How to Keep Your Mind in Shape
It’s week two of our three part series covering all things wellness. Last week, we talked about the body and how to implement new routines, stay active and how to consume foods that allow you to vibrate higher. Since wellness is multidimensional, I wanted to really dive deep this week in the mind aspect and what a healthy mind looks like. 2020 hasn’t been ideal by any means. But when we have resilient minds and learn how to control our thoughts, our responses to our outside world become more manageable and translate into optimism versus pessimism. I did a little research this past week and I want to share with you what I learned and how we can all get our mind in shape.
Mind
Our minds have the power to control everything we do throughout the day. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we are performing out of a place that holds inherent viewpoints, beliefs and thoughts. Our environments have shaped our thinking and as a result they have shaped the way we behave. Since the majority of people act out of the subconscious mind, it’s going to take reprogramming and a change in our environment to begin the shift into our conscious mind. So how do we do that? For starters, we take inventory of all things happening around us…our environment. The shows we watch, the books we read, the music we listen to, the thoughts/opinions of others, and even what we are consuming on social media. All of these have a way of building up clutter inside the mind. I’m guilty of it too; watching reality tv, listening to music that’s not always the best, and mindlessly scrolling for hours on social media. Here’s how we have to make the switch from letting outside forces control us to giving ourselves the power to control our thoughts and what we choose to believe.
Become intentional about what you’re consuming. If this means limiting your tv time, do that. If it means turning off the news, do that! Pleaaaasseeeee do that. If you need to mute some people on social media, hit that button sis. Start focusing your attention on intention by allowing only positive, inspiring and uplifting messages into your space.
Declutter your space. I don’t know if you can relate to this, but I cannot be in a cluttered space. A cluttered space for me is the equivalent of a cluttered mind. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking about clean clothes I need to put away, which proves my point; It’s hard to focus on tasks, let alone quiet our minds when the physical space around us is messy. It’s simply a distraction and prevents us from being clear, focused and calm.
Pray/Meditate. Regardless of where you stand in your faith, praying and or meditating is perhaps one of the most beneficial acts we can do to quiet our minds, and connect with God. There is no wrong or right way to do this. I always thought I was “bad” at praying. It was when I started to have raw conversations with God at the most random times when I saw how powerful prayer can be. Whether it’s in your car, in the shower, during a run (my new favorite), or even in bed when you wake up, or go to sleep. Just start the conversation. When you’re reading, meditate on phrases, scriptures, or use an app to help quiet your mind. Calm & Peloton both have apps for your phone with countless types of meditation. Even if you only have 10 minutes, make prayer/meditation a priority and watch how quickly not only God starts to answer your prayers, but also how the way you react to current events around you changes.
Learn something New. When we actively learn new subjects, our brain concentrates on trying to retain the new information. Just as the saying goes, “if you’re not learning, you’re dying”. When we learn new information we get a rush of dopamine, a feel good chemical flushed throughout our brain. You also form new connections in your brain (think of the rip & repair in our muscles) this same thing is happening and is required for our brains to continue to perform and stay in shape. It has even been proven that the more “bored” you are, the higher your chances are of dying of heart disease. Yikes! Cultivating a growth mindset will always yield perseverance and resilience versus a fixed mindset which yields stagnation.
Exercise. I won’t spend too much time on this, because we talked about the body last week. I will give you this homework however; the next time you move your body, pay attention to your mood and and how you feel after. Rarely will you feel tired or sad. On the contrary, you experience a type of euphoria and a mental high. If you need a reason to workout, let THIS be your reason.
Sunshine. Vitamin D. Grounding. Spending time in nature. All of these things are essential in keeping our minds in shape. There’s a reason they prescribe vitamin D to so many people to improve mood. Vitamin D, especially natural Vitamin D from the sun boosts our mood. Taking walks in nature, going to the beach etc, all help us reconnect with mother nature. Guaranteed mood boost.
Journal. When I was in college, I visited a counselor regularly. His method for helping people cope, heal and deal with stress management was to have them write. It didn’t matter what I wrote down, the process of putting thoughts on paper is therapeutic. Journaling is what led me to start LivLimitless. Some call it brain dumping, others call it therapy, or reflecting. Grab a journal, a great pen and start writing! After each writing session, notice how much clearer your thoughts are.
Engage in Meaningful Conversation. Have you ever left a coffee meeting after listening to someone negative and felt SUPER energized?! Yeah, me neither. The last tip to keeping our mind in shape is to make sure we’re having uplifting conversations that are rich and meaningful. Yes we should be having hard conversations that sometimes drain us but we also need to be cultivating new positive relationships where others are pouring into us. I recently joined a mastermind for this exact reason. I needed to surround myself with people who are talking about things that matter. You should too. Be mindful of who you give your energy to and don’t engage in conversations that leave you feeling drained. Protect your peace.
“Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind you have to convince. ”