Simple Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress
By Mikkie Mills
Life is full of stress. Winston Churchill once said, “When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” He was saying that most of the stress and the troubles that we face in life don’t actually happen in the present; it happens in the mind. Humans have a tendency of creating stress and pain in our lives even when there is no need for us to feel that way. That is why it is so important to understand how to clear those troubles from your mind so that you don’t have to experience them. Hopefully, you won’t be the man who Churchill mentioned in his quote, laying on his deathbed realizing that all his worries never happened.
1. Try Doing a Short Meditation Every Day
Today’s world is busy. We’re always moving, running, working, and creating new ideas that there’s hardly a moment where you can sit still and think about your life. You’re worrying about classes in college, or how to put up your used Camry for sale, or that new project at work. What you don’t have time for is nothing. And yet, nothing is exactly what you need. Try to carve out time every day to just meditate. For the busy person, at first, meditation will be difficult. It will be hard to quiet your thoughts and difficult to think about nothing for even five minutes. That’s why you need to try to do it every day and try not to get frustrated with yourself. It’s normal to have to ease into meditation. If it makes it easier, listen to a guided meditation and let someone else walk you through your thoughts. You’ll find yourself reaching for a peace that lies inside of yourself that you never knew you had.
2. Don’t Put Too Much on Your Plate
Another folly that people often do, it that they think they can handle more than they actually can. Never do this to yourself. You should know your limits better than anyone. If you don’t know your limits, then make some at the edge of your comfort zone. Your limit should stretch you just a little but never too much. You want to grow by stretching, but you don’t want to stretch too far that you snap. You need to make sure that there is always a small amount of space in your mind that you can hold onto for your own creative thoughts. Find a way to clear out time for yourself in your schedule.
3. Make Time for Yourself
Something that is vital to finding ways to clear your mind is that you need to make time for yourself. It is becoming more widely known the importance of taking a personal day to review yourself and your actions. You need to come to know yourself and be friends with yourself. Just like you might have a guys’ night out or a girls’ night out, treat yourself to that same privilege. Bring yourself on a date and don’t hold back. Give yourself everything that you need. Or, let yourself stay in if you’re more introverted. Do your favorite activities with the company of yourself. Learn about the things that you have always wanted to do or learn a new skill to bring you to ease. Doing that will help you to ease the burden of stress.
It is so important that you make time for you. You shouldn’t ever feel stressed or hurried if you’re meditating or paying attention to yourself. You need it. You need to be cared for. You might even think about taking a day off from work to just relax in the comfort of your home where you can sit back and read a book next to your favorite cup of tea. You are worth it.
About Mikkie Mills: “I’m a Chicago native who loves to share her expertise about personal development and growth. When I’m not writing, I’m chasing the little ones around or rock climbing at the local climbing gym.” More articles by Mikkie.
