How to Calm a Mind That Seems to Be Busy and Anxious

When our mind cannot take a breather, it is primarily because we are under enormous stress or anxious about something in our lives. We continuously think about things that have already happened and what might happen in the future.

Consequently, we struggle to lengthen our attention span. We have trouble keeping ourselves grounded in the present. We distance ourselves from the work we could to enrich our lives.

We miss out on the joy we could be experiencing by living in the moment. In general, we find ourselves having difficulty swallowing the chill pill because the thoughts that linger between our ears keep replaying themselves.

Luckily, there are things you can do to get rid of the inner tension and regain peace of mind. Have a go at these tips to restore your inner calm so that you can focus on enjoying the present more.

1. Reduce your to-do list

Perhaps your mind is being overwhelmed because you have to deal with lots of items to check off your to-do list.

Unluckily, we live in a world that thinks that if you are not in a continuous state of productivity, you are just as good as a koala.

One hidden side effect of having that mentality is it can add more stress and anxiety into your mind.

Take the time to learn to be comfortable with the idea that you do not need to get everything within twenty-four hours.

Establish priorities and be content to have gotten a few key things done.

When your to-do list is slashed significantly, your mind will feel less cluttered, and thus, you will feel less of the need to constantly ponder what needs to be addressed next.

2. Regular the amount of content you absorb

The content we digest can either make us calmer and strengthen our present-oriented focus, or more fearful and uncertain about the future.

Particularly, taking in too much news and social media can make it extremely difficult for us to not ruminate over things.

If I come across something sad or violent in the news, my mind will not stop thinking about it the whole day.

Social media can fuel the fire. You scroll through your newsfeed mindlessly. Then, you are inundated with more horrific details and remarks about the news you just saw minutes ago.

All of that creates a recipe for a mind that is riddled with disturbing thoughts and scattered emotions.

Technology may be our companion, but it can also be our enemy. Hence, knowing when to use it and learning how you absorb information can benefit your mind considerably.

3. Be involved with nature

Immersing yourself in nature has been proven to be soothing to our minds.

Personally, I can see why — humans started out in nature in the first place.

One could think if we were never meant to be constantly inside all the time. One scientific research found that experience with nature “reduces rumination.”

It was validated through brain scans that showed less activity in brain areas linked to rumination.

If access to nature proves to be difficult for you, it has also been proven that listening to the sounds of nature, looking at pictures of mother nature, and having plants can be just as effective in making your mind feel less busy.

4. Remain active

It takes much less effort for our minds to be busy when we are sitting around and not moving much than when we are constantly on the move.

An article published by Harvard Medical School explained how exercising can assist us in relaxing.It noted that aerobic exercise helps calm the anxiety we feel by reducing stress hormones and producing endorphins (also known as “feel-good” chemicals because they can act as a pain reliever and happiness booster.).

The more relaxed you are, the less likely your mind will involuntarily dig up random thoughts and memories.

5. Establish order

A muddled dimension influences our mind to be in a state of chaos. However, if you can restore order into your world, or at least a perceptual feeling that order is present, it is easy for your mind to tone down the anxiety level.

An intriguing study discovered that reading about orderliness in the world puts people in a more relaxed state.

On top of reading about a world that is in order, you can establish order in your environment by removing the clutters out of it.

In a research paper published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, it was discovered that those who were less inconvenienced and less ashamed by the clutter in their homes had experienced more positive emotions.

When you are swamped with emotions that are bright and lift your spirits, there is less of a constant need to wander mindlessly.

6. Be more mindful

Our minds are delicate. Delicate in the sense that it can be distracted even by one random thought. That thought, if left unsupervised, can serve as a breeding ground for more thoughts designed to take our attention away from the task at hand.

For that reason, we can barely pay attention to what is going on around us. Thoughts after thoughts after thoughts seek to distract us and shorten our attention span. Ultimately, our productivity becomes the victim.

To lessen the distractions in your life, practice being mindful of everything occurring around you throughout the day.

Focus on your breathing pattern. Notice the feel of something you come into contact with or the sounds your ears pick up.

Recognise when your mind wanders and gently try to regain control of it through mindfulness exercises.

You can find a vast amount of mindfulness techniques on the Internet. Pick one you like and practice it daily or when your mind is not where it is supposed to be.

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The busyness of your mind may feel like it is out of your control—quite the contrary.

You just have to be intentional about doing more activities that benefit you and keeping a distance from those that do not add value to your life.

With time, you can arrive at a point where you feel you can better regulate your busy thoughts and keep those that add meaning to your life.

With that, you stand a greater chance of enjoying your life more.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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