If you are like me, your mind can tend to have a mind of its own and go a mile a minute, sometimes incessantly. It may replay conversations, moments that actually happened, moments that you wish happened and everything in between. These undirected, misdirected, non-directed, mindversations (I’m making up all kinds of words here, but just go with me), can literally drive you crazy, cause lack of sleep, stress, frustration, and all sorts of anxieties. What has helped me to calm my active mind is the process of mindfulness.
- Step One: Set up a daily morning routine which consists of 20 minutes of mindfulness exercises. Whether through prayer, breathing, meditation, etc. There are so many techniques and modalities. Find one that suits you. Starting your day in a serene space will help you take control of your mind vs it taking control of you.
- Step Two: Check in with yourself through active breathing several times a day. I like to start with 3 times a day. Just for a few minutes paying attention to your breath will slow down the mind rattle.
- Step Three: As often as you can, become aware of your thoughts and listen to them as if you are listening to a conversation of a friend. This technique will also help the mindversations to slow down. Sometimes we find ourselves off in space and our thoughts have taken us there. Practice mindfulness throughout the day will minimize that tendency.
- Step Four: Be aware of your reactivity points. Many times we respond to others and ourselves without thinking. Being reactive without awareness can tend to activate the mind into overdrive. It’s like being in a rapid river and you end up on a bumpy and sometimes dangerous course.
- Step Five: Take some time before going to bed to practice mindfulness again. Breathing, meditating, praying will cultivate peace and rest. Put the telephone, cell phone, tablet, and computer away and turn of the television at least an hour before going to bed. All of those gadgets, although useful, can tend to activate the mind and hinder calmness and relaxation.
If you practice these techniques for 30 days you will feel better, more peaceful, and calmer and experience less stress in your daily lives. Join me at my next transformational retreat where we will practice mindfulness daily exercises so you can learn, practice and create a habit of mindfulness to enable you to easily transition to a more mindful home practice.