Can you close the mental tabs?

How many tabs do you have open in your browser right now? How many different windows are open on your phone / tablet / laptop / desktop?

Yep … I do it too. I open browser tabs when I have an idea that I want to research or to remind me of something I need to start or complete.

Is this how you manage your task list?

Do you feel like your to-do list is constantly hanging over you?

If you do, I have a simple time management tool for you.

I give myself up to an hour at the end of the day to action whatever those open tabs represent. No “to-do’s” hanging over my head. I know I will “deal” with everything later, and it feels so satisfying to close those tabs one by one.

But …

What do you do with the mental tabs that are open?

How do you deal with the ones you keep track of in your mind?

The ones that keep you company all day and wake you up at night?

Here are a couple of practices that will help you with closing those mental tabs:

Practice mindfulness and grounding

Mindfulness is the art of being fully present in the moment, and it's a powerful tool to counteract overthinking.

Engage your senses by focusing on your breath, the sensations in your body, or the sounds around you. When your mind starts to race with various thoughts, gently guide your attention back to the present.

Grounding techniques, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise can help anchor you in reality and break the cycle of overthinking. Here’s how it works:

Simply identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste (hey – it’s also a great time to drink a glass of water!)

Mind dump for clarity:

Overthinking often stems from a lack of clarity and an overflow of negative thoughts. Journaling can serve as a safe space for you to unload your mind's content. Set aside 30 minutes each day to write down your negative thoughts, worries, and “what if”-scenarios. As you put these thoughts on paper, you might find that some of them lose their power and significance.

When you’re done, make a conscious decision to throw these unhelpful ruminations out, cut that invisible rope that ties you to them, and throw them in the trash (or if you can do so safely: burn them!). Be done with them!

I look forward to hearing from you how that worked.

May you be well.