Page 114 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019

HEALTHY LIVING clarity
It’s that time of year when two res
health — usually by losing weight — and de-cluttering our homes and work places. But what about refreshing our mental health from the clutter that can creep into our heads?
olutions are popular: improving our
Angie Fields, director of clinical services with Gulfport Behavioral Health System, likes the definition
of mental clutter described by Yvette Bowlin in The Declutter Code: 10 Simple Steps to Clarity. It reads, “Mental clutter is the stuff that keeps us stuck in self-sabotage, suffering, struggle, stress and separation. It is the stuff that makes life hard and complicated. It is the stuff that puts us at odds with everyone else.”
Fields says using this definition of mental clutter sounds very similar to issues she sees patients experiencing. “Many people who have had overwhelming life experiences or experienced multiple circumstantial life changes, may have excessive worrying, engage in critical self-talk, and have a negative perceptions
of themselves,” she said. “They may develop a poor self-image and experience excessive irritability.”
Angie Fields
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story by Lynn Lofton
photo courtesy of Angie Fields