We all have bad days and sometimes feel our mind is not reasonably alert. First, there is mental confusion, a state that has several degrees of clouding our thoughts. It takes us a long time to find what we need or even remember what we must do. They all have the exact origin: a decrease in the level of consciousness and too much clutter.
Consciousness is one of the most complex topics of both psychology and philosophy. Still, we can define it as the ability to perceive, know or recognize what happens within us and in our environment. This situation is not trivial because our brain cannot digest all the information that enters our senses and simultaneously stores it in our memories.
But what exactly is the mental blockage? When does it occur?
Mental block and clutter usually activate high states of anxiety. We can understand it as a feeling of daze, of not being able to access our thoughts, which prevents us from acting in a particular situation.
A simple example where we can observe mental blockage & clutter due to anxiety is in the students. Many times, before an important exam for which they have been studying for a long time, the pressure is strenuous. Therefore, their anxiety is also high. When it is time to take the exam, some students report having “blank” in the face of questions they had studied, which leads to frustration and fear that it will happen again.
There can be many causes that lead us to suffer a mental block & clutter due to anxiety, stress, or losing control of our thoughts. But, in general, we could say that it happens in high states of fear when we perceive that the situation we must face outperforms us or we do not have enough resources to face it.
We live in a culture that sponsors well-being. We know what to eat and how many minutes it is worth playing sports, and we spend hours looking for stability to live better. Still, we have an Achilles heel: we live with constant anxiety, lack of mental control, no mindful training, and too much mental clutter that we have no idea how to manage.
Mental fog is a symptom, not a disease in itself.
Our body and mind are a reflection of ourselves, which means that physical or physical health is a consequence of balanced mental and emotional health.
That is why it is necessary that in addition to those plans that you set yourself to take care of your physique, you also carry them out to take care of your mental health. We must take care of both the inner self and the external body.
Our robotic monotone routines make us lose perspective; we begin to get into everyday problems, lose our spirits and enthusiasm, and stop doing the things we like. Then, finally, clutter takes over, and we get lost.
We also start looking for ways to compensate for the alteration of our mood with bad habits, such as abusing food or drink, smoking, oversleeping, etc., thinking that this will bring some calmness to our well-being.
For such reasons, it is imperative to spend time developing good emotional habits in this way. Then, we will be more alert and willing to try new things, to discover and enjoy the things that make us feel good all the time.
Pay attention to your unfavorable ideas.
It is not about thinking “positively” or forcing ourselves to see things with optimism but about making us aware of what our mental chatter is telling us. We cannot change what we do not see, so attention, in this case, is significant. We will discover some (or many) thoughts that take away our energy, exhaust us, cause us fear or concern, and prevent us from looking for creative solutions and enjoying the present.
Make a list of concerns.
We often waste energy worrying about all those things we must do and cannot manage. We are also obsessed with catastrophes that we imagine could be threatening us at any moment. In the end, we propose an exercise that, although it does not solve those concerns, can help us to relativize them and give them another place. Cancel those thoughts and practice observing everything that goes through your mind.
Pay attention to your environment.
Just like when you want to take care of yourself, you look at the foods you eat and look for those who nourish and care for you. So why don’t you start paying attention to your mental nutrition? What are you feeding your mind every day?
Look at the news you see, what you read, your conversations, your meetings, and the social media messages you expose yourself to, and for 24 hours, write how they make you feel in a notebook. Also, watch your words and how you express yourself to others. Are your comments positive, or do they tend to be negative?
It is essential to realize the type of environment that surrounds us and analyze its impact on our mental state. Take three pauses throughout the day, observe your emotional state without judging, and make a summary of everything you have offered to your mind during the day.
Do a cleaning job on your thoughts.
Reflect on the situations that affect you. For example, how much is reality, how much of it is fantasy, and what assumptions are there?
You may see that many hypotheses and fears are a product of your imagination and belong to the field of uncertainty. Not something that’s going to happen. Even if the dreaded situation happens or the fact that worries us arises, we realize that it usually was less severe than it seems. Was it worth it taking up so much of your mind space?
Practice relaxation techniques
For example, you can try breathing exercises. Also, you can add stretching and progressive muscle relaxation. Silence and outdoor walks can be an option. These options help calm our minds and focus on the here and now. They help us avoid staying trapped in the affairs of the past or future problems.
Surround yourself with people who add to your well-being and do not drain all your energy.
It has happened to all of us that we feel we are running out of energy after spending time with someone that alters our well-being. So many people live negatively, always complaining and being part of the problem. We must move away from negativity and choose the side of the solution.
Your mind is your most important superpower. Your mind creates a map of your reality. What we build with our minds is what will come true. Be careful!! Yes, that our mind is our superpower is a topic for a future article, but for now, take care of it, declutter those unnecessary thoughts and focus on giving it some rest. It is worth it.