Mindfulness Techniques for Clarity and Happiness

Our thinking processes are necessary for survival and for competing in a modern world. Critical thinking gives us the ability to solve problems quickly and effectively.

Creative thinking allows us to develop original, diverse, and elaborate ideas and connections. But it’s the uninvited negative thinking that clutters our minds and often drains our enthusiasm for life.

We can’t completely eradicate our troubled thoughts during hard times, but we can lessen them through acceptance. When we struggle against the reality of a bad situation, we’re adding another layer of suffering to our psyche. We can’t worry or guilt ourself into a solution. Instead, we need a clear head and a calm mind.

Why is this important?
Because our core values can serve as a measuring stick for all of our choices and decisions in life, keeping us focused on the person we want to be and the life we wish to lead. By living in alignment with our values, we create the best environment for happiness, inner peace, and clear thinking.

Core values form a foundation for our life that endures through time, life difficulties, and major changes. Embracing our core values is like being a tree with deep and stable roots- -the storms of life will not dislodge us. When we’re clear on our values, we reduce confusion, overthinking, worry, and anxiety.

Without knowing our priorities, we allow the pressures of life to determine our actions and decisions. An email comes in, and we respond. An enticing offer appears on our Facebook page, and we buy it. Someone interrupts our workflow, and we allow it. When we don’t know the bigger “why” of our lives, there are no rules, no boundaries, no priorities to help us.

The reality is that our mental health can be negatively impacted when us feel unfulfilled with our work. Think about how much negative mental energy we’ve devoted to a bad boss, a job we hate, or a career move we regret. We spend huge chunks of our lives working, so the decision we make about our job will have the potential to make or break our overall happiness.

Whether with a romantic partner, friend, family member, or even work associate, a high-quality relationship involves:

Prioritizing the relationship
Open communication
Healthy conflict resolution
Mutual trust and respect
Shared interests
Some level of emotional and/or intellectual
intimacy
Acceptance and forgiveness

For many folks, it’s hard to pay attention because our minds are full of so many thoughts. Often, when someone is talking, our mind is more focused on the minutiae of our lives, our worries, or what we want to say next.

Empathic (or active) listening is a willingness to step outside of our distracted mind and listen to their words in a non-judgmental way. Empathy is the grace note of empathic listening, as it allows the speaker to feel safe, validated, and understood.

Once upon a time, people used to spend hours producing and preparing food. They would stop in the middle of a day for a big meal called “dinner,” when everyone would leave work and sit down together to eat. Later on, dinner happened in the evening, but still it was an occasion when people sat together and spent time eating and talking.

With the advent of fast food, technology, and multi-tasking, eating is often relegated to a quick meal between obligations, something necessary to keep us fueled for our over-scheduled lives. Not only do we neglect the ritual of family meals, but too often we overlook the simple joy of eating.

We may not have as much time to focus on food preparation as our grandmothers did, but we can be mindful of the food we eat and how we experience a meal. This means not eating in front of the TV or computer, but rather sitting with our family or alone in a quiet, distraction-free place.

With focused breathing and mindfulness meditation, we trigger the relaxation response and learn to detach from intrusive thoughts and emotions.

By interrupting, reframing, and challenging thoughts, we learn to take charge of our thinking and diminish the power thoughts have over us.

When we identify our core values, we create boundaries for our choices and actions so we don’t give ourself more reason to ruminate and worry.

Once we clarify our life priorities, we don’t waste our time on things that will later cause us regret or mental suffering.

When we set goals based on our values and priorities, we set the stage for focused action and self-esteem that keeps us feeling energized.

When we seek out and live our passion, we infuse our goals with authenticity, purpose, and joy, leaving little room for negative thinking.

By being more present and mindful in our relationships, we prevent many of the conflicts that come with human interaction, minimizing the resulting mental distress and increasing fulfillment with the relationship.

When we keep our home and our digital world clean, organized, and streamlined, we remove distractions that pull us away from our values, priorities, and goals.

By making the decision to cut back on tasks and obligations, we reduce stress, allowing more “space” to be present and attentive to life.

As we focus on the task at hand and involve ourself in “flow” activities, we transcend the mental chatter in our head to become one with the activity, fostering feelings of joy and deep satisfaction.

When we tackle procrastination and learn to quickly take the first step, we circumvent the anxiety that comes with putting things off.

By applying mindfulness to all of the daily activities of life, from dishwashing to exercise, we clear our mind of all but the only true reality in life-the present moment. American psychologist Abraham Maslow says, “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

Source : Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking by S.J. Scott, Barrie Davenport

Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31645392-declutter-your-mind

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