3 Tips for Mental Clarity
We spend so much time in our heads, it is important for us to make them an enjoyable place to live in. When fear, doubt, anger, or disgust come creeping in, the negative cloud may seem overwhelming. However, we can avoid getting lost in the fog if we practice a few tips for the mind.
1 - Step Back - Unplug
Yoga means union. You are connected to everything around you. But you don’t always have to be. Life is like a cha-cha. When we remove ourselves from the picture, we are able to see things from a different perspective. After taking a step back from the person, place, or thing that has worked you up into a frothy lather, you can assess the situation, after the bubbles pop, for what it really is. When you look from the outside in, you can choose to react with a clearer head, choose the course of action that is best suited for you, and proceed with confidence in yourself instead of fear of the unknown.
When you step back from your conflicts, you create a new channel of healing in your brain. This channel brings your awareness to the areas in your life that need attention and the areas you need to leave be. The new way of framing your approach to tackling difficult situations makes you a more mentally flexible person. Instead of giving up, you learn how to take breaks. Go on a retreat!
No matter what you’re going through, take a little mental holiday from it. The world will keep spinning if you stop thinking about your problems for an hour, half an hour, or five minutes if that’s all you can manage. Step back, take a big breath, enjoy the view, maybe locate a beverage. When you come back to your convo, project, or goal, you will have a much clearer vision for your desired outcome.
2 - Stay in the Moment - Meditate
While you may step back, you are not going back in time. Look around. Notice what’s going on right here, right now. When you become aware, you remove the power your negative emotions previously had over you. When you get caught up in what happened or what will happen, you loosen your grip on reality.
Check in with yourself first thing in the morning. Meditate for the first five minutes of your day by counting backwards, staring out the window, or simply petting your beloved animal. If you haven't already, keep a daily journal. Write out how you’re feeling. What’s going on? Where is your energy level? Are you feeling totally depleted? What is one thing you can do right now that will boost your spirits? Maybe a snack? Stay the course.
Peace is not going to ask you to stop and consider it as an option. Especially when you are upset, you have to make time for peace to enter by inviting a little stillness into your heart. Keep a steady gaze, steady mind. Focus.
3 - Go Slow and Steady - Keep Moving
Slow and stead wins. But this isn’t a race. Your mental health isn’t a competition with anyone. Your major accomplishments will mostly be celebrated as private victories. In order to feel a sense control over your emotions, you have to be patient. You have to forgive yourself when you blow up in anger or break down during desperate times. Life is full of obstacles that require serious amounts of stamina. Getting stuck is not an option.
If you can go slow, focus on one area at a time, and take breaks often, your life will change and the healing energy will be palpable to the people around you. Come to a yoga class In time, you may even become a source of healing they turn to as they journey within themselves. Our example of peace can help others find their way, too.
When we step back, stay in the moment, and slow down, we clear the air for healing to occur in our minds. You are so much more than your bad days. This sanctuary in your head is a space for you to love and feel safe in. With confident energy, you can think, speak, and act in accordance to your true nature. Make way for a new decade of clarity by practicing yoga today.