GO Month: Mental Clutter - R
Let's celebrate Get Organized (GO) Month by ridding ourselves of mental clutter from A to Z!
To celebrate Get Organized (GO) Month I'm doing a series of posts on the mental clutter that can be just as pervasive as physical clutter. For each letter, I'll talk about a mental stumbling block that often impacts our well-being.
Let's focus on R ... Rigidity
Have you heard the expression perfection is the enemy of good? I often think of this saying when I'm dealing with someone (most often myself) who's a bit on the rigid side. When we think more rigidly we tend to have unrelentingly high standards and aren't able to bend and be flexible when life throws us curve balls.
People who are rigid see things as absolute. Rules, routines, and regulations are expected to be followed to the letter and any variations can be distressing. Often this thinking can get us stuck triggering stress and anxiety when things don't go as planned. This can make us vulnerable to high levels of stress - yikes!
Ways to reduce our rigid thinking can include:
Start to notice when you might be pushing yourself too hard by asking if you are more irritable or distracted than usual?
Notice if anyone might be telling you to slow down and lower your standards
Perfectionism is closely linked with negative emotion so do something to boost your mood
Create a mantra - I can only do my best; I can't control all possible outcomes or My own well-being is more important than my achievements
Try to think of 2 possible solutions to any problem you're facing as this helps in boosting more flexible thinking - start with easy problems and build up to more complex
When you do see yourself demonstrating more flexibility praise yourself
"Thus, flexibility, as displayed by water, is a sign of life.
Rigidity, its opposite, is an indicator of death."
Anthony Lawlor
Here's to freeing ourselves from the mental clutter of rigid thinking!
Please share with someone who needs a clearer mindset.
featured image by Free-Photos from Pixabay