Every new year brings the urge to purge and to simplify my life. While putting away Christmas decorations and sorting through giveaway piles I remembered an excerise I did last year -- brain decluttering.

Wouldn't it be great if you could simply rid yourself of old worries or "to-dos" by giving them away like old clothes? You can.

Using a piece of paper with three columns, write down reoccurring thoughts in the first column. Only focus on what you CAN CHANGE, even if it's only attitude toward something or someone. Then rank the importance of each in the second column using a scale from 1-5, 5 being least important. The last column is for reasoning, be honest with your rankings.

I am always surprised by what I find. I think too much about things that barely rank 2 on my scale. My personal expectations create too much mental clutter. For example, I think about my to-do list during dinner rather than "being" with my family. My new awareness from ranking my brain clutter helps remind me of the low value many thoughts have in my life.

I am working on my brain decluttering and I challenge you to do the same. Letting go of brain clutter is much harder than letting go of outgrown clothes but it's the ultimate purge and can bring back a peaceful and energetic you. Do it for you and your family.

Allison Cate

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For many, hording clutter is a way of life. While this is not typically the initial desire, things just end up becoming this way.

Here are four main reasons people generally have cluttered environments. You may identify with one or several of these areas so I have included some ways to help combat the issue.

1. Fear of never being able to get something again>>>

2. Inability to make a decision of whether it is still needed>>>

3. Not asking, What will I actually DO with this at the time you are considering making a purchase>>>

4. Not having enough space for everything to have a home? and keeping it anyway>>>

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