5 Easy Ways to Simplify Your Thoughts

The concept of simplicity is not limited to rearranging your garage or cleaning out your closets only. Though I love clean, well-arranged closets and plenty of free space in my garage, there are more meanings to simplicity in life than what the eye sees, and simplicity can be much deeper than what is open to the world.

Note: This article is by Angel Chernoff, who talks about her experience with simplifying ideas and gives us 5 ways to do so.

There is that other side of simplicity, it is the side that reveals the needless psychological chaos and the “worn out junk” that you carry inside you always with you, and it is this kind of simplicity that reveals the self-destructiveness you have allowed to take over your mind.

When we feel overwhelmed or distracted in so many aspects of life, the situation may seem out of our control, but what if we believed for a moment that we could completely shift to an attitude of peace and strength?

The cause of the problem lies within us. It is part of our human nature, which is what hinders the path to simplicity, as our tendency to complicate everything is to blame.

Most of us are good at complicating the simple; the cause of anxiety and stress in our lives is the addition of unnecessary stress and our exaggeration in simplifying concepts. We write longer emails, we text messages or comments on social media too often to explain simple points, we escalate arguments with loved ones over trivial topics, and the list goes on.

If you do any of these things, you suffer from the constant form of psychological clutter that takes up unnecessary space in your mind. But you are not alone in this struggle, and you are not alone in your desire to complicate the least simple things in their life.

5 Easy Ways to Simplify Your Thoughts

let's find out together how you can do that. Here are five ways to overcome your psychological chaos with the power of simplicity, and the more you apply these strategies, the faster your thoughts will be simplified, and your life will become closer to the essence of simplicity:

1. Question the stories we hear

You know what they say, don't believe everything you hear or read, don't believe the rumours published in magazines, the dark predictions made by your co-workers, or the "shocking news" you hear on TV until you are sure of it. Well, this same concept applies to your inner world and your thoughts.

We all have stories to tell about us, even if we don't count them as stories. For example, you often pause to reflect on your relationships, habits, or challenges. On the other hand, how often do you spontaneously utter any fleeting feelings that first come to mind - like a story that has been on your mind for a while - without even thinking?

Stories can be short, like “I'm not a good writer,” “I'm not good at yoga,” or “I have a deep procrastination problem.” We'll go deeper into that in this article, and you'll be glad you finally know why this is happening.

The solution here is to question your story, for example, to take the writer's example, and ask yourself: Why do I think I'm not a good writer? What do I have to look like to be a good writer? Can I characterise my current writing in a way that serves me better?

You'd be surprised how often the process of asking questions can help you come up with a much better and more accurate version of your story; just give it a try.

2. Use positive words of encouragement

You may have heard positive words of encouragement; they are positive statements that indicate that something is really positive, such as:

• I'm a good writer.
• I am a talented person.
• I am a caring and friendly person.

Now let's be honest. When you're feeling down or upset, do you really feel like saying positive words of encouragement? And the most important, do you believe them? Most likely not, so how do we overcome our downside? It is by stripping away what we call "spontaneous lapses", which are the horrible, corrupt things that emanate from your subconscious mind at every opportunity. The idea is to take advantage of the presence of these conflicting thoughts within you and reconcile them in a way that helps you overcome your mental chaos and negativity.

Here's a fun way to think about it. Remember a little bit of the old cartoon. There was a character had a demon on one shoulder and an angel on the other. Well, your spontaneous lapses are the devil and positive compliments are the angel, now just play your part.

Let's start with a spontaneous thought: "I'm going to be alone forever." Counter this thought with a positive compliment: "Actually, I'm going to find the right person to share my life with."

Now, you might spontaneously think, "Oh yeah, and when will that happen, 50 years from now?" "I'm not sure, but I feel confident the right person will find me," you reply.

"Well, what makes you so confident?" comes to your mind again, and you respond with a positive compliment, "Because I'm such a wonderful, loving person and I have so much to offer."

"Oh really? Well, why didn't that already happen if you're so awesome?" You spontaneously say, "Well, everything in life comes at its right time."

Perhaps, this will make you laugh, but I promise you that if you just commit to doing this (and here it may be helpful to write down your thoughts), you will treat your inner thoughts as if you were cleaning a house, and you will understand yourself and the roots of your negativity more deeply.

This is achieved when you begin to prioritise peace over the chaos that resides in your mind, and this is the beginning of inner simplicity.

3. Pass thoughts through three main sorting stages

Sometimes, you're in a hurry, and your day may not get off to a great start. On days like these, there's an exercise in decluttering your mind that can be done quickly and keeps things under control.

I've had arguments with my husband in the past and one of the things I regret is that I didn't pick my words before saying them. At that time, I didn't have the right tools, except for "Be kind", which is useless if you feel everything but kind. After a few years ago, I got to know this simple trick, and it helped me change my behaviour. Here's how it works:

Before you say anything, run your thoughts through three major screening stages and don't speak unless you get three outright yes answers:

• Is my thought correct?
• Is my thought kind?
• Is my thought useful?

For example, suppose you have a thought that your partner doesn't care about you, and you're about to say it because he didn't perform the last task I asked him to do. First check this thought: Is it true that my partner doesn't care about me? Is it kind for me to say this or think about it? Is it useful for me to say this or think about it?

Remember that you cannot go back on your words, and besides, you will never regret acting in an honest, kind, and helpful way in the future. So, get used to applying this method.

4. Treat yourself the way you treat your best friend

We all know the phrase "treat others as you would treat yourself," but do you notice an irony in that? As I have matured and become more aware of my thoughts and stories in life, I have come to realise that I rarely treat others as I treat myself. In fact, I am kinder, friendlier, and much better all around, yet I treat myself with much anger, cruelty, and impatience, and I know that I am I'm not alone in this behaviour.

When was the last time you spoke lovingly to yourself? When was the last time you tried to empathise with yourself?

Bad self-handling has spread like wildfire. It is often mistaken for self-control and a desire to succeed, and it hurts us far more than it helps.

Here's the truth: You can be passionate and kind, self-disciplined and kind, successful and happy.

The trick to organising the mind here is to turn the idea around: Treat yourself the way you would treat someone you love, choose a loved one or a close friend; How would you treat them? Are you kind, considerate, generous, forgiving, empathetic? Now, do the same with yourself, and in the end, don't you deserve the same if not better treatment? Of course, you deserve it.

5. Keep things simple

The easiest, but also the hardest way to de-clutter is to look at things from a small angle. When you have no idea how to deal with mental clutter, annoying thoughts, or just a general feeling of overwhelm, take a step back and ask a question:

• How can I simplify this situation?
• What can I give up without losing anything?

Come up with at least one creative way to simplify, decomplicate, and ease your situation. Perhaps, you take a five-minute break and come back to the problem. Perhaps, you release an unnecessary commitment. Perhaps, you eliminate distractions for a certain period of time, or perhaps you simply decide for now you will accept it as it is and not worry about it.

Just remember that these two questions apply to all situations and give you freedom and allow you to take a step back and plan your next action.

In conclusion

Trust yourself in this process of simplification, as you are not built for complexity and fatigue, and your negative thoughts are not true, but they are real in your mind and disproving them helps you overcome those destructive beliefs that reside deep in your mind.

You will find your essence on this journey. Your instinct is peace, simplicity and love. You may be far from this state for the time being, but you go back to where you really belong. So, keep asking the right questions, and the right answers will gradually emerge. It's all about simplifying your life starting from thoughts, one after another.

Now it is your turn:

Which of the "simplicity strategies" discussed above appealed to you the most? What else helps you simplify your thoughts and find peace of mind in stressful times?