10 Ways to Cleanse Your Mind
Happy Tuesday!
I hardly write these posts anymore, unlike the weekly posts a back in the old days. I’m glad that now I get the chance to write another one for y’all! This week, I thought we would focus on a topic that needs to be talked about more: mental health!
Now let me be straightforward, this is not a serious post. I’m not a very serious person (at least not all the time), I just thought it would be important to bring this topic up because I know this is something we all struggle with. Stress and anxiety can get the best out of us, especially if you work, go to school or both. But when we’re feeling too overwhelmed from everything we have done or have to get done, the best way to decrease the stress is to stay positive and cleanse your mind.
So with that being said, here are a few different yet helpful ways that can help you whenever your mind is feeling too exhausted!
1.) Meditate
Meditation has truly helped ease my stress and anxiety BIG TIME. It’s literally now a daily routine for me. I make sure to meditate at least once per day, even if I only have time for ten deep breaths. I know it’s not for everyone and there’s a lot of people who say that they just can’t “clear their mind”. I get, it can be pretty tricky even for me at times. But the trick is to let thoughts come and go, like clouds in the sky. I’m telling ya, taking some time out of your day to relax and let go really changes your mindset positively!
2.) Try the "Five Things Method"
You may or may not have heard of the “Five Things Method”. It’s an exercise that involves focusing on the present and staying grounded. Here’s how it works:
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
It’s insane how greatly it works. Sometimes when I get too stressed with work or school I’ll do this exercise and I’ll feel so much better after. It may sound unhelpful at first, but just give it a try and I guarantee you’ll be surprised.
3.) Exercise
This may sound like a no-go for some people, especially when it comes to de-stressing. But truthfully, exercise is a huge cure for stress and anxiety. First of all, your increasing your health to live a longer life. Second of all, your body will feel so good which will make your mind feel so good, too! While a lot of workouts seem to just cause more stress based on strength level, it’s good to find a workout that your body can manage and that will make you mentally strong. For instance, jogging and yoga are my top two favorite exercises to let go of low self-esteem. I also like doing strength and conditioning every once in a while because it boosts my self-esteem, and I’m hoping to start taking self-defense lessons to boost my confidence even more! Just find an exercise that will make you confident and will help cleanse your mind.
4.) Laugh out loud (literally)
They're not kidding when they say laughter is the best medicine! One of the things I've learned growing up is to not take myself so seriously. I’ve always been stubborn and a bit sensitive at times, but I’ve also learned to take a joke. It’s so good for the soul to have a sense of humor. I love to laugh, even at the most random silliest things. I’m praying for a future husband that has the goofiest personality possible! If you want to make yourself laugh, watch a funny movie, TV show or YouTube video that always leaves you giggling. In fact, what I would recommend is making a playlist on YouTube of your favorite funny videos. Creating my own playlist of videos (which mostly consist of dogs and Ellen DeGeneres) has really helped me take some time out of a stressful day to have a laugh. And whenever you feel stressed out or anxious, just play that playlist to cheer yourself up!
5.) Take a trip down memory lane
I’ve always been a nostalgic person. I’m so blessed and grateful to have great memories from my earliest childhood. Spending the holidays with family, vacations, and even the little things like Super Mario 64 (if you played that game as a kid, you had an amazing childhood). Make sure to take some time to remember the good days that were stress-free and made an impact on your life. Listen to some old songs, reread your favorite childhood book, go through an old photo album, or even drive around your hometown to spot the familiar landmarks you remember while growing up. If the nostalgia hits you big time and it makes you feel good, you’re doing the right thing for your mind.
6.) Spend time in nature
I’m an outdoorsy person. In fact, I’m half city girl and half country girl. While I like material things, I love spending time in nature. Whenever I need to free my mind, I’ll go outside and explore God’s beautiful creation of the Earth to help me feel more grateful. From blooming flowers to tidal creeks, nature always puts a smile on my face. Whenever you are feeling anxious or whatever state of mind you’re in, take some time to go outside and look at all the details of nature. It’s so good for the soul.
P.S. If you live in Northeast Ohio, my top recommendations for quality time outdoors are Cuyahoga Valley National Park, F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, and Hudson Springs Park!
7.) Catch up with a friend or relative
When there’s a lot happening inside your head, talking to a friend or relative that you highly trust can be super helpful about your situation. They can provide you with support, courage, and good advice. And even if you don’t tell them how you feel, spending quality time with that person can take off whatever’s stuck on your mind during that moment. This can be a best friend, your parents, a sibling, grandparents, or a good friend from high school that you haven’t seen in a while. Friendships are so valuable, don’t take them for granted!
8.) Create a vision board
I love visualizing and manifesting my goals and dreams, which is why I love using vision boards. Putting up pictures and ideas of the things I want to accomplish really helps make my mindset more positive. It helps me focus on what I want to achieve, and sooner or later that goal will finally be achieved thanks to the power of creative visualization! I suggest you create your own vision board with your own goals and dreams, whether or not you’re feeling stressed. Also you can use Pinterest if you have an account, that’s basically a digital vision board!
9.) Be more kind to yourself
We are all our own worst critics. Whenever we look at ourselves in pictures, think about what we say in social situations, or make even the tiniest mistake that has no harm or affect, we still tend to blame ourselves for how we look or act. What is up with that? Why are our minds programmed like that, to beat ourselves down? Why do we care so much about what other people think? Those are some trick questions, but here’s the true answer to all of them: it’s us. We are the reason to why were so hard on ourselves. It’s highly unlikely that other people are concerned about how we look or act. In fact, they’re probably criticizing themselves for the same exact reasons! Lately, it has been my number one goal to be more kind to myself. If I catch myself feeling insecure about what I said in a recent conversation with a friend or if I start comparing myself to another influencer on social media, I'll stopping myself from doing those things. What really helps is speaking positive affirmations to myself, both in my head and out loud. When I’m talking about myself negatively, I’ll immediately change it into a positive statement. Here’s a good example:
“My blog is a disaster and embarrassment to all. My pictures suck, I hardly have any subscribers, and I lack good writing skills. I’ll never be as successful as all the other bloggers I follow.”
“Your blog is so amazing. You’ve already had at least over twenty collaborations, you’re such a gifted writer, and your style is ON POINT! Remember all the compliments you received from people after they read your blog posts? They all have told you how successful your blog already is. Someday it will become your full-time job, so just be patient and stay creative. You're right where you need to be right now.”
See what I mean? I already feel more positive about myself after writing that! If you catch yourself saying something negative to your mind, immediately change it into something positive. It’s a huge gamechanger!
10.) Change “I have to” to “I get to”
I learned about this concept from one of my CHAARG friends who tweeted about this. She said it helped change her mindset and I think it’s helped me a lot, too. When I change “I have to” to “I get to”, it makes I feel more grateful and fortunate to even have such an opportunity that can get accomplished. Here’s a good example:
“I HAVE to go to work tomorrow.”
“I GET to go to work tomorrow.”
Doesn’t saying that make you feel more positive and grateful? Some people don’t even have the opportunity to go to a job and make money, so be grateful that you do! It’s such a neat and useful tool that truthfully works in a powerful way. Thanks to my awesome friend Cassidy for tweeting that and helping me change my mindset!
BONUS: When in doubt, pray about it
You might not think this is the best tip, but it truly is. When you’re feeling too overwhelmed to even do anything, just get down on your knees and ask God for help. The power of prayer really does change everything. God knows when you're going through a storm, and He wants to help you. And He will help you. You may not be able to tell whether God is helping you through the storm or not, but I promise you that He is. Blessings always come when you least expect them to. Jesus works in mysterious but amazing ways!
Just pour your heart out to the heavens and you’ll feel like a new person who’s been saved. If you’re not sure how to pray for stress or anxiety, click right here and read it aloud. Just trust God, He always has time to listen to you!
I hope this post cleanses your mind and makes you feel more positive already. Just know that you’re awesome and that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Also feel free to come back to read this post again if you’re feeling overwhelmed and need a refresher!
What are some of your favorite ways to cleanse your mind? Comment down below and share!
"When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to The Rock that is higher than I." - Psalm 61:2