Keeping a clear mind is vital to our health and working efficiently at the chosen task ahead. We have all tried focusing on something like a test, talking in public or running a race, to be overcome with thoughts that had nothing to do with the actions at hand. It lowers our performance dramatically, taking our head out of the game and into our own world. Having a clear mind is important for sleep as well, because we don’t want to be having restless nights thinking about what we have to do tomorrow or weeks to come.
There are several methods to help us clear our minds, relieve stress, focus our attention and feel happier. Some of these methods are from CEO’s providing there morning and evening routines, others are from personal experience and what I have found to personally help me.
- 1. wake up early- This means going to bed earlier and getting your 8 hours of sleep, most of the CEO’s say they go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 4am. As you are most productive in the mornings and it sets you up for a fulfilled productive day.
- 2. Have goals and a To do list- Before you go to bed or first thing when you wake up in the morning, write down what you need to do for the day ahead. This is so you can plan your day according and focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to multi task. Tick off each goal/task as you do them, to provide yourself with a sense of achievement and visual recognition of completing the task.
- 3. Exercise/Meditate- Both exercise and meditation are proven to help you focus and provide you with more energy. Exercise at least 3 times a week for a 30-60min period and if you don’t like meditating, try providing yourself with some alone time, where you can sit and clear your head for 20mins.
- 4. Circular Breathing- There are many breathing techniques, but find one that works for you and stick with it. Breathing techniques are proven to increase your alertness, focus your attention, feel more energised and calm your nerves. These methods are fantastic for on the spot help, such as before public speaking and before a competition.
- 5. Clean- Having a clean work area and clean home life is extremely important to providing a positive safe space to live and work. If everything around you is cluttered it can make you feel cluttered and unsatisfied with your living conditions. If you are waking up to a clean house, it makes you feel positive and ready to attack the day, freeing your mind from those bad thoughts.
- 6. Stop avoiding your issues- This is a major one for me, as I can let jobs/emails/life get on top of me and there is no bigger mental strain for me then feeling like I’m constantly supposed to being doing something and feeling bad about. So I have to make sure that I stay on top of these things and if I do run out of time to do something, I have to make sure I put it on my to do list so that it doesn’t get forgotten about and it helps my head keep clear of these things. This also applies to a lot of aspects in life, such as people avoiding doctors or dentist, avoiding paying that fine, etc. If you make a habit of doing things before it gets to the last minute or too late, it will help you feel on top of your life and leave all those worries out of your head.
- These are just some of the steps we can take to clear our minds. It takes a well rounded lifestyle even right down to diet, stress control, living conditions, family. But they are things that can be worked on. For some people a clear mind comes more naturally and for others it is a journey. I will be going into these other topics over the next couple of months and speaking more extensively about the points I have touched on in a book that will be coming out later in the year.
- Best of luck.