Spring into a Clean State of Mind
The brain. The tricky astonishing organ that lives in our heads rent free. It is also the home of the mind. The mind races constantly with thoughts and concerns about the future, with the added occasional over analysis of moments from the past. Many are accustomed to this routine of destructive thinking and letting our minds run loose well beyond the finish line. However, there is hope to end this cycle! Psychologists are quick to suggest that living in the moment is the best practical way of living life because one is not worrying about the future nor over analyzing situations from the past. We will dive deeper into this in a later week, but for now, let's discuss two different practices to calm that funky mind of yours.
Things you can do to ease your mind and mood:
Tracing Fingers - A breathing technique
First, place your hand in front of you. With your other hand, place your index finger at the bottom of your thumb. Begin to slowly breathe in as you glide your index finger up and then slowly breathe out as you glide your finger down. Continue this up and down motion until you reach the end of your pinky while following the rhythm of your own breath. This practice is a quick and easy way to calm the mind and body at any time that everyone can do!
Focusing on what you can control
Sometimes, the things we waste time stressing over are completely out of our control. This includes things such as the actions of others, how people will react, and predicting what will happen. Thoughts like “I wonder what they think of me” or “I think they hate me” are ones that can consume our energy when, quite frankly, what other people think of you is THEIR problem. You know who you are so say it out loud! The thoughts and perception of you in someone else’s mind will never change your true self. We must remember that focusing on the things we cannot control is a waste of our energy and time. So let’s practice focusing on the many things we do indeed have control over such as:
Who you hang out with
Your effort
What you eat
How personally you take things
Your boundaries
Your priorities
What you talk about
What you think about
How often you exercise
How you treat yourself
How you take care of your body
How open - minded you are
Verbalizing what you need from others
How kind you are
Getting enough sleep
How seriously you take life
Expressing empathy
You are in control of all of these aspects of life and so much more. If you are not happy with something that you indeed have control over, remember you are capable of acknowledging it, and of following through and ACTING on it to make a difference for you. Tell your overwhelming thoughts to move to the side because you “are the captain now” and YOU have full control.