Our society is plagued with anxious thoughts and worries. Contrary to popular belief, living with anxiety is not everyone’s default setting. In fact, it goes against the very nature of who we are: a being meant to live in the present moment.
To put it into perspective, anxious thoughts are just self-created imaginations of a future that isn’t here yet. We create scenarios in our heads of what’s to come and replay them in our heads to the point of driving ourselves insane. I termed this phenomenon “mental clutter” because, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, clutter is defined as “a crowded or confused mass or collection,” and when we apply this to the mind, mental clutter is simply a jumbled up collection of fear.
I am no stranger to mental clutter, and I’ve tried different techniques to manage the mind whenever I find myself in a cycle of unproductive thoughts. Here’s what I do when I’m in that state:
Identify what thoughts are
According to Sadhguru in his book Inner Engineering, thoughts are essentially information you have gathered and recycled, “All the human mind is doing is recycling old data.”
When you identify what something is, revealing its truth, it’s easier to observe it rather than be consumed by it.
Become an observer
Becoming an observer of your thoughts means detaching from them. Many meditation gurus advise viewing thoughts as clouds and, as they come up, let them drift by without clinging onto them.
In Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty, he highlights that detaching means “escaping the hold of the senses, of earthly desires, of the material world.” He continues by emphasizing that with detachment “you have the perspective of an objective observer. Only by detaching can we truly gain control of the mind.”
By becoming an observer, you create space between you and your thoughts, inducing a sense of calmness and clarity.
Make your mind your friend
Of all the people in the world, your mind should be on your side all day, every day. Your mind should not be your enemy.
Jay Shetty shared this mantra in Think Like a Monk, and I found it to be a useful tool: “Make my mind my friend.” Whenever you find yourself in conflict with your mind, try saying this simple mantra while shifting your thoughts to something more calming.
Meditation can be a powerful grounding tool in making the mind your friend.
If this post helped you in any way, please let me know in the comments and share it with a friend who may need it.
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