I mean, really. did. nothing. No TV, no newspaper, no computer, no smartphone, no music... can you remember the last time? And when you're sleeping doesn't count!
Has it been a while? Or has it been never? What about trying now?
Our minds are like cluttered, dusty, hoarder's attics. They are stocked to the brim with questions, worries, stories, ideas, yearnings, fantasies... it's all piled up on itself like a dirty garage sale that no one is attending. Take a look at these images:
What are some of the feelings that show up? I feel overwhelmed, claustrophobic, anxious, and icky when I look at these pictures. And that's how I feel when my mind is clogged up with clutter. When we see these images, we have this automatic impulse to clear things up. The same thing happens with our minds.
However, Western culture teaches us distraction, distraction, distraction. As soon as you sit down with nothing to do, the wheels start turning and most people are quick to pull up Facebook, Instagram, or the CNN reel to quickly distract from the anxiety of feeling their mental clutter crowding in. But, those distractions work only temporarily. The mental clutter sticks around and all of it just grows and grows.
There is a cure, though. It takes even less work than cleaning out the garage or tidying the bedroom. All you have to do is sit and be quiet. Eyes closed or open, supposedly doesn't matter (I prefer closed). Sit and be quiet. This is called meditation or mindfulness. Through this exercise, you get to actually look at the clutter that pops up. So many people are anxious or depressed every single day, primarily because they don't actually examine the clutter that is running through their minds every day. Once you actually are able to sit down, quiet yourself, and listen to the clutter that pops up, you can discard those things that are no longer useful.
I recommend 15 minutes of meditation each day. During meditation you sit in a comfortable spot, quiet your surroundings, and nonjudgmentally attempt to clear your mind. It is impossible to stop thinking all together for an extended period of time, but when thoughts pop up, simply let them pass by without chasing them or feeling the need to challenge or push them away. When I first started out meditating, I used ocean sounds to help improve my focus. As I got more and more comfortable with meditation, I found the ocean sounds to be distracting and preferred silence. Play with it until you find something that will work for you now. And acknowledge that what works for you now will likely change, because that's what it means to be a human being - constant growth.
Meditation has immense benefits. It's been shown to improve cognition and reduce overall stress on the body. It also serves as a great emotion regulation tool. The more in tune you are with your emotions and the better you are at acknowledging and caring for your emotions, the less and less you will feel pushed to reach for other external emotion regulators - cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, food binges, and spending sprees.
Go for it, give it a try. I meditate every day without fail. I like to meditate before bed...
But I've heard wonderful things about the results people find from meditating early in the morning before they start their day...
I enjoy practicing morning writing exercises which serve as another form of verbal mindfulness, which I will share here shortly. I also love these exercises and will gladly wake up 30 minutes early to build them into my morning routine.
When my mood has been steadily up and my body is calm, I experience a full body tingling and glowing feeling when I meditate. It's an amazing feeling and I encourage all of you to try for yourself.
Enjoy.
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