstone? Allocating your time and attention wisely makes all the difference in the world.
How-To
Practice Single-Tasking: Work on one thing at a time. Multitasking destroys cognitive efficiency. It’s a myth!
Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of focus followed by a 5-minute break creates sustainable momentum. We lose effectiveness without periodic brain breaks.
Mindfulness Practice: Practicing daily 5–10 minutes of breathwork (such as box breathing) or meditation enhances attention control and reduces stress.
#4 – Establish Mental Hygiene
Your brain needs maintenance, just like your body. It requires time to rest and repair itself.
How-To
Morning Brain Dump: Journal to offload worries, ideas, and to-dos. If you find yourself wide awake with too much on your mind, you may want to journal before bed, too!
Evening Wind-Down Ritual: Turn off screens an hour before bed. Stretch, read, or reflect in the quiet, without noise or distractions.
Sleep Non-Negotiable: 7–9 hours. Sleep is the unsung hero of your health. This, among other things, is when your brain undergoes true regeneration.
#5 – Clarify Your Priorities
Clarity eliminates 90% of distractions because you stop being pulled in so many directions at once.
How-To
Daily Top 3: Start each day by identifying your three most important tasks.
Weekly Review: Reflect, reset, and recalibrate at the end of your week. Ask: “What moved the needle?”
Say No Often: Boundaries protect your bandwidth. If it’s not a clear yes, say no.
#6 – Cultivate Mental Stillness
Constant noise erodes intuition, creativity, and peace. It can make us overstimulated and overburdened with the noise and scattered thoughts.
How-To
Nature Walks: Runs help me do this—to access deeper thinking and get more in tune with my body and surroundings. But a simple walk in the park can do the trick, too!
Sabbath Time: Set aside one half or full day each week to disconnect and recharge. Rest matters.
Boredom Breaks: Let your mind wander—this is where ideas bloom. There’s a reason “shower thoughts” can be so important! Allow yourself to be bored.
Over the years, I’ve learned the value of guarding my peace. I can’t be effective, not in my work, not in leadership, if my mind isn’t sharp.
What helps you gain clarity and focus? Share your mindfulness strategies in the comments.