Great ways to detox your mind

Whoman Official
Oct 1, 2021
3 min read

When people face stress, many find that the stress can compound with thoughts of not only the present stress but about events or issues that occurred in the past or even events that may occur in the future.

If you've experienced this kind of stress, you may have noticed that the same thoughts replay over and over again in your mind creating an endless loop and increased worry. This thought pattern not only does nothing to help solve the problems at hand, and but it can also interfere with healthy practices that can help create inner peace—like restful sleep.

The solution is to clear your mind and give yourself a break from these recurring, compounding stressors. With a refreshed approach, you may be able to solve your problem or at least compromise on a solution that is manageable.

Meditation

One of the main goals of meditation is cultivating that calm mental state we’re all after.

Meditation is useful in clearing the mind because it helps eliminate distractions. When we meditate, we are focusing on the mind body connection, and, in many cases, we are essentially thinking about our thoughts. This is a new perspective for most of us, but it can be very calming.

Throughout the day, most of us are constantly distracted. Whether it's people coming in and out of our office to ask questions or say hi, social media notifications and text messages, emails, phone calls, or any number of other stimulations, we are often so distracted that to say we are unfocused is an understatement, giving us mental stress and resulting in feeling stressed.

Meditation alone or guided meditation can be just what we need to re-center and empty your mind.

Distract Yourself

Sometimes, the best thing you can do to clear your mind is to change your focus. Do something or the other, Go outside and exercise. Get involved with a project or hobby. Lose yourself in a good book for a few minutes. Activities such as tai chi and karate can also be used to clear your mind.

The simple act of distraction is an excellent way to bring positive activities into your life and take a break from stress and worry.

Avoid Ruminating

One danger to watch for is the potential for co-rumination. Co-rumination involves continually revisiting and talking about problems with friends.12 This type of behavior can lead to negative feelings and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and depression.

Talking to friends can be an important outlet, but it is important to remember that not all forms of support are necessarily helpful. Healthy emotional processing involves thinking about things realistically, often finding ways to solve problems or find the positives. Rumination typically involves repetitive thoughts that only focus on the negative.

If you find yourself dwelling only on the negative when talking to a friend, it's likely that you are engaging in non-helpful co-rumination. Look for ways to process your feelings and find support without slipping into rumination and negative thinking.

Connect With Friends

You may have noticed that when you're overly stressed and entrenched in rumination, you're not as much fun to be around. As a result, your relationships may suffer.

Processing your problems with an empathetic friend can be a healthy distraction and a highly effective coping method. But even if you choose not to discuss your problems, the simple act of getting together can be useful to clear your mind. It's a fun and healthy way to deal with stress and anxiety.

Cultivate Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of becoming fully immersed in an activity, rather than in your thoughts about other things.8 Mindfulness is a great option for busy people. While it involves slowing down and focusing on one thing, it doesn’t involve stopping all activity the way traditional meditation does.

Completing one activity with mindfulness can be a restorative way to clear your mind and get things done. Try cleaning a room, clearing out a closet, or cooking a healthy meal.

Engage in Expressive Writing

If your mind is filled with stressful feelings, it may be helpful to give in to the thoughts and express them through writing. Journaling allows you to delve deeper into the topics that plague your thoughts.

When you first begin, set a time limit so you don’t get stuck in rumination. Multiple studies have found that 20 minutes is an effective amount of time for positive mental and emotional change without sliding into rumination.