You may be wondering how you can clear your mind. After all, we all want a clear mind when facing our daily lives, right? The bad news? You can't technically (or completely) clear your mind. On average, a person has over 6,000 thoughts per day!((BigThink:
New study suggests we have 6,200 thoughts every day)) I think we can all agree that clearing through that mental inbox is probably futile. We are all busy people. We have work to do and families to take care of. Not to mention, we also have to take care of ourselves. While clearing all of your thoughts may not be the plausible way to go, we can agree that turning a blind eye does more harm than good. The good news? Clearing your mind and returning to the present moment comes from a simple act of acknowledging that you're overwhelmed in the first place. We'll get to that in a second. But first, what happens when you're not present?
What Happens When You're Not Present?
What happens when you are not present? Most likely, nothing incredibly damaging and only short-term. After all, no one is present 100% of the time. We've evolved to keep looking and working towards a future goal. The very nature of our careers is to make sure that we're setting ourselves up for the future. Our relationships are very much the same way. Think of a time when you've asked the question (or have been asked): where do you see this relationship going? Our thoughts and, therefore, our habits and actions consistently point in the forward-moving direction. This has ensured our survival and human evolution. The point at which this becomes harmful is when we become too stuck in this forward motion. The result of this is "burnout."((VeryWellMind:
Burnout Symptoms and Treatment)) It's a term that is most often used in the workplace, but
burnout can happen in any area of our life where you feel like you're pushing too hard and too fast. The idea here is that you're so engrossed in the forward movement, that you take on too much and rest too little. There is no pause in the present because you have this sense that you must keep working. On a physical plane, the body takes a real hit with burnout. You feel more muscle fatigue, poor concentration, insomnia, anxiety, poor metabolism, and so much more. These symptoms are the body's way of throwing you red flags and warn you that you must slow down. But because your mind is so preoccupied with this forward momentum, it disconnects you from listening to your body's signals. The only time you really hear them is when the signals are too loud to ignore, such as during serious illness or pain. As we can see, not being present is something that snowballs over time. Eventually, it can cause serious mental, emotional, and physical ailments. So, how do you deal with this?
How Do We Come Back to the Present?
Answering this question will answer the question of how to clear your mind because they go hand in hand. There are many tools you can use to begin a
mindfulness practice. To reiterate, mindfulness is simply defined as the act or practice of being fully present.((Mindful:
What is Mindfulness?)) Tools that allow you to step into this practice include meditation, journaling, a body-centered movement practice such as Qigong, or simple breathing exercises. Underneath it all, however, is one technique that acts as a universal connector, and that is acknowledgment. This term may not sound like a technique, but its power truly flourishes when put into practice. For us to come back to the present moment, we have to acknowledge that we have trailed off into the past or the future. Likewise, for us to clear our mind, we have to acknowledge that our mind is overwhelmed, distracted, or scattered. This simple act of pausing and catching ourselves in the moment is how we can build our acknowledgment practice. So, the next time you find yourself overwhelmed at work with mental to-do lists, pause. Acknowledge your state of mind, and say to yourself (or out loud) that you're overwhelmed. This sends a signal to your whole being that you're aware of what's going on. It cuts the cords of illusion, denial, and ignorance. You are now building your awareness of yourself, which is an incredibly potent gift.
Clearing Your Mind Is a Practice
Now that you've acknowledged where you are and how you feel, you can take action. You can take a few moments away from your desk or to-do list, and practice something to ground yourself back into the present moment. This may be as simple as taking a walk and admiring the changing of the leaves. This practice is also known as "forest bathing," and it doesn't necessarily need to take place in a forest. It can be in your favorite park or even walking around your town or neighborhood. Bring your attention to the senses as you enjoy your walk. Can you tune in to the sounds of your footsteps on the Earth? Can you notice the smells and take in the sights around you while staying present in the moment? Can you touch a leaf or the bark of a tree, and allow the feel of texture to teach you something new? Such a practice does wonders in clearing your mind and bringing you back to the now! It also connects you more deeply to your environment. On the other hand, a mind-clearing practice may look like sitting down and going through a nourishing meditation or breath practice. Even taking a few deep breaths in and out and feeling and noticing the breath will bring you right back to the present moment.((PsychCentral:
How to Do Present Moment Awareness Meditation)) In yoga, we call this breath "Same Vrti," meaning a 1:1 breath ratio. It can also be translated as "box breathing." The idea is to make the length of your inhales and exhales the same. This allows you to take in more oxygen and slow down the chatter of the monkey mind. It also kicks on the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for resting and digesting. This will allow your heart rate to slow down so that you can reduce any anxiety you may be feeling. It also aids in digestion, as the metabolism is back on track and helping you physically process food and drink properly.
Add Meditation to Your Breathing
Adding
meditation to your breathing is also helpful. In fact, following your breath is a meditation in itself. Adding a visual, like imagining gentle ripples on a lake or clouds passing along a beautiful blue sky, can give the mind something to attach to without running through the train of your thoughts. On the other hand, if you are mentally overwhelmed and meditation sounds like more stress, tuning in to a guided meditation session can be alleviating. It often helps to hear the voice of a teacher or guide who can walk you into more peace and contentment with their words and energy. If you can't find such a guide in a local studio, turn to the many meditation apps on your phone or Youtube.
Write Your Thoughts
Alternatively, another powerful practice is sitting down and writing out all of the thoughts in your head. We call this a
"Brain Dump." It is an effective method for simply releasing your thoughts so that you can mentally breathe and process things better. Grab a piece of paper and write out all of the thoughts that are pressing for your attention. The idea is not to analyze the thoughts or fix them. Rather, it's to give those thoughts an exit, so that you can move on with your day without fixating on them aggressively. This can look like a laundry list of thoughts, or a diary entry. There is no wrong way to do it! Afterward, feel free to close your journal or rip up the paper. You don't need to hold on to what you wrote, but it does help to see the expression of what you're holding on to mentally. Likewise, this practice is very potent to do at night before bedtime. So many of us struggle to sleep soundly with many thoughts bouncing back and forth. This exercise before bed can allow us to enter a deeper level of rest. Regardless of what you do, understand that practicing mindfulness is a lifelong process. With life's ups and downs, it's stressful to attach yourself to the practice of being mindful and in the present moment. Why? Because it's never guaranteed that you will be present for 100% of your life. That's a simple human fact, and it's healthy to give ourselves a break (and often!). In this practice, what matters more than anything is intention. Our intention of staying present and sticking to our mindfulness practice is what will encourage us to keep coming back to it, even when we forget.
Final Thoughts
With over 6,000 thoughts that we have in our head per day, it can sound overwhelming to even tackle this and try to clear our minds. The technique, however, is powerfully simple and effective. It all comes down to first recognizing and acknowledging that we are overwhelmed, stressed, or far away from the present moment. That acknowledgment acts as a wake-up alarm, inviting us to examine our state of mind and take action. In this way, not only are we clearing our minds in a manner that works for us, but we're also building our self-awareness, which is a beautiful and powerful way of being in the world.
More Tips on How to Clear Your Mind
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