Habits To Effectively Reset Your Mind
Below lies a quick guide to effectively reset your beautiful mind in preparation for the week ahead.
Have you ever taken a break but still felt tired and unrefreshed afterwards? One of the main culprits of this fatigue is that you are not putting any intention into your free time. We are all guilty of taking a so-called “break” where we spent all of our time mindlessly scrolling, laying around like a sloppy couch potato, eating a not-so-nutritious meal, and consuming mind-numbing media until we closed our eyes for the night.
Luckily for us, there are countless ways to intentionally give ourselves a reset and come back stronger than ever. In the words of Anne Lamott, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
Social Media Breaks
After a long day at work or school, your brain craves a break from several hours of completing tasks and holding conversations. Coming home to consume the thoughts and lives of other people is counterproductive and creates a temporary sense of escapism that will come back to bite later.
The Harvard Summer School published an article in 2023 that reveals social media breaks can provide more free time, improved mental health, more connection, better sleep, and decreased FOMO (fear of missing out). Your mind will not get the opportunity to reset effectively since it is being fed unnecessary content that serves no valuable purpose.
2. Meditation
In short, meditation is the practice of clearing one’s mind of distractions and increasing their mindfulness. It is a mental exercise that encourages being in the present moment and finding balance despite the chaos that may be happening in your mind and life as a whole. There are various forms of meditation and everyone can find one that is just right for them!
Meditation provides relief from stress, anxiety, & depression, improves memory, increases attention, enhances willpower, encourages better sleep, lessens pain, lowers blood pressure and fosters compassion. There is truly nothing more calming after a busy day than simply being. Allowing yourself to connect to every breath, observing each thought without judgement. Meditation has no length requirements, techniques or specific positions that must be used.
You can ease yourself into it by meditating for 5 minutes at a time, using guided meditations, playing soft music in the background, etc. The overarching point of it is to relax, so do not force yourself into something that does not feel comfortable.
3. Release Your Thoughts
Letting go of thoughts and emotions that no longer serve you is a highly effective way of clearing your mind. Failure of releasing your pent-up feelings will result in projections that negatively impact other situations and people.
Thoughts can be released in many ways, some of my favorites being journaling, video diaries, conversations with a higher power, and simply venting to someone trustworthy. There is always an outlet for you to express your mind and free yourself of hindering emotions.
Closing
As we enter this new week, please remember to treat yourself with respect, kindness, and love. Do not overwork yourself, and give yourself a break whenever your body calls for one. Please incorporate these effective habits the next time your mind requires a reset and reflect on how you feel afterwards. Talk to you soon! <3
