Large loads, a huge amount of information, excessive demands — sooner or later the brain begins to boil. He needs rest: for this, it will be useful for someone to take a walk in silence, for someone — to throw out their thoughts on paper, watch passers-by, or just think about nothing.
“I can’t think about anything anymore” — these words would delight any Buddhist who would definitely say in response: “Then it’s time to indulge in the wonderful state of“ thinking nothing ””. But, unfortunately, in the life of a Western person, this phrase does not mean anything good and usually sounds in the following context: “my head is overloaded,” “my thoughts are confused,” or “the brain is about to explode.”
What is the reason? There are several. Firstly, we receive information from various (numerous) sources and are constantly faced with contradictions, rumors, denials and confirmation of previously received information. We find ourselves in the crossfire of data every day. A particularly fierce struggle is being waged between the classical mass media and the Internet, hence the contradictions in the information received.
In addition, we are constantly running somewhere and in a hurry — the rhythm of life is constantly accelerating
And every day we have to solve a huge number of questions and tasks. The crazy rhythm of modern life overloads the brain. Our own thoughts, which literally swarm in our heads, can also have a negative impact. As a result, this all leads to the accumulation of feelings of anxiety and guilt or a sense of one’s own worthlessness.
Psychologists call this “thought overload” “mental intoxication caused by too much information and negative thoughts,” similar to physical intoxication, which can be caused by the abuse of drugs, artificial food additives, and pesticides.
In our turbulent times, during the period of endless shocks and overloads, it is vital for us to learn how to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and free our brains from all that is superfluous. First of all, this is necessary in order to find inner balance. Here are three exercises to get you started on your mental detox routine.
Throw out negative thoughts
Writing is a kind of mirror, turning to which we learn to better understand ourselves and solve some problems. For many years, writing has been actively used in the techniques of personal growth and development. This is a great way to come to terms with the past, build on the present, and prepare for the future.
“Writing is a thread to the soul, through which we can get to certain emotions, depending on what is happening in life,” explains handwriting therapist Dominique Vaudoisé. In this case, the pencil is used as a tool that allows you to get rid of unnecessary thoughts in just a few minutes.
Go for a walk
Kant’s promenades in the gardens of Königsberg, Henry Thoreau’s forest walks, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s hiking… Philosophers of all times have experienced the beneficial effects of walking. So they found a source of inspiration. But what is the secret? The fact is that leisurely walking is a great way to clear your head of parasitic thoughts. Moreover, it is not so much walking itself that has a beneficial effect — without a doubt, good for health — but what we see.
While walking through the forest or through endless sparsely populated buildings (for example, churches, monasteries), vision is concentrated on trees, bushes, flowers, columns … Monotonous eye movements allow you to synchronize the work of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, thereby removing the nerve clamps that form as a result emotional shock, negative thoughts, obsessions.
As a result, the functioning of the nervous system is improved. This discovery belongs to the American psychologist Francine Shapiro, the author of the psychotherapeutic method of EMDR therapy. She developed her method about 20 years ago, just after a walk in the forest. In fact, walking through the forest is like having an EMDR session in natural conditions.
Get rid of negative thoughts
Negative thoughts that endlessly spin in the head remain not only in the mind, but throughout the body. Caused by difficult life situations, unresolved conflicts, emotional shock, these thoughts are always accompanied by unpleasant physical sensations that we prefer to forget about.
If you do not get rid of these thoughts and accompanying physical sensations, then over time they will cause serious disturbances in the mental and physical condition of a person. If you want to get rid of negative thoughts and emotions, just “push” them out of yourself.