Mental Diet?!.....but make it a lifestyle change.
Have you ever just felt like you were in a fog? Suffering from the day to day funk? Like your brain is in need of a break?! It's true what they say, 'being mentally drained has physical side effects. Just like we need physical exercise and stimulation, we need the same mentally.
This year has taken a toll on everyone. Since everything is on lock down or restriction, now is the perfect time to go on a mental detox or diet if you will. Like any diet, over time with commitment and dedication can become a lifestyle change. Here are a few ways that may help to start the journey of mental clarity.
Social media detoxification
While it is great to stay connected with friends and family, it can also be draining. It is so easy to get sucked into mindless scrolling and getting carpal tunnel in our thumbs all day long. Truth is, seeing others posting their accomplishments, latest vacation excursions, happy yet well-behaved children, and endless relationship goals can all give you the misconception that life is perfect. Taking in all this may have you questioning your ability, self worth, and why your life isn't as picture perfect? Take the time to unplug. Start off with 24-48 hours of absolutely no social media contact and then perhaps go longer. You may find yourself enjoying the life you have to its fullest without constant comparison. Besides, people only post the good moments, not the in-between.
Daily Affirmations
You ever heard the phrase "fake til you make it'?! This is also true with affirmations. Repeating positive affirmations to yourself daily will eventually trick you into believing in your power as you. For example: if I am in med school and I refer to myself as "doctor", I will eventually believe it enough to do the work it takes because thats what I see when I look at myself. The mind is very powerful and it is important to tap into some of that in order to live in your purpose. Start your day with as much positivity as you can and walk in that. A wise man once told me, "if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change." Hello.....manifestation.
Worry.....see also "what if and maybe"
Worrying is a useless endeavor that does nothing but create false narratives in your mind. Again, the mind is a powerful tool and once you feed into negative thinking, it is hard to be pulled from the pool of doubt. You have to feed the energy you want to give attention to. Now, not to say you cannot be concerned about serious and real issues. I'm talking about the thoughts that invade your mental space before you go about your day. If you say, 'today is going to be a great day', feed into that. If it happens to be the opposite, hey, thats life but you gave energy to the positive. This is a journey, not a destination.
Mind, body, and soul
The mind leads, the soul feeds, and the body follows. All must be aligned. The practice of meditation is a good way to channel your energy, and help to give you mental clarity by helping you to sort through what could be troubling you. Have you ever felt physically beat up but your were only mentally drained? Our mind must be at ease, so the body can rest. Exercises such as yoga, help to relieve stress and tension in the body and meditation relieves stress and tension in the mind. At that point, your soul is happy. Take the time to understand your chakras and causes your balances to become aligned.
He said, She said
Avoid gossip and negative people or influences. Sometimes the people around us mean well but can have a harmful affect on how how we view the world, how we make decisions, and sometimes can lead us into making false choices. We tend to respect the opinions of our peers so much that we tend to seek validation from the once whom we trust with our inner most personal secrets. This is ok from time to time, however, if you are like me, I tend to take on other peoples baggage. By that I mean, when a friend is having a tough time, I start to feel so bad that the I can't stop thinking about it. That takes up mental space and puts me in a brain fog because I can't sort out my own baggage. This includes gossip. Gossip about someone tends to take up mental space a creative negative thoughts and narratives about someone a lot of times before you've met the person or the truth was revealed. If you mind was a computer, this takes up way too much data and must be cleared immediately.
We all have said 2020 is perfect vision, and to be honest the year 2020 has taught me to take better care of my mental well being. It has also taught me to see my life and just the world in general in such a view that made me want to change what I see. So much has happened this year that can be mentally taxing, but by taking time for yourself, it is possible to find peace through all this chaos.
Namaste....
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