Psychologists at Queen’s University in Canada, estimate that humans have 6,200 thoughts every day. That is a lot of material to fill the spaces of our minds. And much like our houses, the mind needs regular cleaning.
Regularly cleaning the mind helps to eliminate the build up of dust and debris such as thought loops about a project that isn’t going well or the fight you had with your mom or even the vacation you just can’t wait to go on. All those thoughts clutter the mind and pull focus away from our goals.
When we allow the clutter to build up, it takes extra effort to sort through those thoughts and focus on the ones that are important to the matter at hand. Being able to sort through your thoughts allows you to see which ones are true, which ones are worth keeping, and which one’s are wasting valuable real estate.
Say, for example, that you get into a fight with a coworker. The thoughts that clutter the mind include all the reasons they are wrong and all the reasons you are right. That’s what led to the fight to begin with – you’re right and they are wrong. Except what if you aren’t completely right? What if there is evidence you are missing that would help find common ground?
The goal in the end is to have a positive healthy relationship with your coworker . Being able to manage your thoughts will allow you to move past the fight and into seeking resolution. When you become mired in the mess of your thoughts, you get tangled in them and can’t see the forest for the trees.
But when you can shed light on all the thoughts and begin to clean away the clutter, you can focus in on the true issue at hand. Managing the mind and clearing away the clutter is essential to being able to solve the problem.
How do you manage the mind to eliminate those cobwebs that are blocking your view?
The 3 M’s to Mind Management:
- Meditation – Meditation is a practice in which an individual trains their attention and awareness through techniques such as focusing on breathing, mindfulness, or slow movement. It is valuable for achieving mental clarity, emotional stability, and a renewal of energy.
- Movement – Physical exercise, whether a gentle walk, a hard run, or a gym session (or any other kind of movement you enjoy) will provide the mind the opportunity to relax and also process thoughts. When you can allow thoughts to cycle through the mind and then let them go, you will find a clearer headspace and more relaxation.
- Mind Downloads – Also called journaling, mind downloads are an opportunity to remove thoughts from the mind and put them down on paper. When thoughts are in the mind only, they can begin to build upon themselves. When you can write them down, you will be able to better see what thoughts are in your mind but also eliminate thoughts that do not benefit you.
Executing these mind management tips will bring clarity. You can easily toss a number of thoughts that don’t serve you. Even if they appear true, if they aren’t helping you reach your goal, then there is no point keeping them around. It is like the tenth pot holder that you own when you really only need two or three. Yes it is handy, but do you really need it?
The next first step is to pick a strategy and give it a try. I personally love Mind Downloads and I can even physically scratch off the thoughts that I don’t want to keep. You will find that when you eliminate the thoughts that don’t serve you, it opens channels to solve problems, reduce stress, and creates an overall sense of calm and peace.
