No sane person has ever claimed they had a mind that was too clear and peaceful. We’d all like to feel less cluttered and more peaceful and relaxed.

Decluttering your mind is largely the result of decluttering all aspects of your life.

We tend to put too many burdens on our minds, but there’s a more effective way to live. With a few simple hacks, you can reduce the load on your mind and give it the peace it craves.

Add serenity to your life with these techniques:

1. Remove the challenging people from your life. There are people that take up a lot of space in your brain. Some of those people are optional in your life, and you might not even like them! Why are you keeping them around?

– Be willing to let go of the people that take more time and effort than they’re worth to you.

2. Remove unnecessary activities from your life. This could be committees you serve on, sports teams you play on, or going out on Thursday nights. Maybe you’re taking accordion lessons but realize that you’re not enjoying it that much. Cut these activities out of your life and gain the gift of time.

3. Declutter your environment. Your mind and inner peace are affected by your environment. This includes your home, workspace, and anywhere else you spend a significant amount of time. Have you ever noticed how nice it feels when your home is clean? You can feel that way all of the time.

4. Meditate. Meditation might be the ultimate way to declutter your mind and enjoy inner peace. Meditation is very simple but challenging to do well. However, it’s possible to receive many benefits from meditation even if you’re a beginner.

– There are many resources online that can teach you the basics of meditation.

– Twenty minutes of meditation each day can change your life and bring inner peace.

5. Write things down. Trying to remember things puts a huge load on your mind. You can never truly relax when you have to remember to do something. Write things down and use alarms. Knowing that something else will keep track of your obligations for you will allow your mind to relax.

6. Mono-task. Forget about multitasking. It’s ineffective and creates stress. Limit yourself to one task at a time. You’ll feel better and get much more accomplished.

– Try it for a day. Do one task at a time and focus all of your attention on that task. Notice how much better you feel while working and at the end of the day.

7. Make fewer decisions. The fewer decisions you have to make each day, the more inner peace you’ll feel.

– For example, limiting your wardrobe makes it easier to figure out what to wear each day. Even better, pick out your outfit for the following day before you go to bed.

– You can eat the same healthy breakfast each morning.

– Look for ways to minimize the number of decisions you have to make.

8. Get enough sleep. Notice how cluttered your mind feels after a poor night of sleep. Experiment to determine the proper amount of sleep your mind and body need each night.

9. Limit your exposure to the news and social media. The news and social media will drive you crazy if you spend too much time consuming them. It’s important to stay aware of what’s happening in the world, but you don’t have to bombard yourself with negative information day and night.

Treat your mind like you would an injured body part. You would reduce the amount of work it has to do and treat it gently. Most of us ask our minds to do more than it was designed to do. Give your mind a break and gain the peace you crave!

There are three general places we’re likely to feel unappreciated: work, home, and within a relationship. If you’re feeling unappreciated, there’s a good chance it’s within one of these three areas of your life.

Children are notoriously unappreciative. Spouses and bosses are often blind to the contributions we make. Even friends and coworkers can fail to show the appreciation we believe we deserve.

Everyone suffers from feeling unappreciated at times. Consider these ideas if you’re struggling to pinpoint your emotion.

Signs that you’re feeling unappreciated:

1. You feel resentment towards someone in your life. If you’re feeling resentful toward someone, you might be feeling unappreciated. This is especially true if they haven’t recently done anything obvious to upset you.

– If you’ve been feeling resentful lately, ask yourself why.

2. You feel like you’re doing all the work to maintain a relationship. Sometimes it feels like you’re doing all the work in a relationship, and the other person isn’t putting in nearly as much effort. This is a common reason for feeling unappreciated.

– Relationships are never exactly equal, but the inequality should shift back and forth. Healthy relationships are equal over time, but not all the time.

3. You’re not being thanked for your efforts or contribution. We don’t have to receive a medal for every little thing we do, but it’s nice to be recognized for our efforts. This can happen at work or at home.

4. You aren’t asked for your opinion. When we aren’t asked for our opinion, we don’t feel valued. When others respect your opinion, they respect you.

5. The other person isn’t making time for you. If someone never seems to have time for you, you’re likely to feel unappreciated. This is especially true if they seem to be able to make time for other people and activities.

Does the list above resonate with you? If you’ve identified yourself as feeling unappreciated, it’s time to do something about it.

Follow these strategies and get the appreciation you deserve:

1. Determine what is happening that makes you feel unappreciated. Pin down the times you feel unappreciated. What exactly is happening? Who is involved? What is being said or not being said?

2. Determine what would have to happen for you to feel appreciated. What needs to change? What has to be done or said for you to feel better?

3. Try being more appreciative. This might sound odd, but a good strategy for receiving more appreciation is to give more appreciation. This can be hard to do when you feel that you’re not already receiving the appreciation you deserve. Try it and see if this strategy works for you.

4. Be open about your needs. It’s always better to communicate your needs than to just remain upset. Tell the other person how you’re feeling and why. Be sure to offer a solution and be willing to listen to the response.

5. Consider changing your behavior. If your actions aren’t appreciated, perhaps what you’re doing doesn’t matter to the other person. Your time might be better spent in other ways. There’s always the possibility that you could consider rearranging your life so you can feel more appreciated.

In some situations, you’re just going to have to accept that you’re not going to receive the appreciation you deserve. This often occurs in work situations. Focus on feeling proud of your contributions and be thankful for your paycheck!

However, you can often receive the appreciation you desire if you speak up for yourself. Most people are kind and will correct their behavior once they’re made aware. Avoid suffering in silence and get the appreciation you deserve!

Productivity is important because it relates to income and time. The more productive you are, the more money you can earn in many situations. You can also save time. That time can be spent on anything you like, including making more money.

There are many obstacles to productivity, such as a lack of focus, a lack of intention, a lack of stamina, and too many distractions, to name a few.

Hack your brain and increase your productivity with these strategies:

1. Set an intention. Most people can’t focus because they’re not truly clear on what they want to focus on or for how long. Give yourself a fighting chance by choosing a specific task for a specific amount of time.

– For example, you might decide you’re going to work on your tax return for 30 minutes. Set a timer and do your best for those 30 minutes.

– Your brain will do its best to give you what you want if you give it clear instructions.

2. Meditate. Meditation helps to build focus and calm your mind. Meditation is incredibly popular right now, so there is plenty of free information on how to meditate effectively. Educate yourself and get started. It’s simple and effective.

3. Take regular breaks. Experiment with break frequency and duration. The best option for most people is either 25 minutes of work and a five-minute break, or 50 minutes of work and a 10-minute break. Discover what works best for you and then stick with it. Timers can be powerful tools.

4. Avoid giving in to temptation. Most of us give in to the temptation of distraction far too easily. It’s a very difficult habit to break. We quickly go from feeling bored or stressed to amused. It feels good to check email or read a text.

– The most productive people are able to overcome the urge to break their attention from their work task.

– It’s important to avoid these distractions during your breaks, too. It’s too hard to get back on task, and your breaktime magically extends from five minutes to 25. Learn how to say “no” to your urges.

5. Alternate high and low-focus tasks. Many people report greater productivity when they alternate between cognitively intense activities and those that require less intellectual effort. It’s similar to interval training in the gym.

– Lower-level activities might include returning calls and emails, or other routine work. The lower-level activities give your brain a rest and the chance to recover. Soon, it’s ready for another round of more intense activity.

6. Drink plenty of water. Most people are partially dehydrated. The solution is to drink plenty of water. That doesn’t mean you have to be chugging 20 ounces of water every hour. But, a 20-ounce bottle of water every few hours would be beneficial to most.

– So many metabolic processes require water that you’re not at your best if you’re dehydrated.

7. Develop a positive mindset. A positive outlook on life makes you more productive. Studies show that mindset affects productivity. Work on having a positive outlook and you’ll accomplish more each day. You’ll also be a lot happier.

Productivity should be important to everyone. Time is your most valuable asset, so do what you can to maximize it. We can all be more productive, but it doesn’t happen by magic. It must be a priority if you want to see real results. Dedicate yourself to maximizing your productivity.

Give your brain every chance to be your ally on this important journey.

There are plenty of beliefs you hold that you allow to influence your life. You haven’t even given many of these beliefs a lot of thought.

For example, you probably have similar religious beliefs as your parents. Did you ever sit down and think about which religion best suits you? Or did you just continue with what you were exposed to as a child?

You don’t have to be a slave to your old beliefs!

Try these techniques to maintain only beliefs that support you:

1. Your previous beliefs and knowledge can prevent you from gaining new knowledge. If you think you know something already, you won’t be open to new views. Knowledge is great, but when it gets in the way of learning something new, it’s poison.

2. Ask more questions. Be curious. Avoid believing that you already know the answer because of your previous experience. You can learn while you listen. You can’t learn while you’re speaking. Ask questions and then be quiet and listen to the answer.

3. Pretend that you’re a beginner. For example, imagine that you make a living as a real estate investor. When a novice investor starts telling you about his latest deal, you probably don’t believe there’s anything you can learn from him.

– Pretend that you know absolutely nothing about a topic. Be open to everything you hear. Even if you’re a leading authority on something, there are still things you don’t know. If you pretend that you’re a mere novice, you’ll have a better chance of gaining that knowledge that eludes you.

4. Determine if your beliefs are truths, or merely just beliefs. Beliefs are personal, often unprovable, and often no more correct than another belief.

– Truths don’t require constant validation. For example, gravity is a truth.

5. Where did your belief come from? If you believe that women are better than men, how did you decide that? Or, if you believe that you’re not capable of managing money, where did this belief come from? What is the source of your belief?

– Many of our beliefs come from our parents. Most of us didn’t have parents that were Rhodes Scholars.

– Question the origin of your beliefs and determine if that idea is worth a second look.

6. Let go of your identity. Our identities are largely built around our beliefs. We might believe:

– “I’m an overweight person.”
– “I’m not intelligent.”
– “I’m the most intelligent person I know.”
– “I’m liberal.”
– “I’m someone that can’t learn math.”
– “I’m lazy.”
– “I’m a school teacher. That’s what I am.”
– We take our beliefs, good or bad, and associate with them. If you believe that you’re naturally overweight, it makes it challenging to lose weight. If you associate with being bad at math, you make it harder to learn math. It’s hard to achieve or believe something outside of your identity.

7. What is the cost of your beliefs? Some beliefs come with a heavy price. Look at your beliefs and consider the impact they are having on you.

Since beliefs are personal and alterable, think about which of your beliefs are making your life more challenging. When a belief doesn’t serve you, you’ll be more interested in letting go of it.

We’re all slaves to our beliefs. Unfortunately, many of our beliefs are unhealthy and unhelpful. Beliefs can be very limiting. Face the world with an open mind, and you’ll have an easier time of finding your truth.

Avoid allowing your old beliefs to control you. Be the master of your life, not a slave to your beliefs.

Gratitude isn’t a common habit, but without gratitude, life is more challenging than it needs to be. Feeling grateful resets your perspective, and this is a gift you can give yourself each day. If you find yourself feeling pessimistic or overwhelmed, a little gratitude can get your attitude back on the right track.

Gratitude is free, enjoyable, and effective.

Practice gratitude each day with these actions:

1. Write it down. Make a daily habit of writing down a few things that you can be grateful about. Ideally, you’ll do this early and late in the day. It gets your day off on the right foot and sets you up for a good night of sleep.

2. Be grateful for the little things. There are plenty of small things you can be grateful for each day. A great cup of coffee, the sound of birds in the morning, or the fact that you have a new set of tires on your car can all uplift your mood.

3. Go for a gratitude walk. This is a great way to get out of your head. Go for a walk and look for things that you can be grateful for. A beautiful tree, a child playing in her yard, a friendly dog, or a nice, cool breeze are all things you could choose to feel gratitude about.

4. Avoid making comparisons. When you compare one thing to another, you demean it. Be grateful for something exactly as it is. This applies to people and things.

5. Tell people you’re thankful. Show people that you’re grateful for thanking them. Whether it’s your neighbor for keeping his yard so nice or the cashier at the store. Be thankful and let them know about it.

6. Enjoy your pet. Pets give us plenty of reasons to feel gratitude. Give your pet some extra attention. You’ll both feel great.

7. Donate your time or money. Give your resources to something that you think is valuable to the world. It could be a charity or other organization. Time and money can have a great impact.

8. Make a list of things that impress you about yourself. Have a little gratitude for yourself, too. What are you impressed by when you take a long, hard look at yourself? You’ll not only be expressing gratitude, but you’ll also be doing wonders for your self-esteem.

9. Write a positive review for a business you appreciate. Business owners love positive reviews. It makes them feel good and can boost their business. Be supportive and express your gratitude.

10. Meditate on the things that you’re grateful for. Put your focus and attention on those things you’re most grateful for. You might develop an even greater appreciation for them.

11. Minimize judging and complaining. Judging and complaining are the opposite of gratitude. People that do this aren’t enjoyable to be around, either. Keep your negative thoughts and opinions to yourself. Avoid judging others and you’ll find that you’re happier and less stressed.

12. Be thankful at meal times. Since you eat at least one meal each day, this a great way to develop a habit of expressing gratitude. Be grateful for your food and the people sharing it with you.

Be grateful for everything you have. Even if you’re struggling to survive below the poverty level, you’re still living better than the vast majority of the world’s population. That doesn’t mean you have to be satisfied with your current situation, but you can still be grateful for what you do have.

Practice gratitude. Your mood and perspective will be lifted. Your opportunities for success will increase. And you’ll receive even more good things to be grateful for!

Life comes with challenges. How you handle challenges says a lot about your life. Big challenges can be especially intimidating.

Many people feel overwhelmed when faced with adversity, but this is unnecessary. All challenges, both big and small, can be handled with the same basic strategy.

When you feel confident that you can handle any challenge, you have more opportunities available to you.

Use this process to deal with the challenges in your life proactively:

1. Set a goal. Goals are helpful in many situations, including overcoming a big challenge. If you want to be successful, set a goal. Setting a goal accomplishes several things:

– It focuses your time and attention on a solution, rather than putting your attention on the problem.

– It makes it clearer how you should be spending you time.

– It gives you the best chance to overcome your big challenge.

– It makes you feel like you have some control over your life.

– If there’s nothing you can do about the challenge you’re facing, avoid spending any time or energy on it. Work on something else instead.

2. Avoid wasting time. If you have a big challenge in your life, you can’t afford to waste your time on silly things. Identify you biggest time-wasters and commit to spending that time on your solution instead. You might find that overcoming your challenge wasn’t as difficult as you thought it would be.

3. Create a plan. You have a goal, and you’re not going to waste time. So, now you need a plan that will help you accomplish your solution.

– What has to happen immediately before you accomplish your goal? Keep working back until you reach an action you can take today. Now, all you have to do is perform that action. What could be simpler?

– Just keep going like this, step by step, to make a successful plan.

4. Get help. The more resources you can utilize to make your solution a reality, the better the odds of success. It will also speed up the process greatly. Get whatever help you can. Now isn’t the time to be bashful. You can always repay the favor at a later date.

5. Visualize success. Visualization makes your objective clear. It also gives you a boost of confidence and keeps you focused. See yourself successfully overcoming this challenge. Visualize a few times each day.

6. Persevere. If you have a plan, you’re working your plan, and you’re not wasting time, the only thing left to do is hang in there. There’s not much you can’t accomplish if don’t give up. Keep working your plan and persevere!

7. Determine how to avoid a similar situation. If the treads came off your tires, now you know to replace your tires sooner. If your ex-boyfriend stole all of your money, you know that you need to protect your finances better.

– Consider how this challenge came to be, and how you can prevent it from happening again. It would be a shame to go through all of this grief and not learn from it. Use your challenges to ultimately become more capable.

– Just be sure to solve your challenge before taking this last step. Focus on your solution first. Worry about prevention later.

The bigger your goals and aspirations, the bigger the challenges you’ll face. It’s important to have a strategy for dealing with challenges when they arise.

The worst thing you can do is nothing. If there’s a solution, it’s important to actively pursue it rather than sitting around worrying. Your success is largely determined by your ability to overcome challenges.

If you’re facing a big challenge, do what you can to find a solution. Avoid the tendency to sit around and worry about the situation. Be solution-focused!