Our thoughts, when internally collected and ruminated, can be likened to Aunt Edna’s house where an inch of the carpet can’t be seen through her excessive hoarding.
Many of the collections of things in Edna’s’ house, are old, collecting dust and stagnant. They serve no purpose and some not recognizable and others can’t be seen at all BUT they sure are contributing to the clutter.
One by one, as we clear out the clutter, we gain control of the racing mind and start to gain clarity and contentment.
1. Clean up your act- literally and figuratively. The simple act of cleaning up reduces anxiety by creating a clean space in which to operate from.
Be it your handbag, bedside table, kitchen or wardrobe. Clearing out the mess and bringing a little more organization will translate to less anxiety, more focus and clarity- both in what you can see and how it makes you feel.
Purging the excess baggage that we carry, physically and metaphorically allows space for more happiness and clarity to resonate from our internal being.
2. Journal- find a quiet space and time (yeah I know very hard) and let it flow out. Let all the thought come out onto the page. Explore them, what are they? Where do they originate from? Is it a concern? What are your options?
When we allow our thoughts to flow out onto the page we can better see them for what they are and decide if we wish to carry these or to let them go. Journaling creates an opportunity for your mind to be heard and your heart to examine them.
Do you ever notice when you have vented to a friend over coffee, hearing yourself speak and come up with a solution to your own problem? Or maybe you hear your thoughts and don’t agree or somehow when said out loud/written, they seem insignificant. Our mind has a way of blowing things out of proportion. You have the opportunity to change these .
3. Shake it off- Best way to beat the anxiety jitters!? Put on the your jam and dance around the house. Make your movements as random and fluid as possible and feel the inner clutter shake from your fingertips!
By moving our body we are helping the flow of energy through our bodies. Like anything stagnant, it becomes negative so move it to lose it – the internal chatter and anxiety that is!
The music can be uplifting, high energy Zumba like, or soulful.I find when I’m in a funk (brain in overdrive) or need some motivation I put on some upbeat dance music. The high tempo raises my heart rate, increases endorphins and allows me to literally shake it out my fingertips!
4. Eat well- We’ve all heard the catch phrase- “you are what you eat” right?! This is correct for a number of reasons. Our microbiota, the small little bugs in our gut, outnumbers human cells 10-1! We need to ensure that we maintain a healthy balance of the GOOD bugs that regulate all our bodily processes and function, importantly our mood regulation. Our gut-brain axis is a two way path. The Vagus nerve runs from our brain into our gut and branches off throughout our body. This nerve electronically transmits messages from the brain to the gut and gut to brain.
If you are eating a wholefood, predominately plant based diet; your gut bugs will you. They will let you know by sending a message to your brain that life is good and you feel good.
5. Do ONE thing at a time- did you know that there is no such thing as multi-tasking. The fact is we are either writing this blog for example or I am answering a message. I am switching between the two tasks, add more than two and the time to re-engage and focus on each task takes longer.
Essentially we are not doing anything effectively but a lot of things sub-standard. Try write a list of things you need to achieve. Tasks can be broken down into days, weeks or months. By creating a category of importance, it allows you to attack the tasks that are the most pressing.
As you complete the task, tick it off.
If the idea of lists makes you want to scream, identify the TOP 3 things that you need to achieve for the day and make your way through that. Procrastination and jumping from task to task just create more traffic in the brain and increases anxiety about getting it all done!
6. Say NO- Sounds WAY easier than done BUT I assure you that once you start creating the time for yourself by saying no, you will be able to clear. Sure you would love to catch up with a girlfriend for a 5 hours brunch, but have you committed to cleaning the house, working on your growing to do list or have other plans?
Good friends understand when you can't commit to a catch up and explain to them that you need to attend to your Marie Kondo clean out to reduce your anxiety.. next time you see her you will lend her the book!
If you have created a list (as per above) and get through your top 3 to do, then maybe give her a call later and catch up for a walk..
7. Mindfully Mediate – bringing awareness to our body in times of frustration, anxiety or heightened emotions allows us to identify triggers and responses to our thoughts, behaviors and actions. When we are conscious of how our thoughts affect us physiologically we can take the steps to calm our farm…
Practicing a grounding mediation is a simple, effective & instantly accessible way to calm your busy mind, relax the body and find the stillness is the chaos of life.
Try the 54321 technique – 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel/touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell & 1 thing you can taste. This can be done at your office chair, repeated silently in your head or ideally outdoors to reap the benefits of Nature.
Another great technique to try is focused breathing/ Lions Breathe- Sit comfortably, take in an exaggerated inhalation through your nose until you can’t take in another sip of air, hold for a few seconds, visualizing the clean air circulating in your lungs, through your blood stream and into your vital organs.
The life force- Prana energy.
As you exhale fully, imagine the stale air, the stale and stagnant thoughts that are not serving you, being pushed through you open mouth. Make an exerted noise as you do this pushing from the back of your through to create a lions roar. Cycle through this as many times as required until you feel calmer.
The delivery of essential oxygen to our body through exaggerated inhalation and complete exhalations works as a cleanser to our bodies. As the breath sweeps out, so too our stagnant thoughts.
Always one to save the best to last..
8.Take a hike- One of the simplest ways to cultivate a calm mind. Do you know why? Walking in Nature, like that of bush land switches to our para-sympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest mode of our body consequently switching off the sympathetic nervous system which is Flight or fight mode.
This flight or fight mode is our bodies stress response.. What happens when you have so much internal chatter? Your mind is full of to do lists? Trying to stay on top of it all can create STRESS.
Our body doesn’t recognize the difference between a real or perceived threat.. so that mounting washing, or untidy kitchen/ bathroom/ bedroom can stimulate the same response as an attack from the predator.
Nature Immersion allows us to tap into the innate healing, the internal knowing, to create a sense of well-being, reduce anxiety and depression and provide stress relief to our busy lifestyles. The many benefits of Nature Immersion are discussed and guided practices to promote your primal connection to nature.
Through the change of the seasons, we need too need to let go of our leaves –aka thoughts- and restore energy to body and soul.
Our mind can be a powerful influence over how we feel, move and overall happiness and well-being.
By clearing the internal clutter, we can better gain clarity and improve our holistic health- Mind _Body _ Soul.
How do you clear out your internal clutter?
Amanda x
