Decluttering The Mind (Journaling + Meditation)

We typically have two approaches to our problems: We are either fixated on solving them, or we avoid them. A third approach is to do neither, but to step back and get some space from them first. In doing so, you lift a heavy weight off your shoulders and can see the problem more clearly. In this practice, please grab a pen and paper, and we'll explore a technique to clear space in your mind so that you can be more free to do what you need to do.

Transcript

Alright, So we're going to do a short exercise called clearing a space to help declutter the mind and calm the mind so that we can be more effective and present. So if you'd like you can also have a pen and paper handy for this exercise or you can also just keep your eyes closed and do this visually. So take a moment to just get comfortable in your chair or cushion wherever you're seated letting your hands rest gently on your knees or folded, Your chin slightly tucked in, Your back straight, And your shoulders relaxed. Allowing yourself a couple of nice deep breaths. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Taking a moment to notice your feet resting planted on the floor supporting you and just getting a sense of how your feet are feeling right now. Noticing the pressure, Sense of temperature, Maybe there's some tension or some ease. Just keeping your attention on the feet for a moment. Having a sense of connection to the floor that's grounding and stable. And now bringing your attention to your hands. So just noticing what your hands are like, What they feel like right now. Just simply becoming aware of our body as we're often caught up in our thoughts, Our thinking. This is a chance to just notice and be present with our body and our physical sensations which can be very grounding and calming. Just noticing your hands and any temperature, Warmth, Or coolness. Perhaps some tingling or pressure. Maybe your hands feel soft, Relaxed. So now I'll invite you to ask yourself a question. And when you ask the question, Just take a moment to be with it and see what comes up. So the question is, What is in between me and feeling perfectly all right in this moment? What is in between me and feeling perfectly all right in this moment? So some thoughts might pop up related to work or health or relationship or something else that's going on. So just pick the first thing that pops up, No matter how large or small, And just for a moment sit with that. And again, Bring your attention to your body. So noticing specifically your chest and your stomach, Your throat, Your shoulders. Perhaps there's some associated tension with this thought in your body that you might notice. If there's not, That's okay. And now you can either imagine yourself putting this thought, This challenge or problem or whatever it is, On a table in front of you, Placing the thought away from you, Giving yourself some space. Or you can also just open your eyes and write down the thought. So you can pause this for a minute and do that. Just write down whatever came to mind. And now you can take that paper if you wrote something down and just place it away from you a few inches. Just getting these things out, Whatever's on your mind. And you can come back now and just close your eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths. And we're just going to repeat the same thing. Asking the question, What is in between me and feeling perfectly all right in this moment? What is in between me and feeling perfectly all right in this moment? Just noticing whatever comes up, Challenge or worry, Discomfort, Frustration, Whatever thing is happening in your life right now. And again, Just take a moment to notice your body as this comes up. So feeling your stomach, Your chest, Your throat, Your shoulders. And imagining yourself taking this problem and just putting it in front of you on a table and giving yourself some space. Or if you'd like, You can open your eyes and just write this down on a piece of paper. Putting it away from you a few inches, Getting some physical space from this thought. And now just coming back. And you can repeat this process as much as you like. Some days, We might have a lot of things on our mind. Other days, Maybe it's just two or three. So you can just keep asking the question, What is in between me and feeling perfectly all right until you've expressed and noticed every single thing that is currently on your mind. And either imagining that, Giving it some space, Or writing it down and giving it some space. So you can pause the recording. And if there's any more things you want to write down, You can go ahead and do that now. And once you felt like you've got everything down, You know, We're not trying to solve any of the problems here. We're simply acknowledging and becoming aware of what it is that's on our mind. And just doing that can actually bring a lot of ease and relaxation. So for the last minute, Just allowing yourself to sit and breathe. And just notice if there's been any shift in your awareness, And your anxiety or tension. And just resting in this space. Soaking it in. And if your mind is feeling more calm or spacious, Then you can of course take this with you into the rest of your day.