Pillar 3: Mental Clarity

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Mental clarity is the third pillar of self-care.

Psychologists with the life coaching platform Better Up define mental clarity as “the ability to recognize, understand, and organize your thoughts.”

When your mind is clear, you’re able to make decisions from a place that's both calm and confident instead of from fear, confusion, or chaos. Mental clarity allows you to understand the difference between what’s urgent and what’s important so that you can focus on what truly matters.

Clarity is a form of power. It silences the mental noise, reduces overwhelm, and makes space for creativity and intention. Practices like meditation, journaling, digital detoxing, and focused breathing all support mental clarity by quieting distractions and bringing you back to the present moment — and when your mind is free from clutter, your purpose becomes easier to follow.

Mental clarity isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating enough stillness to hear your own voice.

A clouded mind can affect nearly every area of your life and your body will let you know when your mental clarity has been compromised.

• Unhealthy stress levels: You feel constantly overwhelmed, even by small tasks. It’s hard to prioritize and everything feels like an emergency.

• Anxiety or nervousness: Your thoughts race and spiral and you can't help but focus on worst-case scenarios. Calming your mind or feeling grounded in the present is a struggle.

• Inability to focus or be productive: Distractions take over easily. You may find yourself procrastinating, starting tasks without finishing them, or forgetting what you were doing altogether.

• Difficulty communicating:  You can’t quite articulate what you’re feeling or thinking. Conversations may feel scattered and misunderstandings become more common.

• Frequent headaches or mental fatigue: Your brain feels foggy or overloaded. You may experience physical symptoms like tension headaches, especially after screen time or emotional stress.

RESTORING YOUR MENTAL CLARITY

Mental fog is your brain’s way of asking for support and there are quite a few way to help it perform at its best.

One of my favorite ways to help keep my mind sharp is with nutrients. The right nutrients can sharpen your focus, improve memory, and reduce mental fatigue.

• Adaptogens like Lion’s Mane and Ashwagandha support cognitive function and help regulate stress hormones.

• Vitamins like A, B complex, and D play a role in brain health, mood regulation, and energy levels.

• Minerals and fats like magnesium and omega-3s are essential for focus, memory, and nervous system balance.

• Cognitive teas like matcha, green tea, and golden milk (turmeric with black pepper and plant-based milk) offer gentle stimulation and anti-inflammatory benefits.

I also have a tool box of mental habits that help me to better process information coming in and clearly express information going out. I don't use all of these tools on a daily basis, but I definitely practice them on all on some type of regular basis.

• Journaling is something I do once or twice a week to unload mental clutter and track thought patterns.

• Talk therapy is a personal favorite. I talk to my counselor and use cognitive behavior therapy apps once or twice a month. Doing so helps me process emotions and gain perspective with the support and advice of a professional mental expert.

• Resting with short breaks is a daily habit for sure. Taking time to meditate, practice breath work, or step away from my desk for a few minutes is great for recalibrating my nervous system.

• Reset with longer breaks usually happens on the weekends. I try to make a point to honor my time off by giving myself permission to fully rest. A good vacation every six months to a year is also ideal.

• Getting the right amount of good, quality sleep is one of the most underrated tools for mental clarity and cognitive repair — but if there's anything about me, your girl is gonna get her 7 to 8 hours of beauty rest every night! If I don't do anything else, I'm gonna sleep! But, how much sleep you should get depends on a lot of things like your age, how active your lifestyle is, and your natural circadian rhythm. Dark lighting, a cool temperature, and comfy pillows are also ideal for getting good, quality sleep.

SELF-CHECK

When you have mental clarity, you're focused, able to decipher between truth and delusions, and you’re open to receiving wisdom and insight.

A lack of mental clarity can make you feel out of touch with your own intuition or paranoid about gut instincts. It can also cause you to over analyze or misread situations.

Some ways your body will let you know that you’re lacking mental clarity can include headaches, blurred vision or eye issues, pain in the ears, hearing issues, or hair and scalp problems. You could also experience nightmares, learning difficulties, or hallucinations.

To get into alignment:

• spend time in nature at night time

• stargaze

• read or journal about seeing the big picture

• write and speak affirmations that begin with, “I see.”

• meditate to sounds or tones with 714 Hz frequencies

• study Romans 12:2

Tools to incorporate into your practice can include:

• Crystals: garnet, moonstone 

• Flowers: Anne’s lace, wild oats

• Incense, herbs, and oils: eucalyptus, mugwort, juniper, eyebright, poppy, patchouli

• Foods and drinks: dark chocolate, cocoa, and stimulating drinks

• Colors: indigo