These “Active Pauses” give us an opportunity to clear the mental clutter, even if just for a moment. Use these frequent activities to serve as cues to reset and begin again. 1. Before you enter a room to begin a new task, stop briefly, take a deep breath. Allow your thoughts to clear. (Don’t judge them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Just thoughts). Take another deep breath. Then proceed. Over time, this can help clear the clutter when going from one task to another. 2. Before you begin a new task, or a challenging conversation, take a minute and step back. What are you thinking? Is there something lingering from a previous task that you can simply let go, or come back to later? Allow the extra ‘thinking’ to pause in this moment. Then proceed. 3. Take advantage of daily opportunities to give our minds a ‘mental pause’. Waiting in line to pick up your lunch, waiting for the bus, waiting on the phone. Use these moments to clear your mind, ‘clear the clutter’. Simply be. Use your senses to be present where you are. Are there smells? Can you feel hot or cold air, what are you hearing around you?