Declutter Your Mind: Twelve Secret Steps to Clear Mental Clutter for A Lifetime of Peace and Bliss by Michelle Evans
Authors: Michelle Evans
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Secret #1: Be smart
Be a
smarter shopper at shopping malls. Buy less.
The reason
behind this is simple. Every problem you have with clutter is not based in the
things you have, but in the thinking and energy consumed behind the things you
have.
Let me
illustrate. Imagine walking into your house and catching a glimpse of
everything inside. In seconds, you will be thinking:
The new
refrigerator needs to be repaired.
There is a
blouse that needs to be washed and mended
The
children’s toys need to be rearranged.
And the
list goes on.
The more
physical items you have, the more work and attention is diverted, as each item silently
drains your energy. You form a relationship like this with so many objects that
you cannot create an empty space for clear thinking. Your mind becomes jammed
with thoughts associated with every item.
Life
experiences are what you should be filling your head with. Not the emotions
conjured up from owning and worrying about so many items. So, to counter the
clutter of physical items, we need to address the root cause—our shopping habits!
Consumers are spoiled for choices these
days, and advertisers use all kinds of gimmicks to encourage shopping sprees. If
the stores don’t get you with Black Friday, opportunity knocks on Cyber Monday.
You can’t wage an effective fight with the economy while you’re battling with yourself.
Smarten up to the mind-hacks that retailers are using to their advantage and
stop caving in to temptation.
4 Steps
for Smarter Shopping
Step One:
Color awareness
Walk into any shopping mall and chances
are you will notice that many of the signage is in red. Red is the color of
choice because it triggers action. It makes you alert. You see a sale sign in
red and your brain tells you to take action, to buy. You have to grab it before
the price goes back up.
So, be conscious of colors when shopping.
Question yourself on whether you are being influenced by the color before
purchasing any items. Buying on impulse will frequently result in buyer’s
remorse.
Step Two:
Be specific with your list
It is now
common knowledge for smart shoppers that you should make a list before you go
shopping. What is not common knowledge is how specific that list needs to be in
order to be most effective.
If you go to
the store even for milk, you are bombarded with options. Some vary in fat
percentages, are fat free, fortified with vitamins, contain no lactose, or are
completely different like rice milk.
Get specific
with your lists so you don’t have to make decisions on the spot at the store.
Then, with your detailed list, go into the store and go straight to the listed
items while you imagine they are the only items in the store. Ignore the rest
and avoid the temptation to browse.
Step Three:
Look—don’t touch
The instant
something catches your eye, resist the urge to pick it up. When you do, your
mind takes ownership of it. Guess what happens at that stage? Impulse buy!
Retailers go
to great lengths to get a product into your hands because it hacks your mind to
want it even more. Apple stores understands the effect of touch on your
psychology and has cleverly designed their store to allow customers to touch as
many products and to tempt customers to purchase them. Zappos uses this
technique with their easy returns policy because they know the importance of product
in hand . Warby Parker uses the same technique with their Try On program for
spectacles. Five days, five pairs of glasses, free trial. They know when you
feel them in your hands and see their glasses on your face, you’re going to
keep at least one pair.
No touching
– no commitment!
Step Four:
Plug your earphones in
The music
played in stores is always calm and soothing, and during the festive season, they
play the classics, because that is the music that recalls old memories. These
are triggers that instantly make you feel more
Be a
smarter shopper at shopping malls. Buy less.
The reason
behind this is simple. Every problem you have with clutter is not based in the
things you have, but in the thinking and energy consumed behind the things you
have.
Let me
illustrate. Imagine walking into your house and catching a glimpse of
everything inside. In seconds, you will be thinking:
The new
refrigerator needs to be repaired.
There is a
blouse that needs to be washed and mended
The
children’s toys need to be rearranged.
And the
list goes on.
The more
physical items you have, the more work and attention is diverted, as each item silently
drains your energy. You form a relationship like this with so many objects that
you cannot create an empty space for clear thinking. Your mind becomes jammed
with thoughts associated with every item.
Life
experiences are what you should be filling your head with. Not the emotions
conjured up from owning and worrying about so many items. So, to counter the
clutter of physical items, we need to address the root cause—our shopping habits!
Consumers are spoiled for choices these
days, and advertisers use all kinds of gimmicks to encourage shopping sprees. If
the stores don’t get you with Black Friday, opportunity knocks on Cyber Monday.
You can’t wage an effective fight with the economy while you’re battling with yourself.
Smarten up to the mind-hacks that retailers are using to their advantage and
stop caving in to temptation.
4 Steps
for Smarter Shopping
Step One:
Color awareness
Walk into any shopping mall and chances
are you will notice that many of the signage is in red. Red is the color of
choice because it triggers action. It makes you alert. You see a sale sign in
red and your brain tells you to take action, to buy. You have to grab it before
the price goes back up.
So, be conscious of colors when shopping.
Question yourself on whether you are being influenced by the color before
purchasing any items. Buying on impulse will frequently result in buyer’s
remorse.
Step Two:
Be specific with your list
It is now
common knowledge for smart shoppers that you should make a list before you go
shopping. What is not common knowledge is how specific that list needs to be in
order to be most effective.
If you go to
the store even for milk, you are bombarded with options. Some vary in fat
percentages, are fat free, fortified with vitamins, contain no lactose, or are
completely different like rice milk.
Get specific
with your lists so you don’t have to make decisions on the spot at the store.
Then, with your detailed list, go into the store and go straight to the listed
items while you imagine they are the only items in the store. Ignore the rest
and avoid the temptation to browse.
Step Three:
Look—don’t touch
The instant
something catches your eye, resist the urge to pick it up. When you do, your
mind takes ownership of it. Guess what happens at that stage? Impulse buy!
Retailers go
to great lengths to get a product into your hands because it hacks your mind to
want it even more. Apple stores understands the effect of touch on your
psychology and has cleverly designed their store to allow customers to touch as
many products and to tempt customers to purchase them. Zappos uses this
technique with their easy returns policy because they know the importance of product
in hand . Warby Parker uses the same technique with their Try On program for
spectacles. Five days, five pairs of glasses, free trial. They know when you
feel them in your hands and see their glasses on your face, you’re going to
keep at least one pair.
No touching
– no commitment!
Step Four:
Plug your earphones in
The music
played in stores is always calm and soothing, and during the festive season, they
play the classics, because that is the music that recalls old memories. These
are triggers that instantly make you feel more
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