Stop the World – hop off for a moment and quiet your mind
The average person thinks a lot – 20,000-60,000 thoughts in just one day. And, unfortunately 80-90% are negative in the average person. Even more than that, 95% of thoughts are the same as the day before. That’s a huge amount of negative stuff going round and round. I used to find that once a thought of mine emerged, it had a snowball effect and it grew so large, before I has a chance to think about stopping it.
There are several ways to stop the world and hop off from time to time. Make time for little oases of calm in your life, quiet your mind. Here are a few of my favourite examples
- Soothing water. From ancient civilisations to the present day, water has natural calming properties
- Have a bath. A simple warm bath can soothe your nerves.Rest your head on a bath pillow and add some comforting scents like sandalwood or lavender. You could turn the lights down low or play soft music. I had one client who got over a divorce using NLP and Epsom salt baths!
- Listen to the sound of water.Eat your lunch by a park fountain You can also find recordings of waterfalls or the sea online or get an mp3 with aquatic effects that you can play anywhere you go.
- Nature – explore a little or a lot. From a window box to a walk or retreat.
- Go for a walk. Even a short walk can do wonders to restore your peace of Visit your local park or take a quiet walk near where you live. If you work indoors all week, use the weekend to explore. Breathe it all in. Enjoy the daylight.
- Get gardening.Gardening is a great way to slow down and appreciate nature. Devote a section of your backyard or garden to growing flowers or vegetables. If you live in an apartment or flat, select plants that will flourish indoors or on a balcony, like some species of palm trees and herbs.
- Spend time with animals. Spending time with animals is so therapeutic it’seven been proven to help people recover from surgery faster. Take your dog for a walk. Watch your cat at play. Go riding. If you don’t have your own pet, rescue centres are always looking for dog walkers or volunteers to look after the animals.
- Meditate – even for a few minutes a day makes a difference. And if you can’t quiet your mind, you need to meditate even more!
- Practice breathing meditation.Breathing meditation is a simple and effective method for calming your mind. Start by finding a comfortable and quiet place where you can sit and observe your breath. With practice, you’ll be able to meditate longer periods or place your mind on your breath in any surroundings.
- Single-point concentration.Train your mind to rest upon your object of meditation whether it’s a candle or a spoken mantra. Note any distracting thoughts but don’t pursue them, just re-focus your mind back to your chosen object.
- Live in the Present Moment
- Put the past behind you.Dwelling on the past can make it difficult to feel composed. If you’re thinking about past misfortunes, decide if you’d rather devote your energy to more constructive activities. Use Time Line Therapy (see www.traceycolenlp.com/
- Adopt a positive, anxiety-free view towards the future.The future always carries some uncertainty. Focus on creating causes for a better future and patiently accepting whatever outcomes arise. For more information on the Anxiety Model, to rid you of a dread or anxiety about the future, please email or call me.
- Enjoy the present moment.Give your full attention to what is happening now. Take advantage of the opportunities before you and delight in the good things that surround you (however simple). Engage fully with the people who share your life. Being more sociable harks back to times when we lived a tribal existence, humans were meant to live in groups! If you are alone, join a club or night-class.