What matters to you the most in your life? Is it family, Health, or wealth? Maybe it’s what others think, your Bucket list, or Completing daily Tasks? Moving up the corporate ladder is another possibility.
Ideally, as Christians or Believers, it should be learning more about Jesus through prayer and the Bible. Knowing more urges us to serve Him more by helping the poor, serving in the church, witnessing for Him, mentoring and teaching others.
Whatever matters to you the most, is your life reflecting that?
Unwanted Thoughts
In this world we live in, we get overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions, distractions, interruptions, and tasks – unwanted thoughts.
These unwanted thoughts prevent us from making space for what matters. In order to rid ourselves of them, we focus on what does matter.
As a person who lived with a deteriorating eye disease, I learned the importance and power of focus.
Initially, I had tunnel vision. It automatically blocked out what would be distractions since they weren’t in my field of vision. Viewing the right thing improved my concentration, making It imperative I focused on what was important.
What you’re focusing on, will either overwhelm you more, or it will empower you. You choose.
Of course, sight isn’t the only focus factor. Sounds are equally distracting. Our children are growing up with sensory overload caused by bells and whistles, chimes, and beeps heard everywhere. It is hard to find quiet places.
The more responsibilities you have, the more you move, and the more experiences stored in your memory, the more space that has been taken.
Bingo! I’ve suffered from it all.
Then, I discovered, the more my sight dissipated, the more sounds and smells I stored in my memory to help me navigate my environment. You’d be surprised at how many sounds motors can make and how it tells me where to walk.
In public, feeling spaces, observing commonalities in bathrooms, and noting smells to recognize what room or department you’re in is mandatory brain space for my brain.
In addition, my blindness has me memorizing extra information the sighted world has at its fingertips – phone numbers, events, prayer lists, and more. This automatically steals much of my available space.
Your issues are a bit different than mine, but all of us have a growing number of responsibilities and concerns weighing on our minds. This increases the odds of distractions.
We must be intentional about making space for what matters. To be intentional requires focus.
Once we know what matters, we can’t get there until we make space for it. We do this by Focusing on the necessary steps that will declutter our mind.
Steps to Declutter Your Mind
These steps are designed for coping with destructive and emotional thoughts.
Acknowledge
Like those in recovery, we must first recognize, acknowledge, or admit, our minds are cluttered, and need emptying. They are full of unnecessary and harmful thoughts:
- Grudges and unforgiveness
- False beliefs of unworthiness, insecurities, and from wrong teachings
- incompetencies
Ask
Ask God to reveal the hidden hurts, fears, and false beliefs we might have as we examine ourselves. Ask for His peace in the process.
Allow
We’ve admitted we need help and even asked for it, but once God has revealed it, we must choose to allow the help. He doesn’t force us to act on it but will if we surrender it.
Attentive
Pay attention. Be mindful of our thoughts continuously. God might be revealing what He wants us to surrender outside of prayer time. Are your thoughts for you or against you? Do they move you toward Christ, or away? Now you know what to surrender.
Align
When our thoughts aren’t for us or don’t move us closer to Christ, immediately align them with His truth. Seek Him first through prayer and the studying of His Word, the Bible or a trustworthy friend.
Accept
Aligning your thoughts to Biblical truths sounds like the end, but without accepting them as truth, it’s not. The devil will bring up old thoughts you threw away, add other lies, and try to distract you before you can accept it as truth. Then, hide these truths in your heart.
Once you’ve acknowledged you need to declutter your thoughts, the remaining five steps are repeatable. It becomes part of what we do all the time like cleaning house. Even cleaning though needs spring cleaning also.
When you spring clean, you start with the easiest and work into the more time-consuming and hard tasks. It’s no different decluttering your mind. Begin with the present and move backwards at a rate you can tolerate.
Ridding some thoughts will be as fast as emptying the trash while others will equal decluttering and reorganizing a closet or pantry.
Deep Cleaning Questions
As you move to unpleasant thoughts that are harder to surrender, some may try to stay hidden. Here are some questions to help you discover them at times you are able to ponder and process them.
Is there something you know is hindering your relationship with Jesus Christ? If so, guilt is a big space taker.
Hint – This is something you probably already feel convicted about gossip
- lying
- not trusting God enough
- greed
- quitting when things get hard
- rudeness
- pride
- selfishness
- not attending church over ballgames
- not volunteering when called to
- not growing spiritually from not reading the Bible or praying enough
What actions do you exhibit that keep others from seeing Christ? Could it be a temper or bad language, cutting in line, or Yelling at a spouse or children in public?
What do you give to God? Time, talents, finances, use of our homes, or bigger decisions? Unfortunately, these are often done for attention or recognition to impress someone important, instead of responding to God’s urging.
How much of your past are you holding on to?
- Lies
- Blame or injustice
- Religion over a relationship with Jesus
- Family more than God
- hurts and unforgiveness
- money or jobs
- guilt or shame
How thankful are you? Are you thankful for . . .
- that new job
- finding the love of your life
- God’s provisions
- His creation
- His protective power
What do you need set free from?
- Disobedience
- Self-centeredness
- Not trusting God often enough
- Addictions to drugs, pornography, sports, gambling
- Comforts or material possessions
Have you thought about what the root of your problems could be? Anger, depression, and stress come from guilt and shame or fear.
Minimize, Maintain, and Manage Unwanted Thoughts
- Pray
- Make Lists
- Praise
- Journal
- Set boundaries
Ask God…
- for His wisdom and direction daily
- to help you cast your cares as soon as they enter your mind
- for His peace
- to teach you how to be thankful
- to give you rest in Him so you may think clearly
Make lists:
- to do
- priorities
- shopping
- grocery
- appointments
- long-term projects
- wish lists
Feel free to rename and / or choose additional categories. Keep lists in an easily accessible place to reference, mark off, and add to while brushing your teeth – just making sure you are awake and paying attention.
Being able to jot down bottled-up thoughts quickly is a tremendous help. Lists may be used to create a schedule or put on a calendar, judge the importance of content over time, or when to delegate some of the tasks.
Praise
The moment you detect the feeling of becoming overwhelmed approaching, calm yourself by singing praises to the Lord, or listen to relaxing music. It’s a distraction, plus.
Journal
Journals assist in replacing negative thoughts with good ones. They also aid in observing triggers or reinforcers, to our behavior. They are great ways to focus on what is good and right, decreasing stress as a result.
Keep journals on:
- favorite verses
- Biblical highlights and insights
- feelings
- what you are thankful for – your blessings
- answered prayers
Set Boundaries
Prevent distractions, protect your much-needed rest, and take control of your thoughts by setting boundaries. You need to protect yourself! No one else will!
- say “no” when time is short
- avoid negative people, news, or
- Don’t say “yes” out of guilt
- Just because you can doesn’t mean you have to say “yes” – make sure it is what God laid on your heart
- Attend places of obligation only when stressed or overwhelmed
- give yourself a time-out when overloaded for minutes or hours
Today is the first day you can start ridding your mental space by implementing these steps and practical tips.
Focus on what you need to know and soon you will be living with what matters the most to you.
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© 2025 – 2026, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.
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