Do you ever feel like a little rat running on a wheel? Or is your mind like a circus with so much going on, you don’t even know what to cast your eye on. You are not alone; the constant noise and pace of our modern world causes many of us to feel stressed and overwhelmed, often impacting sleep and overall wellbeing. It can be difficult to quieten your mind but not impossible if you prioritise it, and as the New Year rolls around, what better time make a fresh start.
Here’s a few ways you can drown out the noise and quieten your mind in 2019.
- Just Breathe.
Deep, deliberate breathing promotes calm behaviour, encourages focus and with the right technique will help you relax and prepare for the task at hand. Combined with a mantra, something like ‘I am prepared, I am focused, I will do my best’, deep breathing can help you feel more in control. By breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, more oxygen will be circulated to the muscles and brain, thereby improving concentration and reducing stress. Check out the ‘Compassionate Initiate’ on Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/jamesn-kirby/sets/compassionate-mind-training
- Prioritise Exercise
We all know the benefits exercise brings, but it can sometimes seem like yet another thing to add to your busy to do list. The key to incorporating exercise into your daily regime, is choose a physical activity that you actually enjoy. Just a technology free walk in the great outdoors can be soothing for the soul and give you time to think things through.
- Practice Yoga or Meditation
It’s not for everyone but Yoga, has proven benefits to mind and body. According to Washington DC based Sleep Foundation, a lack of physical activity as well as stress and too much screen time are the leading causes of sleep disturbance. Combining physical activity and meditation through yoga, is for many people a very effective way to help the mind and body relax. The meditative effects of yoga on the body are very similar to the process of falling asleep, whereby the heartbeat and brain waves become slower.
- Turn up the tunes
Music has been clinically proven to help regulate our emotions and so when feeling stressed, overwhelmed or even a little sad, playing the right tune will help alter how you are feeling. Creating a ‘quieten your mind’ playlist can be a great way to chill out and destress.
- Pat your pooch
The benefits of animal therapy are clinically recognised worldwide, used for psychological conditions like Posttraumatic Stress Disorders, as well as Anxiety and Spectrum Disorders. Simply sitting, patting or walking your protective and loyal pet, who loves you unconditionally, can lower stress levels.
- Take a break from technology
Our ability to completely switch ‘swipe’ off from the world has set a new-age challenge, with many of us so addicted to our phones that the idea of switching it off or leaving it at home is totally absurd. In fact, so absurd that for many people, particularly amongst the younger generation, it causes a great deal of stress to be without one’s phone. But all of the noise and distraction of technology can make it very difficult to be present and even harder to quieten the mind. Try allocating some screen free time into your day and see if you feel calmer.
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