Meet Hubert, one of the whimsical creatures living in my bedroom. Hubert has one sole purpose; he contains all of my brain clutter. Yes, you heard that right. I place my brain clutter inside Hubert each night when I go to bed. That’s a tall order when you think about it. Of course, “thinking about it” produces more brain clutter. So, let’s just keep the simplest explanation possible. After all, this is a post about simplicity.

I have an active brain. It is my fault; I made a deliberate commitment to retain as much creativity and imagination as possible as a child. Otherwise, I might turn into a dull, mundane adult like the ones I knew in my youth. Okay, I am sure they didn’t think of themselves as boring, even if they seemed so to my own quirky self. Nonetheless, I knew very early that I didn’t want to be them, period.

Back to that active brain – that particular structure in my head does not like to sleep. My brain is much like a welcome center, with thoughts roaming in and out the neurological door all night. It is mind-boggling (quite literally) the number of ideas one can entertain when the lights are out. Meanwhile, Hubert smirks at me from my corner dresser.

Hubert needed a purpose, and I needed relief. In my head, Dayna Stanton was fleeing Joe, and Marjory, the witch, didn’t know which way to go. Yak! Yak! Yak!

Enter the magic pen, the one housed inside Hubert. If I write my ideas down, I can release them from the welcome center and enjoy a snooze. It does help. Does it always work? Can I lie and say yes? Sometimes I actually get back out of bed and write. Such is the joy of retirement. I don’t have to be anywhere in the morning, so maybe I can help Dayna, Marjory, and yes, even Joe with a few choice words.

Yes, I know, such a practice might wreak havoc on my sleep schedule, but guess what? I’m retired. I don’t have a schedule – ‘nough said.

Here’s the point. Clutter is not just about the physical. Mental clutter does exist and is equally important to address. So, the question becomes – what eases your mind? Perhaps, a cup of chamomile tea is in order. Or maybe, focusing on deep breathing or guided imagery will boot the clutter from your head. Sometimes stray thoughts simply need to be redirected and stuffed in your own version of Hubert.