6 Research backed Methods to Calm Your Mind
If you can relate to most people who lead busy lives filled with responsibilities, you can probably understand how important it is to be able to calm your mind from time to time. When our lives get busy and hectic, our minds tend to go hyperactive leading to burnout, stress, and anxiety.
It is understandable that today, there are a lot more people suffering from anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. With the kind of capitalist system we have created, our entire life purpose has been restructured around work and careers, which demand just a little too much from people.
If you’re among the many suffering from the monkey mind and just don’t know how to make it stop, keep reading as this post is about why we tend to overthink too much and break down 6 research-backed methods to calm your mind.
Why do I overthink too much?
To understand why we overthink, we need to understand the root cause of overthinking. Most of the time, the root cause of overthinking is the fear of the unknown. You can call it anxiety, uncertainty or just simply fear.
Overthinking can also be caused by past trauma in one’s life. People who have gone through traumatic events can develop a tendency to overthink and may find themselves being hyper-vigilant more often than not.
Insecurity and low self-esteem are also other causes of overthinking. Every person has their insecurities and that’s okay. However, if you find yourself overthinking too much about what others may think of what you wear, how you look, and what you say, this may be a sign that you suffer from insecurity and low self-esteem.
By combining the understanding of where your overthinking comes from and taking effective action, I believe that most people are capable of calming their minds and having a more joyful experience of life. Below are 6 effective methods to calm your mind.
6 Research-backed Methods to Calm Your Mind
1. Breathing Exercises
Today, there is a lot of study and research behind breathing exercises. There are many different breathing exercises you can try to calm your mind. Breathing exercises can generate a relaxation response and make you feel more calm, centered, and grounded.
Shallow breathing is a very typical stress response and by deliberately taking in deep controlled breaths, one can relax their nervous system enabling them to calm down. It can also lower the heart rate and blood pressure, reduce the levels of stress hormones, and balance the levels of oxygen in your blood.
Many of today’s breathing techniques are inspired by ancient sciences such as Yoga and Taoism from China. In both, there is a heavy importance on the vital life force that flows through your body. In Yoga, it is called prana and in Taoism it is qi.
2. Meditation
Meditation is an ancient science that has been practiced for ages. Today, science is finally catching up with research and other experiments to study the effect of meditation on the human mind. The results have been remarkable.
When you are under stress, it can increase the levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone. This can cause added stress and anxiety, disrupt your sleep cycle, and make you depressed. Research has shown that mindfulness meditation can help to reduce these symptoms and calm down your nervous system back to normal levels.
If you are new to meditation and don’t know how to get started, below are some helpful articles that we have covered on the blog before.
3. Journaling
If we just thought about journaling from a practical perspective, we could still see that it can help you organize your thoughts, clear your mind, and refocus your attention on the important things.
But there’s more. Journaling has become a practice that is becoming recommended more and more by therapists, life coaches, and other professionals in the wellness industry. Today, there is enough research done on Journaling to confirm that it can help you calm your mind and be more present in the moment.
As per a study conducted by the Michigan State University, a group of college students who journaled for half an hour about their deepest thoughts and feelings before attempting a computer-based flanker task, was able to complete the task more efficiently than the group who journaled about daily activities.
4. Focus on one thing at a time
Multi-tasking is considered a valuable skill in the corporate world. People add multi-tasking to their Resumes and companies list it among the required skills for hiring positions. I’m not saying that the ability to multi-task is by any means not helpful. When needed, it can help you meet deadlines and handle high-pressure situations.
However, multi-tasking comes at a cost. If you get used to multi-tasking, it can lead to burnout and stress. By managing your work tasks smarter, always try to focus on one task at a time. It will help you utilize less mental space and energy and keep you focused for longer hours, ultimately leading to productivity.
Research suggests that when we are multi-tasking, we quickly switch between things causing our brain to tire out and become more inefficient. It may take some time to get the hang of single-tasking, but when you know how to you’ll be thankful.
5. Get Creative
Creativity is another powerful skill that you can develop to use as a tool to better express yourself. Creative work of any form such as drawing and painting, playing an instrument, writing etc, can help you express your thoughts and emotions, and let them out in a more healthy way.
By turning your thoughts into pieces of art, you can better understand yourself and how your mind works. People claim that creative works such as knitting and making crafts have a therapeutic effect and help them relax more. Today, there is enough research that shows the mental benefits of creativity and how it can calm your mind.
6. Go to Nature
If you’re like most people, chances are you spend quite a lot of time in front of a computer, smartphones, and the TV. Excessive usage of these screens and over-exposure to information can cause stress and anxiety.
It’s always a great idea to indulge yourself in nature now and then. It doesn’t always have to be places like forests or mountains (although you should go wherever you can). You can go to a nearby park or beach if you live near the ocean.
Studies have shown that taking the time to unplug in nature and be present in the moment, can reduce the levels of stress hormones and help you unwind and calm your mind.
If you’re currently struggling with your mental and emotional health, please take comfort in knowing that by taking the right steps along with a positive mindset, you can turn things around and come out of it a stronger person.
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