Our financial situation, trouble with health, annoying relatives, holiday planning, rejection from a client are just a few of things that can bring us to our UNHAPPY place.
Do you feel like your brain is too full of random stuff and you have no mental clarity, you can’t gather your thoughts because you’re constantly worried, ending up in this mental fog when you need your brain the most and too much clutter keeps you from thinking straight? Then this article will be of great use to you. Keep reading to find the right solution to declutter your mind, get back to your HAPPY place and stay there.
If you think that all the great genus minds don’t have your problems, think again. Surely each an every one of them have had an indecisive moments, confusing thoughts, inability to focus and worries that they can’t explain.
It simply happens!
But don’t get fooled, there is a solution. In fact, mental clarity is something you can gain fairly quickly. Use the tips bellow whenever you need to think your way out of a problem, make a compelling argument or stop the noise in your head to gain the clarity.
Meditation is the closest way I have found to mental clarity, peace of mind and less stress – it simply works wonders. You have probably heard about its endless benefits, like sleep improvement, pain and blood pressure reduction, stress relief and so much more. For more benefits click here.
Stress is something that doesn’t allow us to be in the moment. If our mind is constantly wondering around, worrying about future or past, we are not able to think clearly. That causes a mental clutter that leaves us hopeless, intense and worried. When your thoughts circle around your problems, you don’t leave yourself with a lot of space for much else. Plus when your mind is full with clutter it works slower – your brain can only hold that much. No clarity possible there!
So what could be the solution to declutter that worried, foggy mind of yours? You guest it! Meditation, of course.
I can tell you from my personal experience that it creates this magical feeling of enough (enough of what you have and who you are), therefore you think (stress) less about what others think, what you don’t have enough of, future events that we are not able to predict or control and past events that are simply in the past.
One of the world’s leading expert on happiness and personal mastery, Srikumar Rao, teaches how we can eliminate stress and anxiety from our lives, think differently and in essence, become a radically different person in this 50 minutes video.
>> Meanwhile I have prepared a challenge for you: 20 minutes of meditation every day! Take this challenge and notice how your thoughts, mood, mental health and life changes. #20minutedailymeditationchallenge
Before you say that this is not for you, try it for 2 weeks. Even if you don’t like it, it is boring, you don’t have time… etc. I hear you, because I though the same – I could not sit still for 10 minutes. I could do it for a day or 2 and then I would quit, because there would be more important things to do. But let me tell you that nothing, nothing is more important that you! And that is a fact! Find that time for yourself and make it happen. Don’t wait until tomorrow to start. Start today and make it your priority to gain mental clarity. It is only 20 minutes, but those 20 minutes can change your life and only for better.
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes everyday - unless you're too busy; then you should sit for an hour.” - Dr. Sukhraj Dhillon
Being busy is relative. I’m sure you have time to scroll through Instagram, check your Facebook feeds and moan to your friend how unfair the world is. Imagine how life changing it would be if you would replace couple of these activities with some positive guided meditation to lift your mood, put you on a higher vibration and clear your head?
I have recently come across an article about sleep improvement using mediation and how to get started. You can read it here.
Could you ask for more?
Yes.
And you should! Which leads us to the next point.
We spend so much time on social media, on the phone, by the computer… We miss being present with someone sitting next to us. I believe that meaningful sit-down with a friend over a tea is more soul filling than commenting on someones Facebook post. Don’t get me wrong, there are connections that are important for our businesses and social lives and we need to pamper them. There is nothing wrong with saying thank you to a flattering comment or emailing an old friend. The problem is that we don’t get real work done, can’t focus on what is important because we constantly get distracted by those noise beeps on our phones. And I have to say that too much external stimuli clog up our minds. We get so cough up in the digital world that we forget how important human to human interactions can be.
That being said, I challenge you to drop all your electronic devices (phone, TV, computer, etc.) for 1 day a week to make meaningful connection with your loved ones or build new connections in a social gathering or activity of your choice. Treat yourself with no-distraction day and others with undivided attention to build long-lasting relationships.
Believe me when I say that the world won’t stop without your input, and you’ll be just fine without texting/calling/tweeting anyone for a day.
There is another important point I would like to mention, and that is making habits for yourself to stay focused, on point and respected, like not replying as soon as you get that beep on your phone with a new message. A great way to respect your time is to set aside specific time to answer any messages, emails and call people back. Like that you will be able to concentrate on your work and not get distracted by that beep every time you try to focus.
Yes, we all have commitments and obligations, but remember that YOU ARE IMPORTANT. You matter and everyone else can survive without you always being there. Focus on what is truly important to you and say no to the rest.
Let me introduce you to couple of ways how writing can help you to clear your head. During our busy days we often don’t realise how much stuff we carry around in our heads trying to remember all those important tasks that we have made for ourselves to complete. And at the end of the day we get frustrated if we have forgotten something important. That is because we can’t remember everything and we should’t have to. The need to remember our to-do list takes our precious space and leaves very little room for clear thinking.
To clear your head of all those to-do tasks, make a list of reminders, unfinished business, assignments, meetings etc. for the day. Then read through your list and highlight the essential so you can focus on priority tasks. Like that you will do them, finish them and you will not think about other tasks until it’s their turn. And the bet part is that you can literally forget about them, because they have ben written down, so when you complete your essential tasks you can move on to others.
If you spend 5 minutes in the morning to write down you to-do list for the day, you will be able to free up your memory and focus on what needs to be done. This is a great relief and allows you to put your mental energy on what you need to accomplish.
Take a pen and paper and for next 10 minutes write down whatever thoughts you are having. Write down all silly, ridiculous, funny and sad ones – everything that comes in to your mind. Notice thoughts popping in and write them down. Once you finish with one thought notice the next one and write it down and so on. If you are not sure how to start, close your eyes and wait for a moment. Your mind is not used to silence (not thinking), so all you have to do is to listen to your own thoughts. There is one rule to this exercise though: once you have written down one thought, go to the next one, don’t get caught up in it, don’t run off with its story, just write it down, let it go and move on.
After completing this exercise your will see more clearly what sorts of random thoughts your mind generates every day so you can become more self-aware. You will see very clearly how your mind jumps from topic to topic without a rest and is rarely not thinking. Let me remind here that meditation is the single most effective way to silence the mental chatter so you can have a mind with NO thoughts for a while to rest your brain and prepare it for efficient, meaningful, focused work.
A great way for all physical and mental rejuvenation is movement. But if you add deep breathing and hydration, you are on your way to feel better than ever in no time.
Working long hours by the computer can have a damaging effect not only for your posture, eyes and overall physical health, but also on your mind.
When you feel stuck, find a way to reboot yourself, find what works for you, weather that would be a walk, bike ride or yoga. Movement is important for your body and mind. Even if it is just for 10 minutes a day. Take that time for yourself. Make it your goal to stand up and stretch after a certain amount of time working – it will not only help your body to not have aches, but will let you focus on your tasks more clearly.
Since human body consist of up to 60 % of water, you can imagine how important it is for our overall well being. Staying hydrated is vital for your optimal brain function, so don’t forget to drink when you are thirsty. One of the best reminders is to keep a water bottle on your desk or where you can see it as an effortless reminder.
Another important thing for your mind to be in top shape is food – clean, real food. The goal here is to not get too hungry and avoid eating until you can’t move anymore to avoid mental fog.
I am a true believer that each person is unique and have their own solutions to their specific problems – one is not for all. Each and every one of us have to find what works best and keep taking the path towards mental clarity.
Now I would love to hear from you! How do you restore focus and clarity when you notice mental fogginess? Share in the comments below!
P.S. Please don’t hesitate to share this article if you think your friends or someone you know might benefit. Together we can bring more clarity!
xx
Agnese
“LESS” & “SIMPLE” approach to life, business and mind for outrageous success
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© 2019 Agnese Rudzate
One Reply to “Simple tips to help you gain mental clarity”
Part of improving your mental focus is all about making the most of the resources you have available. Stop multitasking and instead give your full attention to one thing at a time.