From Heavens Academy, Together in Wellness with rnr Wellness

In today’s busy world, it can seem impossible to get a quiet minute, however prioritizing quiet time is key. Learning how to clear your mind decreases stress, improves your concentration and is vital to your mental health. Here are some helpful strategies to help you find calm and clarity in your day.

Unplug – in today’s world, you will never be able to focus and clear your mind if your phone constantly “binging” or you are forever checking it. Take at least 5 minutes a day to step away from technology, giving yourself time to regroup and re-center yourself.

Exercise – Studies suggest that exercise is associated with control over your thoughts, the prefrontal cortex, which controls thinking, is larger in people who exercise. Adding daily exercise helps clear the mind and focus the thoughts. Take a quick walk break, you will be surprised how much better you feel when you return.

Write it down – Writing is a common therapy for easing stress and trauma and organizing thoughts, naturally leading you to solutions. Expressing yourself on paper can help you break free from worry and anxiety by giving meaning to your experiences. If you are unsure of what you are feeling, sit down with a piece of paper and pen and see what comes out.

Discover the Power or Pause – We’ve talked about how to clear your mind with activities. But what about simply practicing mindfulness? Implementing a brief 2–3 minute moment of silence and focused breathing into your day can drastically clear your mind and increase your overall productivity. It’s easy – you can do it anywhere, anytime:

Place whatever you are doing on pause
Sit or stand with your back straight up and both feet on the ground, shoulder-width apart
Relax your shoulders and place your arms at your sides
Close your eyes
Focus 5–10 deep breaths throughout your body by slowly breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth

Not only a great way to destress and re-center, you will find that you mind has had the opportunity to “reset” allowing new ideas and thoughts to become clear.

“Keep your mind clear, it doesn’t matter how bright the path is if your mind is cloudy.”