How to Clear Your Mind

Author Info

Updated: March 29, 2019

Explore this Article Finding Clarity Finding Clarity in Meditation Finding Productive Ways to Distract Yourself Article Summary Questions & Answers Related Articles References

Sometimes, questions, ideas, and plans can come into our thoughts without much order or purpose. The thoughts can be good and productive, but they might also be distracting or worrisome if you’re trying to focus. Knowing how to clear your mind can help with anxiety, depression, and even sleep difficulties.

Finding Clarity

  1. 1
    Express your thoughts in writing. If your mind is a tangled mess of thoughts, it can help to write them down. Start off writing in free-form: record how you're feeling, why you're feeling, and what you want to do about it. After recording this information, you'll have something concrete to reflect upon; this will help you feel a sense of accomplishment, even if you haven't "done" anything.
    • This really interesting trick will help you literally throw away your thoughts. Write all your troubles down on a piece of paper, discussing why they're bothering you. Then crumble it up and throw it away. Yes, throw it away! Researchers found that people who threw away their written concerns were less likely to be worried by them. [1]
  2. 2
    Express your thoughts in drawing. So you may not be a Van Gogh, but you don't have to be to create art. All you need is a medium and a piece of paper. Have fun decorating with rainbow crayons; experiment with oil painting; get just the right shading with charcoal. Releasing your anxieties and clearing your mind through drawing can be an incredibly powerful force.
  3. 3
    Have a discussion with another person.[2] Maybe you're the kind of person who keeps their thoughts and emotions bubbled up inside. That's not a bad a thing, necessarily, but it means that small concerns can quickly snowball into seemingly big ones overnight. In order to free your mind of worries you may be having — worries about love, stress about health, doubts about your job — learn to talk to someone.
    • Reach out to friends and family first. Your friends and family love you and understand you. They don't need rationalizations, and they won't sugarcoat advice. Tell them about what you're going through and listen for advice.
    • If your friends and family aren't the kind to lean a helping hand, consider talking to a therapist. A therapist is trained to listen to your particular concerns and find solutions based on calculated research and troves of experience. Don't feel like you're inferior for seeking the advice of a therapist.
    • Have a deep conversation with someone. Easier said than done — but totally worthwhile. Researchers have found that having deep conversations, in which you go beyond the superficial and share something thought-provoking or intimate, actually makes people happier.[3][4]
  4. 4
    Hang out with a pet. While there is no scientific evidence that owning a pet can directly help clear your mind, there is a host of evidence that is worth looking at. Owning a pet lowers your risk of depression; lowers blood pressure; elevates serotonin and dopamine; and lowers your risk of visiting the doctor if you're older than 65. [5] If you're happier and healthier, wouldn't it also be easier to let go of things that are bothering you and embrace what you do have in your life?
  5. 5
    Remind yourself of the truly important things in life. Sometimes, our minds become flooded with thoughts that, in retrospects, aren't very important. Perhaps you lost your job, or maybe your girlfriend just broke up with you. While definitely important, these things are by no means the end of the world. Remind your brain of all the truly important things that it has going for it:
    • Friends and family
    • Health and safety
    • Food and shelter
    • Opportunity and freedom
0 / 0

Method 1 Quiz

How can throwing away your writing help to clear your mind?

Not quite! If you're concerned about someone reading your writing, it's a wise idea to keep it hidden or perhaps transcribe it on your phone. Still, there can be great benefit to talking about your concerns or worries with family or friends and writing might be the easiest way to do that. Consider throwing your writing away for other reasons. There’s a better option out there!

Correct! Researchers have shown that people who write down their worries or concerns and then throw them away are less bothered by them. The metaphorical throwing away of your fears can have some very real life benefits! Read on for another quiz question.

Try again! Memory or correlation can be tricky. Even if you throw the pages away, there's a chance that you'll think of those things every time you look at your notebook or the spot in your room where you wrote the entry. Instead, it's important to find a way to cope with your fears and concerns! Click on another answer to find the right one...

Finding Clarity in Meditation

  1. 1
    Try walking meditation. Walking meditation is exactly what it sounds: Using the openness and beauty of nature to inspire calm, positive thoughts in the brain. Be like Henry David Thoreau, walking through the wilderness and planning the site of your cabin-to-be. Or imagine you're Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish scientist, who classified many plants and animals. Being outside on a warm sunny day can do wonders for your disposition.
  2. 2
    Still your eyes. This is a meditation technique that helps you clear your mind by obliterating your sense of time. Here's how to do it:
    • Focus your eyes on one point in the distance. Any stationary object about 10 feet (3.0 m) away works best; objects that are too far away are harder to focus on for longer periods of time. The object could be a wall, a vase, a speck of dirt — as long as it's not moving.
    • Dim your conscious mind and continue to focus on the object. Your brainpower is all being channeled toward one task. Continue focusing on the object, even if your eyes begin to stray or your mind begins to wander.
    • After a certain point, time will begin to slow. You'll be in the zone. Your concentration will not waver. You won't begin to worry about what was once worrying you because your concentration is 100% devoted to maintaining its gaze on the object. When you're ready, relax your concentration. Your mind should feel a little worn out, like it's just gone through mental calisthenics. You should feel better.
  3. 3
    Try breathing exercises. Breathing is an essential part of meditation, which can be an essential part of clearing your mind. Mastering several different breathing techniques can help you achieve the open-minded clarity that comes with transcendence. Master this quick breathing technique — the complete breath[6] — in order to better master meditation:
    • Standing up straight, exhale completely.
    • Relax your belly muscles as you begin to inhale. Concentrate on filling your belly with air.
    • Once your belly is completely filled with air, keep on breathing, expanding your chest and rib cage.
    • Momentarily hold your breath, fighting the instinct to exhale.
    • Exhale slowly — as slowly as possible. Feel the air moving out of your lips.
    • Relax your chest and rib cage, pulling in your belly in order to force out any remaining air.
    • Close your eyes, concentrate on your normal breathing, and clear your mind.
    • Repeat process for 5 to 30 minutes.
  4. 4
    Try different forms of meditation. There are many ways to skin a cat, and not all of them involve a knife. Learn the different forms of meditation, everything from mantra meditation to zen meditation.
  5. 5
    Once you've begun meditating, learn to deepen your meditation skills.[7] Once you've gotten a hang of the basics of meditation, learn how to enhance the effects of your efforts. There are several ways to do this:
    • Relax the body completely. Make sure your body isn't unconsciously tensing up while you descend into mindlessness. Try tensing your body purposely, and then releasing the tension. Repeat this exercise until you know that your body is completely relaxed.
    • Try staying completely still while you meditate. It's hard achieving a state of enlightened mindlessness when your body is moving, sending sensation and demanding response from your brain. Make an effort to stay completely still.
    • Let your breathing flow naturally. After some initial breathing exercises, let go of the conscious exertion of your breath. Let it do what it wants. Focus your awareness out into the farther points of your body, and by doing so, eliminate that awareness.
0 / 0

Method 2 Quiz

How can concentrating your gaze on a single object actually help you to relax?

Not necessarily. Stilling your eyes and meditation are both great tools for calming a worried mind. Still, you'll find different benefits from them, and focusing your concentration won't necessarily make you better at meditating. Guess again!

Try again! Your breathing might slow as a side effect of the concentration you are achieving and that's great! Breathing exercises are an effective way to calm a harried mind. Still, focusing and stilling your gaze actually has an even bigger benefit. Pick another answer!

Correct! Focusing all your attention and concentration a single point before you is one great way to clear your mind and ease some of the worries and concerns that are on your mind! Read on for another quiz question.

Not quite! Of course, you may find that focusing your gaze on a single object can be mentally and emotionally tiring, and it may help you to fall asleep. That's a great side effect! Still, there are other ways this technique can help you calm your mind. Pick another answer!

Finding Productive Ways to Distract Yourself

  1. 1
    Play sports or make a game out of something. Sometimes, clearing your mind is about distracting yourself from negative thoughts that creep into your consciousness. Nothing is more distracting than playing an absorbing game or making a game out of ordinary routine.
    • Getting physical exercise by playing sports is a great way to feel better and take your mind off whatever is bothering you. On top of that, physical activity is a great way to cure physiological ailments and soothe psychological disorders.[8]
    • Make a game out of whatever ordinary activity you are performing at the time. Have to organize your room? Make a game out of it by shooting dirty laundry into your hamper. Have to run errands? Challenge yourself to be frugal and spend half of what you normally spend.
  2. 2
    Challenge yourself to an open-ended task. They say that idle hands are the devil's workshop, so the best thing that you can do to keep your mind clear is keep your hands occupied. Your metaphorical hands. And challenging yourself to an open-ended task is a great way to do that. Here are some ideas that you can try out to stay busy:
    • Take a picture of yourself every day for a year. You're probably seen the montage videos by now — the succession of pictures accompanied by music, chronicling the life of a human being in pictures. It's a great idea, and anyone can try it. But you need patience and persistence to do it every day for a year.
    • Do something you're afraid of — every day. This was Eleanor Roosevelt's famous advice, and one that strikes a chord with many people. Maybe you're afraid of interacting with other people. (Many people share this fear.) Go out and stop a stranger for directions, and then strike up a conversation. You'll slowly begin to conquer your fear, helping your mind realize that it can let go of other troubles, as well.
0 / 0

Method 3 Quiz

How can putting yourself in a new or uncomfortable position actually help you clear your mind?

Try again! Distraction is a great way to beat back your fears or worries. Still, putting yourself in a situation where you feel uncomfortable or out of your element might end up making you focus on them more instead. There are certainly reasons to step out of your comfort zone, however! Click on another answer to find the right one...

Not necessarily! Of course, if you have a passion for helping and want to find a new activity, helping someone out is great! Still, you can achieve a lot by stepping out of your comfort zone every day, regardless of whether or not it's to help other people. There’s a better option out there!

Not exactly! If the goal for you is to move past your fears, or find a way to work around them, testing your limits might actually add to the list of things you're concerned about or believe you're not capable of achieving. There is a benefit to be found in stepping outside your comfort zone, however. Try again...

Correct! If you challenge yourself to accomplish something that scares you every day then your mind will begin to realize that if you can conquer these fears, you can conquer others fears -- like those that are keeping you from a clear mind -- as well! Read on for another quiz question.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I get rid of some stupid feelings or thoughts without writing it out or drawing it?
    Community Answer
    Speak to your pillow. I know it sounds stupid, but at least you can really vent without having to feel embarrassed!
  • Question
    How can I better focus on my work?
    Community Answer
    Turn off unnecessary distractions like your phone. Listening to music at a low volume can help to focus, too. Treat yourself to a reward such as a light snack at the end of your task. Lastly, ask your co-workers, roommate, parents, friends, etc. to keep the noise level down, and only seek your attention if it's something important.
  • Question
    How do I clear my mind when full of fear?
    Community Answer
    Stop, relax, and realize that everything is fine at the moment, and that you're capable of handling any problems that arise, just as you've done all your life prior.
  • Question
    How can I get over past experiences?
    Community Answer
    It will take time, but whenever you feel that your past experience is still bothering you, talk to someone or write down your feelings in a notebook. Don't let your past experiences keep you from enjoying the present.
  • Question
    How do I study peacefully?
    Community Answer
    Find a quiet place to study (your room, the library, whatever works). Let others know you're studying and would like not to be bothered, if necessary. Turn off or silence your phone. Get out all the materials you need and have some water on your desk. And just study.
  • Question
    How can I clear my mind when I feel upset and don't know what to do?
    Community Answer
    Go somewhere quiet, where you feel safe. Sit by yourself. Relax your body and let yourself feel whatever it is you are feeling, and don't be afraid of what feelings might come up. Allow yourself to feel whatever it is that is coming up, and just let it out. If you need to cry, then cry. If you want to scream, scream. If you want to laugh, then laugh. Release it all, and let it out of your body. Then when you are done, take deep breaths and know that you are safe. Feel the lightness in your body after the release, and notice how easy you are breathing. Then see if you can figure out the cause of your emotions and if there's something productive you can do about them.
  • Question
    How do I think positive?
    Community Answer
    Push out all feelings that aren't positive. Use words that evoke strength and success. Believe you will succeed. Analyze what went wrong.
  • Question
    What if my mind is full of things?
    Community Answer
    Try to focus on only ONE thing until your mind gets bored and releases the thought. Then move on to the next thing.
  • Question
    If problems trigger, how can I clear my mind?
    Community Answer
    Take a notepad and write your problems down in detail. Then, think up some answers to these problems. Another technique is to think in answers, not in problems.
  • Question
    What do I do if I did something I didn't mean to do and I feel terrible?
    Snow Leopard Queen
    Community Answer
    Try to get this out of your mind. If you hurt someone's feelings, go up to them and apologize. Tell them you didn't mean to hurt them and you feel terrible. You'll probably feel better after you talk about it.
Show more answers
Unanswered Questions
Ask a Question
200 characters left


    • Relaxing the muscles/body can enhance the clearing of the mind and help promote sleep!
    • Over thinking can cause migraines. It's like a light bulb hooked up to a nuclear power plant. Clear your mind.
    • Don't worry about the time it takes to clear your mind. Being too conscious of time can undermine the process.
    • Have an intention. Use that to focus the mind.
    • Go for a run. Running will relax your body and mind. Listen to music while running.
    • Try to forgive and love yourself as well as everybody around you.

    Article SummaryX

    To clear your mind, start by closing your eyes or focusing intensely on an object in the distance. Then, try some deep breathing exercises by taking a deep breath, holding it for a few moments, and slowly exhaling. If you have trouble sitting still, try walking meditation, or a form of yoga to help clear your mind. Additionally, some people find that playing a sport or making a game out of an activity, like cleaning your room, can help to ease anxiety. For tips on finding clarity through personal exploration, read on!

    Did this summary help you?

    Article Info

    wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 45 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Together, they cited 8 references. This article has also been viewed 621,561 times.

    Categories: Mindfulness

    In other languages:

    Español: despejar tu mente, Português: Limpar Sua Mente, Italiano: Liberare la Mente, Français: se libérer l'esprit, Deutsch: Den Geist befreien, 中文: 理清头绪, Русский: прояснить свой разум, Bahasa Indonesia: Menjernihkan Pikiran Anda, Nederlands: Je hoofd leegmaken, Čeština: Jak si pročistit mysl, العربية: تصفية ذهنك, हिन्दी: अपने मन को साफ करें

    Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 621,561 times.
    Did this article help you?