Taking time to clean your mind can help organize tasks, clarify values, improve sleep and create mental clarity.As seasons change, many people turn to cleaning to refresh their homes. The brain needs the same — mental decluttering can be just as beneficial as physical decluttering, says clinical psychologist Christina Pierpaoli Parker, Ph.D., at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
Deep cleaning through sleep
The first step to mental decluttering is getting adequate sleep. During sleep, the brain activates a cleaning system called the glymphatic system. It circulates cerebrospinal fluid through the brain to clear metabolic waste that builds up during wakefulness.
“Sleeping is the closest thing we get to directly scrubbing our brains,” Parker said. “It’s like a washing machine for your brain, and regularly forgoing this process is linked to the accumulation of plaque that signals Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.”
Parker recommends prioritizing better sleep to support this process.
- Go to bed when sleepy, not tired
- Keep a consistent wake-up time
- Reduce time awake in bed
- Reduce stimulants
- Exercise in natural light to build sleep pressure at night
Organizing the brain
When the brain has multiple tasks to focus on, it emphasizes the unfinished ones.
“The Zeigarnik effect describes the psychological tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones,” Parker said. “Unfinished tasks create cognitive tension, or open loops, keeping them active in memory.”
Parker says these strategies can help organize unfinished tasks:
- Close the loop: Write down a list of unfinished tasks that have been started but not completed. This helps the mind close the loops.
- The one-minute rule: If the task would take less than a minute, finish it now to shorten the list.
“Make the call, send the reply, and remember that progress, however small, creates relief,” Parker said.
Evaluating tasks and behaviors
People often absorb unnecessary tasks or struggle to outsource them. Parker recommends “donating” tasks that another person might enjoy or more effectively complete.
“When you feel overwhelmed, identifying and donating tasks creates more mental space,” Parker said. “When you try to do everything yourself, you deprive people of the opportunity to feel helpful and useful.”
Another way to declutter the brain is through a values audit. Listing personal values and rating their importance helps show how closely one’s actions align with what matters most.
“Use a 1 to 10 scale to rank how important your values are and how closely you follow them,” Parker said. “It’s best to do this privately and honestly, setting aside any ‘shoulds’ or ‘musts.’”
After identifying which values matter most, take time to reflect on them. Then, find small and practical ways to bring daily actions more in line with those values.
Reducing discrepancies in the brain helps create mental clarity for a longer period.
“When we do this, we have more psychological resources to focus on generative, creative and values-aligned actions that make us feel better,” Parker said. “Less discrepancy between what you claim to care about and what you do converts into a more energized, psychologically hygienic life.”