If you’re like most other people in this world, you want your life to be happy, healthy, and productive. Feeling this natural desire, however, doesn’t always lead to success in fulfilling it. The most important victory in this quest begins in the mind. Once you learn the keys to having a healthy, focused mind, you’ll be well on your way to attaining your other life goals.

1. Eliminate Mental Clutter

One of the greatest challenges to having a healthy, focused mind is dealing with the constant distractions of our modern lifestyle. We’re constantly being bombarded by text messages, advertisements, social media, and other interruptions that can cause us to get sidetracked and lose our focus. The answer to this problem is to cut back on time spent allowing yourself to be enslaved to our electronic devices, such as phones, iPads, computers, and televisions. If necessary, block out specific times of day, or even days of the week, when you completely avoid any disruptions via electronic devices except for absolute emergencies. Most of the time, answering those text messages from your chatty friend can wait. You’ll be amazed at the amount of peace and productivity some unplugged time will allow you to achieve!

2. Break Free From Addictions

One of the most important steps to building a healthy, focused mind is to break free from harmful addictions. Addictions are extremely unhealthy for the brain because they have been shown to harm the way various brain circuits function. They impair your ability to respond to natural pleasure stimuli, causing you to crave more and more of the object of your addiction. The sooner you break free from your addiction, the sooner you can get on the path to an optimal mental state.

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3. Form Healthy Relationships

Forming relationships with people who build you up and help you to be all that you can be is an important step toward having a healthy, focused mind. Friends who simply want to use you as a sounding board for all of their complaints and negativity can leave you feeling drained. Those who put you down or constantly engage in one-upmanship can discourage you and cause you to feel insecure. Instead, you can choose to spend a majority of your time with friends who are positive and encouraging. It also helps to form strong bonds with those who share your worldview on key issues. Though having contact with those you disagree with can be mentally stimulating, constantly feeling the need to defend your core values can be exhausting. It makes sense to form close ties with those who are understanding, respect healthy boundaries, and inspire you to reach your goals.

4. Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

Many people struggle to get things done because they lack mental focus and organization. They flit from one project to another, never getting much of anything accomplished. You can avoid the frustration that comes from this lack of organization when you plan your work carefully and then determine to stick to the plan you’ve set forth. Lists and calendars can be helpful for staying organized. You can make a to-do list for the day or week, or even write out a detailed schedule in a daily planner. If you frequently find yourself struggling with laziness, keep a log of what you do throughout the day for a few days. It’s amazing how much time you can waste by not having a plan as you go through your day. Once you get your time organized, you’ll find that you will probably end up getting more done as well as having more free time available after accomplishing your work.

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5. Take Time for Rest, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation

Though getting your work done is vital, all work and no play is a sure recipe for mental burnout. You can keep your mind healthy, happy, and focused, by taking the time to let your mind rest. Just like your body needs to rest after a workout, your mind also needs to rest after long periods of expending mental energy. So take time after completing a mentally challenging task to read that novel you’ve been wanting to read, watch that entertaining television program, or finish that crossword puzzle. You’ll find that by balancing mental concentration with mental relaxation, you’re able to improve your mental health as well as your mood.

As the old proverb states, as a person thinks in his heart, so is he. The way you think can greatly influence your life positively or negatively. By following these simple steps you can enjoy the benefits of a healthier, more focused mind.