Though taking time to detox the mind is always in season, and with spring nearly upon us, now is the perfect time to tidy up and make some mental space. Detoxing old, negative, or limiting thoughts can be just like cleaning out the closet, cabinets, pantry, etc… And can do so much for you!
You mind has about 6000+ thoughts (or more) a day. Most of them are not your own and instead are created by things on TV and random online ads. All of this external stimulation leads you down the rabbit hole of complete chaos, which is never fun.
The clarity from cleaning up your thoughts can be beneficial to you in many ways, like freeing up space on a computer hard drive.
This concept is closely related to something known as the Bucket Blueprint.
Imagine your thoughts are the water that fills a metaphorical bucket. When that bucket is full with old habits and thoughts, there is no room for growth.
Any addition of new habits or thoughts causes the bucket overflow. Until you release the load in your bucket, there are no words, ideas, tasks, strategies that will have space to absorbed.
So many people fall back into the same bad habits or routines. That’s why you need a simple plan to offload the unnecessary mental bandwidth and make room for growth…
4 Simple Actions to Detox the Mind
Use these solutions to deepen your focus, awareness, and inner peace, and detox your mind.
1. Power Word Focus
Create a daily ritual of selecting a power word or phrase (examples: love, hope, confidence, strength, etc).
Spend 5-10 minutes focused on and/or repeating this word to yourself. By repeating the same word or phrase, the sound of the words can create a pathway into deeper awareness, thereby helping ground you into deeper focus.
2. Awareness Meditation
Set aside 1 to 5 minutes. If you’re new to meditation, start small! I like to focus on and utilize nostril breathing: inhale through your nose and exhale through your nose.
Any kind of meditation can calm your inner being and supercharge your awareness. By cultivating awareness, you’re allowing in your mental software time to reboot.
3. Morning Gratitude
Every day (in the morning if possible) make time to write a gratitude list. This doesn’t have to be a long list (in fact, I recommend you keep it brief). Take a few minutes to brainstorm and write down at least 3 things you’re really grateful for in life.
This simple practice will attune your brain to the things you love (and want more of), and help you declutter your mind of the extraneous thoughts that get in the way of your priorities.
Related
Rewiring Your Brain With Gratitude
Sometimes we feel so bogged down in the negative we forget to appreciate what we have. Rewire your brain with gratitude using these simple tips.
4. Become Aware of Your Thoughts
Be careful how you are talking to yourself, because you are listening.
Lisa M. Hayes
Take a few short moments each day to listen to your thoughts. Review them as if reviewing a film frame by frame. As you review, ask yourself:
- “Do I believe this thought to be true?”
- “Can I welcome other thoughts or am I closed off from them?”
- “What feelings does this thought bring up in me?”
You can explore answers to these questions, or you can simply open the space in your mind for the questions to exist. What’s important is to ask them, and then listen to your thoughts.
The questions along with this practice are a wonderful device for sweeping away some pretty thick mental cobwebs and clearing space for more positive focus.
Final Thoughts
Challenging old habits and thoughts is not easy, but once you begin the process, you may notice you feel lighter, are more focused on your priorities, are able to handle stress better, and find a deeper sense of calm.
Use these strategies to identify mental clutter and detox your mind for the best spring ever!
