“My brain is fried!”

“I can’t get my thoughts together.”

“Wait…what was I supposed to be doing?” *while landing on the bottom stair and wondering why you came down in the first place

“I’m mentally exhausted.”

If you’ve been saying things like this more often, you may need to free up some mental space.

Below are some ways I pause to free up my own mental space; try at least one of them this week and take note of how it made you feel.

1. Make a list of decisions you need to make and then make the decisions. Do a written brain dump of every decision you still need to make and, one by one, start making the decisions.

Do you need to narrow down that list of plumbers to fix the upstairs toilet, pick a new cellphone carrier, finalize the vacation resort location, decide what’s for dinner, raise your prices, schedule a parent-teacher conference, find a therapist, etc. etc. etc.?

All of these decisions are swirling in your head and it’s time to get them out on paper.

The thing that often holds us back from making decisions is fear of making the wrong one…but making a decision is not about making the right one, it’s simply about trusting yourself and knowing that even if it’s not the right choice, you can navigate the outcome.

I love this quote by Therapist, Tory Eletto, “I frequently say, “I trust myself” in moments I’m not sure I’ll make the right choice. Because my goal isn’t to make perfect choices, it’s to make my own choices. It’s trusting my intuition, my path, and living my values. It’s knowing I’ll take care of myself regardless of the outcome.”

There may be a few things on the list that you’re not ready to decide; for those items, write a note of when you plan to revisit each one. Write something like, “I will check back on this in June, but I am freeing my brain of this decision right now.” that’s progress – deciding not to decide is also a decision.

2. Turn your phone on Do Not Disturb. My phone lives on DND 95% of the day and only certain people can break the filter to break my focus. It’s my saving grace when I need focused work time but don’t want to go through the trouble of fussing with notification settings for each app.

DND is your digital bestie to keep you from reaching for your phone all day.

While your phone is on DND, set it aside out of view to prevent technoference: everyday interruptions in interpersonal interactions or time spent together that occur due to digital and mobile technology devices. Research has shown that even knowing your phone is within arm’s reach can cause interruptions in your mental state.

• Charge your phone outside your bedroom at night
• Keep your phone in the backseat when you drive
• Move your phone off your desk while you work
• Place your phone in the other room during family time

3. Move your body. Stand, stretch, shake, bounce, anything to get your body moving to release stuck energy.

That decision you need to make or those creative streams that have run dry are on the other side of a little movement.

My best ideas come during the middle of a yoga class or on a walk with my dog, not when I’m sitting in front of a screen willing my brain to produce. If your mind is cluttered, move your body and allow things to come to you naturally. Movement becomes your go-to: Can’t make a decision? Stretch. Feeling forgetful? Walk.

4. Forgive yourself, send apologies, let it go. “Do the best you can until you know better and then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

Did you hurt someone unintentionally by your actions or your words? Did you offer unsolicited advice (again) when a loved one only needed a listening ear? Did you make a decision that set you back from your goals? It’s time to release whatever is weighing you down, to make amends, to apologize.

Acknowledging what is taking up mental space is the first step to releasing the grip it has on you.

5. Do a social media detox. Pick a platform and take a break from it for 24 hours.

Get laser focused on your own life for at least 24 hours. I recommend taking this detox “cold turkey,” and without making a big announcement about your departure from any platform. I once took a 4-month break from Instagram and not only did life move on beautifully, but I connected with friends IRL and over text more than I did when our interactions were confined to bite sized chunks of perfectly curated content.

Give your brain a mental break to take in the sights and sounds of your own life – imagine waking up, going about your day with a delicious breakfast that you don’t photograph and a beautiful sky that you notice because you looked up.

During your break, enjoy stretching, power naps, reading…anything but scrolling, liking and posting. You never know! You might decide to ditch a platform altogether when you notice how much more mental space you have but if not, I guarantee that a detox will help you reexamine the ways you use each platform moving forward.

What could you do if your mind felt calm, your body felt lighter, and your energy levels were boosted by trying any of the strategies above to help free up mental space?