How many tabs are open in your mind right now? It’s become habit for many of us to be constantly thinking about a million different things at any given time. What’s for lunch? Did I fidget too much during my presentation? Should I start that business? How many calories are in this latte? Our minds are going a mile-a-minute and after time, this can show up as exhaustion, stress and fatigue.
Keep reading to discover the tools you can implement right now to rid your mind of the toxic clutter. To let go of the thoughts that don’t serve you and how to put tools into action the moment you start to feel overwhelmed. Mastering these tools will open your mind to savoring everyday goodness and beauty.
FOCUS ON YOUR BREATH:
Have you ever noticed how short your breath gets when you are nervous, scared, or stressed? Your heart rate quickens and the amount of oxygen going to your brain drops dramatically. Mastering a go-to breathing exercise in stressful situations, can bring you relaxation, clarity, and efficiency. Dr. Roy Sugarman, Director of Neuroscience at LifelQ, recommends nose breathing over mouth breaths, especially when seeking a peaceful feeling. “Breathing through your nasal passage can increase CO2 saturation in the blood and slow down your breathing — both of which create a calming effect,” says Sugarman. TIP: In order to help clear the mind, escape to a quiet location. Sit up straight, with your hand on your heart– take three deep breaths. In through your nose out through your mouth. Only focusing on your breath. Take your time with this. Breathe in as deep as you can and slowly release the air. Visualize the breath going up your nose, spreading all around your body, through your mind, and slowly out through the small opening in your lips. Depending on how much time you have, you can make this exercise as long or as short as needed.
MOVE YOUR BODY:
To rid your mind of mental clutter that does not serve you, you need to clear it. A great way to accomplish this is to find ways to move your body. Turn on your favorite 90’s pop divas and dance around while belting the lyrics at the tops of your lungs. Schedule your favorite cycle class. Close your office door and do a sun salutation. When focusing on moving your body, you allow your mind quiet time. It has to think about the next step you’re going to take or the next twerk you’re going to do. It doesn’t have the capacity to think about your meetings, schedule, or if the dress is gold or blue. TIP: This can be as intentional as you want or spur of the moment I-need-to-get-out-of-my-head-right-now scenario. You can get up each morning and have a shower dance party to start the day with a clear mind of silliness. Or if you have a situation where you just need “a moment,” take a simple five minute walk. When you are moving and focusing on your body, it will detox the mind of all thought in that moment.
NATURE THERAPY:
Want to elevate those breathing exercises? Let’s take it outside. In a recent Time Magazine article, “Qing Li, a professor at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, found that trees and plants emit aromatic compounds called phytoncides that, when inhaled, can spur healthy biological changes.” What does all that fancy stuff mean? Your body has a positive chemical reaction to being one with nature. In the 1980’s the practice of nature therapy was called “forest bathing.” The best part is you can move your body and include forest bathing at the same time. Take a hike. Visit the mountains. Walk in the park. TIP: Danielle Shanaham, a University of Queensland research fellow, explains, “there is plenty of evidence that you will get the range of benefits (to being outdoors) even if all you can manage is putting a plant in your room or looking at trees through your window. So, if you can’t escape to the mountains just yet, you can still clear your mind by taking a visit to your local Whole Foods and purchasing $19.99 houseplant along with your thousand dollar gluten-free bread.
WRITE IT OUT:
If your thoughts make their way out of your head and onto paper, they no longer take up storage. However, even this simple task meant to help you declutter your mind, can add even more pressure. I need a cute pen. Where is my Montblanc notebook? Can I add fun stickers? NO! Grab any pen, grab any paper, and WRITE. All of it. It doesn’t even need to make sense! Whatever you’re feeling and thinking in that moment. Get everything out. Shoot, even open a notepad on your phone and “talk to text” it all. Whatever avenue works best for you. But do not add to the clutter by overthinking how you’re going to write it all out. The small act of releasing this information to a page will allow your mind to process it. You will be able to see everything exposed on those pages before you. TIP: I empower you to re-read these journal pages over time. Pay attention to how certain situations make you feel. Do you find patterns in your behaviors? Journaling allows for some great self-reflection and insight on the way your mind works. Gaining knowledge into this is only going to help with the habit of ridding the unimportant thoughts and information. Allowing your mind to thrive as it is meant to.
Just like detoxing the body, sometimes you may need to practice these exercises like a 7-day cleanse. Sometimes it’s situational and you now have the tools to respond to all the tabs that are open. As you breathe, move, soak up the sun and write your thoughts– be present. And when you start to notice your mind clearing, stay with that feeling. Soak it in for a minute. It’s your detox paying off.
What are some ways you detox your mind?
Tell me in the comments!
