#77 Spring cleaning the mind

Hi friends,

In the past week, I’ve spent considerable time decluttering my house.

Even as a minimalist, the space now feels more airy and aesthetically pleasing. By adhering to a simple rule—if it hadn’t been worn or used in the past year, it was 'adios amigo'—I’ve created a more pleasant environment.

Interestingly, my mind also feels clearer in this environment.

The Physical environment

I looked at psychological and neuroscientific studies to understand the possible mechanisms. The following two are noteworthy:

1. Reduction of stress and anxiety:

• Cortisol: Clutter can increase cortisol levels, the stress hormone. It is a constant visual reminder of tasks that need to be completed, leading to feelings of unfinished business and stress.

2. Enhanced focus and mental clarity:

• Visual Distraction: Clutter competes for our attention, making it harder to focus on tasks. Too many visual stimuli lead to cognitive overload, where the brain’s capacity to process information is impaired as the visual cortex continuously works to filter out distractions.

The Digital environment

Decluttering my physical environment has been great, but decluttering my digital environment has proven even more beneficial, given our reliance on digital spaces. Here’s what I did:

• Unsubscribe: I unsubscribed from promotional emails and newsletters I don’t read.

• Disable Notifications: I turned off unnecessary email and text notifications.

• Batch Processing: I’ve committed to not opening non-urgent emails immediately, saving them for a designated time.

• Social Media: I unfollowed accounts I’m no longer interested in and deleted old groups and conversations.

• File Organisation: I organised desktop files into folders.

• Uninstall Apps: I uninstalled unused mobile apps and use desktop versions of certain apps for more intentional use (Far less likely to get lost scrolling through a feed when using a mouse sitting at the desk than one’s thumb whilst lying on the sofa)

• Selective Notifications: I enabled notifications only for a select group of important contacts.

The result is a phone that will make a sound when contacted by a very select group of people; that sound is the only reason it needs to be picked up.

The phone alerts me only when necessary, eliminating the need to constantly check incoming messages. The actions above reduce the need to filter information, allowing for better focus and fewer interruptions. There’s also no need to have periods in the day turning off devices to be able to focus or wind down.

Why the digital declutter?

My current focus is to live a more balanced, stress-free life while maintaining high performance. By minimising daily inputs, I aim to reduce:

1. Time Spent: Consuming unnecessary information.

2. Distractions: Time wasted by interruptions.

3. Refocusing Time: The time needed to regain focus after an interruption.

Here’s a trivial example: I’m working on a task on my laptop and glance at my phone at the subject of the daily update email from my concierge informing me that repainting of the car park signage is happening soon. I put my phone down but spend a couple of minutes looking out at the window, trying to remember whether the painted number on my car park spot has faded much, wondering how many litres of paint and hours it takes to repaint a car park. I then spend a few minutes getting my focus back on the task I was working on.

How many minutes do you estimate were wasted due to an email which I didn’t even open? How many similar examples from your own week can you think of? (The concierge also suffered the same fate as the junk mail..)

The impact of interruptions

Research indicates it can take 15-23 minutes to regain full focus after an interruption. This is due to cognitive switching, where the brain has to change contexts, which is mentally taxing. Even after an interruption, attention residue can linger, slowing our ability to fully concentrate on the new task.

Implementation idea

Consider decluttering your physical and digital space.

I’ve noticed significantly more headspace to focus on what truly matters.

Let me know how you get on.

Best, AJ.

PS: I don’t reference academic studies to be concise, but if you’re interested in the science behind any of my posts, reach out, and I’m happy to provide links.

On my bedside table:

• Podcast: On Purpose with Jay Shetty: Charles Leclerc - 6 ways to mentally reset after challenges in life & how to change your mindset on learning (link)

You can now listen to me narrate Plane Thoughts each week: link

Comments, questions, disagreements? Hit reply to reach out to me directly.

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