For most of us its a non-stop party in our minds. I recently decided to try mindfulness meditation in attempt to tame my anxious thoughts.
My first experience with concentrating on my breath reminded me of what would happen when my kids were little and I would be on the telephone. My children, who minutes before were watching TV or engaged in some normal activity, turned into crazed and overactive monsters tearing around the house, creating every disruption possible. It was as if my being on the phone signaled to them that it was time to diligently attempt to distract me from having a conversation with the person on the other line.
In the same way my thoughts began running amok and making every attempt to derail any effort to "quiet my mind". Like old sets of Christmas lights, my thoughts were tangled up, and many of them had nothing to do with my here and now experience.
Most of the mind clutter seems to reside in the basement of our brains, also known as the limbic brain. Our emotional history, stored in the amagdyla, is quite often the source our frequent "brain drain". Because these thoughts often evoke emotional responses, they can cloud our judgment.
One of the key concepts of the Chinese practice of Feng Shui is the idea that too much clutter in your home drains your life force, also known as chi. People have seen amazing results when they took the time to clear away stuff that was no longer useful.
This week, I suggest we do some clearing and free up our brain to be more productive and effective. The following are some tips for de-cluttering your mind.
- Sort Your Thoughts--Each day take some time and write down your thoughts. Is there a pattern to them? Put the anxious and worrisome thoughts in one column, the great ideas you have in another column, and the "to do" thoughts in another column. Ask the same questions of yourself that you would when clearing physical objects: Do I really need this thought? Do I really love this thought? Am I ready to let it go? Circle the thoughts you are ready to let go of and commit to replacing them with thoughts that are more useful to you.
- Focus Your Attention on Thoughts You Love---Every thought is attached to a neuron that fires off in your brain. These neurons form paths and neurons that "fire together will "wire together." The mental time you give to uplifting thoughts; ones that energize you, the easier it becomes for your brain to spot more of the same thoughts. The world starts to look different to you.
- Name Your Thoughts and Tame Them- There are some thoughts that may not be useful to you, but you are just not ready to let them go. Then, call them what they are; just thoughts, not necessarily facts. When you start worrying about the future, just name it. " I am feeling anxious about my future." It sounds simplistic, but somehow just acknowledging the worrisome thought for what it is, takes away its power to become obsessive.
- Avoid Collecting More Junk Thoughts-- Take a break from the news, gossip, or any other source of information that will not make the world a better place. Try to read and or listen to information that inspires you. It does not all have to be "Suzy Sunshine"; but it should be new information that leaves you feeling empowered.
Each of us has a preferred thinking style that acts as a filter to select what incoming thoughts we pay attention to and which ones we avoid. Identifying our dominant thinking style can also help us to monitor what type of thoughts are likely to be draining to us.
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