3 simple ways to balance your mind
What is it that makes us feel so out of balance sometimes? Our heads swing from one thing to another, usually none of the thoughts being very productive or helpful. And from that, the unconscious mind will try to make you aware of the imbalance, you might feel uncomfortable, low, pulled/pushed or anxious. Those emotions are messages that something has tipped the see-saw. It’s not pleasant, but take it as a signal, a communication from your unconscious that you need to do something. We need to listen to stop things getting more chaotic. We have a drive to keep going, when we feel bad, to finish off something at work or do something for the family/friends, to keep forcing ourselves when our unconscious mind is screaming at us to rest.
So, we’re all busy people and doing this sort of thing just about ranks above walking naked around the supermarket. Mindfulness, meditation, yadda yadda yadda. We know they’re good for us and you’d be surprised at the number of logical-brain people who use these techniques, because they work. But if you baulk at the mention of them or think that they’re not for you, then here are some other ideas that may surprise you in their simplicity. Remember all we’re actually doing is getting the mind to have some peace and quiet, so it can recuperate. Strange as it may seem, this has a super side effect: creativity, inspiration, wisdom, even better health are enabled.
What to do:
- Learn something. The unconscious mind loves to learn, it thrives on learning. Learn something frivolous or fun. Anything at all. What have you always wanted to be able to do or know about? This is non-serious learning, without exam pressure or the need to be perfect or even good at it. Avoid thinking about learning as something negative if you remember your school days as a long road of exams and tests. Whilst you’re absorbed in learning, your mind is thanking you all the way. Don’t have the time? Try watching a You Tube video for 10-20 minutes, learn to cook a new recipe, learn how to grow something in the garden, read something light. A study by the University of Sussex showed that reading for 6 minutes led to lower heart rates and less tension. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/5070874/Reading-can-help-reduce-stress.html.
- Avoid overstimulation of the senses. This can play havoc with your mind. It’s very individual, but there will be something you’re more sensitive to, be that sound or sights or even people. Anxiety, PTSD or the need to be on your own (when you can’t be) can heighten the feelings of overstimulation and overwhelm. Turn off the phone, if you need to have a quite moment alone, sit in your car if you can’t escape completely or go to the loo. By far the best way of reducing the bad feelings is to get into nature (the garden or park will do). This is not only backed up by science https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-science-behind-why-nature-is-so-restorative, it’s become more and more popular in Japan where they do ‘forest bathing’ (shinrin-yoku) anywhere you can find a few trees and listen to birds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/08/forest-bathing-japanese-practice-in-west-wellbeing
- Focus on what you want. Sounds simple, but we tend to focus on everything we don’t want. If we have an awareness and monitor what thoughts are passing through our minds, we can start to check when we’re thinking about something we don’t want to happen and change it. The unconscious mind is easily confused with negatives, it thinks whatever you think you want. Imagining or thinking about what you don’t want brings about conflicts in our minds. Try this: don’t think about a pink cloud. What happened? Did you think about a pink cloud and then have to erase it? That’s how the mind works, it’s easier if we concentrate on what we want, fewer conflicts and inner turmoil arise. We don’t need to spend time and energy erasing thoughts and the mind doesn’t get confused by pink clouds or no pink clouds!
Implement one or all three of these things at least every day and notice how your mind clears, then re-balances.
To your ongoing brilliance
