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Is your over-active mind–with all its creative ideas and even more creative worries–a barrier to your success and happiness? Find clarity, calm, and focus by journaling, napping, meditating, using affirmations, and asking for help.
Journal
When you’re too distracted by the thoughts in your head to focus on the task in front of you, journal it out for five to ten minutes. Grab your favorite journal, write in the margins of your daily planner, or open a blank note on your phone. Get those thoughts out of your head so you can revisit them later, if you still want to. It may be enough of a resolution to give those ideas or worries a few minutes of attention.
There’s no need to repeat the same self-limiting beliefs in your head all day. This isn’t a grocery list you’re trying to remember!
Pro tip: Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or style. Messy, stream of consciousness is fine.
Take a Nap
It’s a fact that you can’t be anxious, angry, or overwhelmed when you’re asleep. Wipe that slate clean with a nap! Napping is a way to slow down and reset when life gets chaotic.
Do you have trouble falling asleep when your thoughts are racing? Assure yourself that your worries can be revisited when you wake up. Don’t dismiss how you feel. Rather, acknowledge that you can solve the world’s problems–if you still want to–when you wake up. (Take my word: you’ll be fine leaving them behind in the pre-nap chapter of your day!)
Meditate
Are you ruminating on the past or worrying about the future? Refocus your attention on the present and break the cycle by engaging your mind and body in a meditation.
In addition to the seven traditional types of meditation, there are many ways to create a meditative experience that is customized for you. My favorite non-traditional ways to meditate are taking nature walks, cooking a new recipe, and crafting or coloring. I incorporate these meditations into my routine as sensory mantras.
Use Affirmations
Speaking of mantras… Affirmations are a testament to the power of words.
Start each day with an affirmation. Take inventory of how prepared you feel for the day. Include whatever you feel you’re missing in your affirmation. Tell yourself a narrative where you are the heroine and have everything you need to be successful.
My recent affirmations have included:
“I am resilient.”
“I make time for the things that matter most.”
“I ask for help when I need it.”
Ask for Help
Lean on your formal and informal supports. They’re called “supports” for a reason!
Informal supports are family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Call a friend or family member for a confidence boost or reality check. As difficult as it is, be vulnerable with people you trust.
Formal supports are mentors, managers, teachers, therapists, and coaches. These individuals have a responsibility to support you in their area of expertise. Click here to learn more about the type of support a productivity and mindset coach (like myself!) can provide.
