Comments on: Brainwash your way to a clutter-free life?

By: Sparkzy

Sparkzy — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:42:33 +0000

This is in line with what’s mentioned in the book, “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge, MD. The examples in the book support the theory of neuroplasticity — that our thoughts can change the structure of our brains, and that this process can continue throughout our lives.

I though it was a facinating read, and I like the idea of “brainwashing” myself with good habits, new skills, and even being a happier person.

By: Kema E.

Kema E. — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:06:55 +0000

I love this blog. I think you are doing something good by sharing your life experiences with people like myself that need an extra push lol. I discovered a site junkaloo.com that allows people to get rid of clutter by donating their items free. What do you think about using that method? Thanks

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:11:21 +0000

As Catherine says, it’s not “brainwashing”, but self-hypnosis. If that can help you do things like quit smoking, it can certainly help you Unclutter! Nothin’ weird about it!

Thanks for the suggestions! It’s New Year’s Eve, and getting organized, in my home and my life, IS my list!

I just have to remember, it’s a process!

By: Catherine

Catherine — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 07:52:34 +0000

This sounds to me more like it’s “hypnosis” than “brainwashing”. I have seen a hypnotherapist and used hypnosis CD’s with great success to help me not just lose weight, but change my habits from the core, so that I just don’t want to eat junk, etc. anymore.

I don’t think it’s “brainwashing” because I know full well what’s being said in each session. And I’m always in control of my own free will, it’s just that when I see a big greasy burger on television my first thought is now “ugh” instead of “yum” and when I reach for a snack, my first thought is now zucchini slices, not potato chips.

That said, I find hypnotherapy incredibly relaxing, and I’m in love with the 20 minute sessions I have on my iPod. When I come home, instead of grabbing a drink to relax, I go upstairs, lie back and listen to a CD and relax, with positive messages. I can easily see this working for all sorts of habits, including decluttering. Too bad someone hasn’t already developed a CD for it!

By: Pauly

Pauly — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:46:19 +0000

It would be worth taking a look at the subject of NLP if anyone is interested in this stuff.

I like listening to Richard Bandler’s “Your Own Personal Genius”. I’ve started to make and mix my own personal mp3s with some repeated affirmations with some trance or cool tracks in the background with the suggestion from Shad Helmstetter’s “What to Say When you Talk To Yourself”.

The word brainwashing is not helpful. Most people don’t realize they’re “brainwashing” themselves all day everyday with the things they hate and the things they don’t want. Rather if you started talking to yourself in a posiitive tonality and positive affirmations you’ll see progress in the right direction.

e.g. “I am more comfortable when I move out of my comfort zone. I have more energy when I use more energy.”

By: Allysson

Allysson — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:30:40 +0000

How’s this for a brainwashing chant?

The Mulberry Bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning

This is the way we wash our clothes
Wash our clothes, wash our clothes
This is the way we wash our clothes
So early Monday morning

This is the way we iron our clothes
Iron our clothes, iron our clothes
This is the way we iron our clothes
So early Tuesday morning

This is the way we mend our clothes
Mend our clothes, mend our clothes
This is the way we mend our clothes
So early Wednesday morning

This is the way we sweep the floor
Sweep the floor, sweep the floor
This is the way we sweep the floor
So early Thursday morning

This is the way we scrub the floor
Scrub the floor, scrub the floor
This is the way we scrub the floor
So early Friday morning

This is the way we bake our bread
Bake our bread, bake our bread
This is the way we bake our bread
So early Saturday morning

This is the way we go to church
Go to church, go to church
This is the way we go to church
So early Sunday morning

By: Lynn

Lynn — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:57:34 +0000

When it comes to know-how about persuading humans to change behavior, the advertising industry is the 800 pound gorilla. The average American is exposed to a marketing message every 15 seconds! I write a blog about using advertising strategies to achieve our own goals, like exercising and getting rid of clutter, over at Take Back Your Brain!

By: jbw

jbw — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:31:21 +0000

I’ve gone through this process before of playing recorded messages on a loop and having music play over them. It actually worked really well. I used AT&Ts tool to record the messages: http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php because I found my own voice to be too distracting. I saved the files and made a playlist in winamp that was put on loop. I then played classical music http://www.sky.fm/wma/classical.asx in windows media player at a slightly higher volume at the same time. Worked like a charm.

By: Jon a Baptist

Jon a Baptist — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:31:13 +0000

The concept of changing the life by changing the mind is an old and sound one. It can be seen in the Bible verse:

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”.

We are more than what we eat … we are what we see, hear and meditate upon. Pick the correct things with which to fill your mind and it will have a profoundly positive impact on both your outlook and attitude.

By: Candice

Candice — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:01:43 +0000

Oops, I meant ‘unconsciously’…..
I had to correct that because I have brainwashed myself about being able to spell well!

By: Candice

Candice — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:58:48 +0000

Pinbot, you made me laugh out loud.
Personally I find it very amusing how some people get all high and mighty (defensive in other words) about being ‘above’ certain things like ‘brainwashing’. As someone rightly pointed out – it is programming and, like it or not, we are all doing it to ourselves every moment of every day. Why not replace the negative brainwashing that most people unconciously do to themselves with some intentional positives? It isn’t sinister if we are controlling the process.

By: Sasha

Sasha — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:29:13 +0000

I’ve done this, no big deal. Note however that according to the common wisdom about affirmations, “I live an uncluttered life” still evokes the word *clutter*. It would be better to state it with a positive rather than a negative, such as “I live a clear and simple/easy life.” There is also the idea of focusing on the feelings that an uncluttered environment evokes in you… when you already feel that way, you’ll naturally want to declutter so that your environment matches your feelings.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:56:01 +0000

Actually, it makes perfect sense.
I work in the health field, and while there’s always a hope for what I call “The glorious impossible” of a sudden cold-turkey revelation and change it’s usually in pedestrian little steps mixed with the manipulation of good luck and timing that help us make long-term change.
We are a funny, endearing mix of animal and divine (in my perception) and it amuses and frustrates me that people seem to dig in their heels and stubbornly demand that they are so extra-super-special above the rest of our fellow creatures that something so pedestrian as a slow number of steps (or the brain-tricks that are proven to work for so many cults or cultures) can’t POSSIBLY work–or it must only work on inferior feeble-minded gits
unlike themselves.
Only in the health field, we call the “exhausted and hung-over” period “the teachable/receptive moment” and talk about the cycle of prep-thinking and almost unconscious fact-gathering that goes with it as a “pre-contemplative phase”.
I’ve done pretty well with Flylady.net and their daily e-minders so far. I’m not doing it perfectly, but since they stress NOT doing it perfectly, I feel pretty good about the amount I’ve done so far.

By: Pinbot

Pinbot — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:20:32 +0000

I got that book, “The Now Habit,” haven’t read it yet though.

By: Grosa Prap

Grosa Prap — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:36:48 +0000

Daniel,

Yes, it’s called reprogramming when you aren’t talking about the negative aspects of the process (and deprogramming if you are talking about reversing either.)

However I think that brainwashing is an appropriate title to use given how much context is currently packed into the word. “Reprogram your way to a clutter-free life?” would sound as if you were doing an automated household setup.

By: lucy

lucy — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:24:11 +0000

i find that most of the “bad habits” we formed were nurtured and developed by our own thought. so it’s reasonable that you would use the same method, that got you there in the first place, to get you out.

when i felt myself sinking into this loophole of negative thoughts i had to consciously make an effort of replacing it with something positive. next thing i knew, i wasn’t thinking about the negative AS MUCH. then it became less and less.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:59:08 +0000

Very interesting article. A tactic I had not thought of to make myself more productive. Maybe I’ll try it. Do you think it would work for attracting blog readers?

The New Cook

By: beth

beth — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:58:28 +0000

Subliminal/repetitious stuff isn’t my style, but if you want a book about procrastination that helps with the getting started stuff, I highly recommend The Now Habit.

I like that it doesn’t just tell you to get back to work, or that you’re a bad person for procrastinating – rather it says that procrastinating is a perfectly understandable strategy for coping with certain fears and stresses. However, there are better strategies. The book is all about low-pressure ways to make yourself WANT to practice those better strategies.

By: barb

barb — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:22:08 +0000

I was very interested to read your article today on brainwashing! I have lately been thinking that if only there was a way to brainwash my brain to enjoy exercising I would be able to lose some weight and I would like to also “brainwash” myself to get organized and stay organized! I think I will try some of the methods you suggest and see if they help.

What chant did you use to get yourself to wash clothes?

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:16:06 +0000

I think Phil is right to say we need to re-frame this phenomenon.

When it happens in a cult, it’s taken in a bad direction that removes people’s ability to choose and think for themselves… thus we call it “brainwashing.” But is “brainwashing” the right word in this case?

As with word pairs like arrogant/confident, busybody/active, blather/conversation, should “brainwashing” have a near-synonym with a more positive connotation? It seems to me to have more to do with discipline, which can come through training.