CLEAR YOUR BRAIN

The most effective way of junking unnecessary thoughts is to go through the ‘to do’ items in your brain – and simply get rid of them.

That’s what Amsterdam-based productivity consultant David Allen recommends.

“The principle is very simple,” he says. “It’s basically asking yourself: ‘What do I need to do to get this stuff off my mind so I don’t have to worry about it until the appropriate time?’

“The most effective way is to just go ahead and do (the job you’re thinking about) but, clearly, that’s not always practical. You can’t plan a presentation you need to wow your boss with at 2am when you suddenly start thinking about it. Same as you can’t call your mother at that time.

“So, you need to cheat. You need to get that guy out of your brain so you can go to sleep, and you need to put it in a place that will allow you to think about it when the time’s right.”

He says the best way to do that is by simply writing down every ‘to do’ thought – even if it’s something as simple as watering the plants – in the appropriate space of a diary, until none are left in your head. Then you’ll be able to finally relax.

The fact his book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity , has sold 100,000 copies and David himself has been named one of the top five executive coaches in the US by Forbes magazine suggests there is something in the concept.

And added together with the other techniques described, it could all form part of a vigorous draining of the brain, leaving your mind clear of pollutants.

If you combine that with a good body detox, 2015 might just turn out to become your healthiest and most productive year to date.