I was asked “What does mental clarity mean and why is it important?” Like a lot of abstract expressions we use in daily life, we think we understand it only to find, when we assume it through clearly, that there’s a lot more to it than you might first think
Having mental clarity means that you are able to focus your attention on the matter in hand and think clearly. The opposite would be that your thinking is jumbled, confused, and/or clouded by emotion.
For starters, there are three steps that can help a person develop mental clarity:
- Calm yourself. This means being able to relax and de-stress yourself so that you can think through a situation or challenge without undue worry or feeling overwhelmed. Some people achieve peace of mind by using techniques like mindfulness, Yoga, etc.
- Separate thoughts from feelings. Thinking and feeling are different activities but many people get them mixed up. This leads to difficulty in decision-making, uncertainty, and poor judgement.
- Developing self-awareness. This means understanding that you have an inner life of thoughts, feelings, ambitions, doubts, uncertainties and all the rest. It also means that you have an idea of your values and what is important to you. One way to increase self-awareness is to learn about Emotional Intelligence, because that helps you develop self-awareness and emotional control, along with several other attributes.
Start with these three steps and you’ll soon begin to see results. Remember though, most things that are worthwhile take a little time to cultivate. Take it one step at a time, be disciplined in your approach, and above all, patient with yourself.
Mindfulness
If you want to take things further, learning and practicing mindfulness will pay big dividends. If you are already familiar with the steps above, you’ll find that you have a head start in learning to focus and still your mind as mindfulness teaches.
Mental clarity
Mental clarity means that you have a clear and focused mindset. This makes it more likely that you have emotional and psychological balance, that you are able to (at least partly) control your moods, and that you take responsibility for your thoughts and actions.
In short, mental clarity makes it easier to get things done, to plan and prioritize, and more likely that you’ll steer your life in the direction you intend. The opposite would be a chaotic and haphazard lifestyle. If you have mental clarity you’ll also be better at managing personal boundaries, as you’ll be able to think clearly about who and what you want in your life. Hopefully, a spin-off would also be that you’d be able to manage relationships with confidence.
To learn more about how to get the benefits of Mindfulness quickly see: Mindfulness in life and at work
