Ready To Find Some Calm
Do you ever feel like you take in WAY to information that you can’t shut down your brain’ That was me I was in overload mode big time! I really couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t turn my brain off. Since I wasn’t sleeping well, I was eating like shit (sugar and carbs) to give me the energy to me get through the damn day. Are you picking up what I’m putting down’ Maybe you’re the type who heads to the couch with a bottle of wine and a straw.
Guilty as charged!
I was a live nerve about to explode! Don’t get me started on my headaches!! If I got through the day without one praise Jesus!!
I was so out of balance and in overload mode and really had no way to handle it. I used to be a big old stress ball. If I didn’t have Tums, Advil or Pepto Bismol on me it wasn’t a good day. I was an overworked and overthinking Marketing Manager (insert your profession) – know how that feels like.
I went to my doctor to help me manage the headaches, I wanted prescription, but she handed a prescription, not for some miracle drug but to get the book don’t sweat the small stuff and to take yoga. 😫
Yup… insert my eye-roll!!! 👀
Basically she was telling me that I need to find ways to calm my mind. I had to focus on learning ways to manage the overload coming my way. This was several years ago and now we are so “connected” it’s a challenge to deal with the chaos in the proactive ways so that you don’t find yourself feeling depleted.
While I rolled my eyes at the book the doctor had given me when I look back it was a bit of an awakening of sorts for me. Yes, I want all my problems solved with a magic pill, come on that is really easy. I had to learn how to de-stress and unwind or I was not heading for a happy ending!.
What I’m about to share with you, helped me to take the steps to calm my mind. They may not all work for you, but I’m confident you’ll find at least one or two that will fit your lifestyle.
Meditation
This was a challenge for me being quiet and being in the moment. Good grief!!! My good friend Leeanne she as a meditator and I asked her for help. She had my meditate for 30 minutes – OMG that was a lot!! My mind was like a horse running around a track – I couldn’t turn it off.
I do not recommend starting with that much time. I reduced it to 5 minutes and found some great music on Youtube. There are other meditation apps that you can use.
I will say that eventually I moved up to 15 minutes and that where I hang it feels good for me It doesn’t feel like it but eventually you will learn to clear away all of the thoughts that are swirling around in your head and competing for your attention.
This is something you’ll need to incorporate into your life multiple times per week. It doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming, though. Just a few minutes each day are actually enough to obtain the calming benefits.
Yoga
The other advice the doctor gave me was yoga. Now this was is still a tough one for me. I’ve told myself that I’m going to make a more concerted effort to bring my yoga into my life.
Journaling
When this was first suggested to me, I was dead set against doing it.
I wanted nothing to do with journaling. I was not a ‘dear diary’ kinda girl.
I started with just 5 minutes of writing why the hell am I doing this and slowly I started to realize that journaling allowed me to take all the thoughts that are swirling around in my mind and put them on paper (or on a computer screen, depending on your preference). There are a lot of benefits to this activity that can lead to greater peace of mind and tranquillity. I find that at times I’m writing them that I didn’t even realize I ever knew I thought about.
The key to making this work, though, is to do it on a regular basis. Making a habit of writing helps you to prevent the overwhelming thoughts from overcoming you, and keeps some stress at bay. I make it a point to journal every morning before I start my day. It’s what kick starts my day beside coffee. I do it even when I’m on vacation. It also lets you see these thoughts in front of you. It lets you scream and someone without actually screaming at them. Getting them out of brain and bringing them to the forefront, you can help you gain better perspective and begin to see patterns from which you can make inferences.
There are lots of ways you can journal. It all depends on your personality, creativity, and preference. You may wish to free-write and jot down whatever’s on your mind for five minutes at a time. Maybe you’ll want a prompt that guides your writing for the day on a particular subject. A brain dump is a great way to simply write down all the random thoughts that are in your head as a means of gaining some clarity. Whenever I get stuck, I ask myself the question what do I need to know’ Sometime the answers that I write utterly shock me.
I started with this 5-minute journal and gradually moved to free writing. From time I will find a good prompt that gets my juices flowing.
Give these strategies a try to see which you prefer. They’re all great ways to gain clarity, feel calmer, and rid yourself of unnecessary stress.
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May 18, 2019
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