Our lives are being bombarded daily with so much more information than our brains can process. And we’re so busy, we often neglect to give it the time it needs to rest and replenish.
This daily battle results in chronic stress which, in turn, causes a whole slew of health problems. One way to beat this is to opt for positive change in your life and learn how to clear your mind.
A focused, controlled mind improves creativity, improves concentration, enhances sleep, and boosts your self-esteem.
These tips can help you learn how to clear your mind with some practice and a bit of patience.
1. Meditation
Numerous studies have shown how beneficial meditation can be for your mental, emotional, and physical health.
This technique of self-reflection requires you to sit in a quiet area, a comfy chair, and maybe light some scented candles - that’s it. Once you’re relaxed, close your eyes and try to release your thoughts.
One way to do this is to control your breathing which helps slow down your thoughts.
Then, imagine your negative emotions and thoughts floating away in the air or down a river. Even if practiced 5 minutes a day, meditation clears neural pathways in your brain which helps boost focus and clears your mind.
2. Mindfulness
When you practice mindfulness, you focus on what’s around you; objects, sounds, smells, colors. The best part about mindfulness is that it doesn’t require you to take off time to practice like meditation.
It’s a process of focusing your energy on the present which gives your negative energy an outlet.
For example, you can practice this technique while walking down the street, and instead of allowing any disruptive thoughts to take hold of your brain, really try to focus on everything around you.
It brings inner peace and calmness. Mindfulness also provides a clearer mindset and better attentiveness by directing your total effort on the task at hand.
3. Writing
Putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper is a wonderful way to calm your racing mind. Start with simple things, like your daily goals or how you feel.
When you read your own words, your way of looking at your own life will shift, and you’ll be able to see things more clearly.
You can take it a step further and destroy your written thoughts. This will give you the chance to unburden yourself from the confinement these thoughts can have over you. It also provides you with mental clarity and a fresh perspective.
4. Connect with friends
Meeting up with friends helps lift your spirits and gets rid of cluttered, disruptive thoughts. Pick a friend you trust and discuss with them any hard times you’re facing.
It’s a great way to find emotional support, reduce stress, and you’ll realize that the situation isn’t as hopeless as you had initially believed when you were rehashing it time and again in your mind.
Even if they don’t provide you with any real solutions, just knowing you have someone you can trust is a great confidence booster and can put your mind at ease.
5. Have fun
As a form of distraction, try finding a fun hobby where you can do something you enjoy while learning something new and meeting new people.
Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time, so use that to your advantage and pick something you enjoy doing.
When you focus on something that distracts you in a positive way, you’re engaging your brain to purposefully ignore other things.
6. Other things you can try are:
Coloring (there are many adult coloring books available)
Drawing (just doodling with a pencil and paper can do wonders for your mental health)
Be one with nature (the smell and all the colors of nature can reduce anxiety and clear away disruptive thoughts)
Read a book (or join a book club)
Exercise (preferably outdoors)
Try some tai chi
Join a class (choose a subject you’re interested in and go for it)
These above steps can also help to prevent brain fog and clutter so that you can increase your energy, focus, and productivity.
