14 Ways To Quiet your Mind
From breathing to biofeedback, certain techniques
can help you find a sense of calm.
♦♦♦♦♦
Breathe
- We do this all the time, but to use your breathing to find stillness, be more careful &
conscious about it. - Pay attention to the rhythm.
- If you take short, quick breaths, try to move toward slower, deeper ones.
- Put your hand on your belly: You should feel it rise & expand as you draw air in & fall as
you let it out. - Shoot for about six breaths a minute.
Watch Fish Swim
- People with home aquariums say they feel calmer, more relaxed & less stressed when
they gaze at their fish & science backs it up. - It isn't just the water, although that alone helps.
- A study using a tank hundreds of times larger found that the more types of marine life t
hat were added, the happier people got. - Heart rates & blood pressures dropped, too.
Exercise
- Just 5 minutes of aerobic exercise, like a brisk walk, could start to calm your mind.
- It releases endorphins, chemicals that make you feel good & can help improve your mood,
focus & sleep. - High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can give you a big dose of them in a short time.
- After warming up, alternate 20- to 30-second bursts of pushing yourself hard (like doing
sprints, squats or fast weightlifting) with equal amounts of rest.
Listen to Music
- It literally calms the activity in your brain.
- Fewer neurons fire in your amygdala (the part of your brain that responds to fear), which
may lead to fewer signals sent to other parts of your brain. - Music is a good thing to try if you're distracted by pain.
- Listen closely, not just as background.
- The more you notice, the less you'll dwell on your other thoughts.
Help Someone
- It lights up parts of your brain that make you feel pleasure & connection.
- Doing something nice for someone lowers stress & lessens feelings of loneliness.
- It may even boost your heart health & immune response.
- Fun fact: When you spend money on other people, your body releases more endorphins
(the same chemicals from exercise) than when you spend on yourself.
Go Outdoors
- Being in & around nature often makes people think more clearly & feel more relaxed & refreshed.
- Your brain doesn't have to work as hard in a greener environment.
- In one study, after 20 minutes in a park, children with ADHD were able to concentrate
better. - Spending time outside can also bring down your heart rate, blood pressure, stress
hormones & even muscle tension.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Use the connection with your body to soothe your mind.
- Pick a body part, foot, leg, mouth, eyes & tense it for a few seconds.
- Then release & relax for 10 seconds or so.
- Notice how that feels different.
- Switch to another part & keep going until you've done your whole body.
- This can also improve sleep & may even ease headaches & stomachaches.
Hang Out With a Dog
- Whether it's a member of your family or a therapy dog, a friendly pooch can make you
feel less anxious, tense, confused & restless. - When you pet & play with them, it seems to lower levels of stress hormones.
- One reason could be that your body releases oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in bonding & trust.
- (Although not studied as much, cats can calm you, too.
Guided Imagery
-
Think of a favorite spot, real or imagined, that makes you calm & happy, perhaps a
beach at sunset, a comfy chair in front of a fireplace, or a stream in the forest. - Focus on details. Can you smell pine needles, for example? See bubbles in the water?
Hear the gurgle & splashing? - There are audio recordings & apps that can help you through this process.
Hatha Yoga
- This mix of challenging poses & controlled breathing helps you turn your awareness to
being in the present moment instead of judging yourself & others. - There's also evidence that a regular practice lessens anxiety & takes the edge off your
natural stress response. - Plus, it's exercise that builds your strength & flexibility.
- Go to a class & you'll get the benefits of socializing with other people, too.
Get Creative
- Activities like coloring books, knitting, scrapbooking & pottery offer an escape for a
busy mind. - Simple, repetitive actions, especially, like kneading dough, can help you redirect your
thoughts & tune out the chatter in your head. - Let your inner child play!
- The key is to enjoy the process and not worry so much about the result.
Take a Break
- When you find your mind racing full-speed or spiraling down a rabbit hole, change your
focus: stretch, daydream, walk around, get a snack, or chat with a friend. - Take at least 5 minutes to recharge & reset.
- You'll be more centered & clear-headed.
- If you're going to be working intently, set a timer or use an app to remind you to stop
every 90 minutes or so.
Dig in the Dirt
- It's not just the great outdoors & the exercise at work here.
- The soil itself has microorganisms that might help you focus & lift your mood.
- Gardeners are less depressed & anxious & they feel more connected to their
communities.
Biofeedback
- This technique teaches you to control your reactions to stress.
- Working with a therapist, you're hooked up to a computer that shows your brainwaves.
- You could track your heart rate, skin temperature & breathing, too.
- This lets you see in real time what happens when you're triggered & when you try to
counteract it. - Over time, you'll figure out how to calm your body's response on your own.
Copyright © 2012-2019 KosherWoman.com
All rights reserved.