Have you ever been in that place where your mind is racing, and the things you need to attend to are on a perpetual loop playing in your head, and you can't get anything done? If so, you may have simultaneously experienced frustration, irritation, anxiety, and despair.
One of the quickest and easiest routes to alleviating mental overwhelm is to:
● First, acknowledge it.
● Accept that it exists, right here, right now.
● Affirm that you will resolve it, just like you've resolved a million other issues in your life to date.
● Then, take action to resolve it.
Commit Pen to Paper
Using pen and paper for this exercise rather than your laptop, phone, or tablet works best. There is something almost magical to be gained by the act of physically writing.
The very act of consciously thinking and committing pen to paper is enough to interrupt the overwhelm and distance yourself from the emotions.
So initially, write down what you are experiencing and how you feel about this issue. Then detail the issue itself as best you can. Don't worry about spelling, grammar or even the order you write this stuff down. It doesn't matter.
If you want to have a rant on paper about the circumstances you find yourself in, go for it. The more you get out on the paper, the less you will have spinning around in your head. Keep going until you have as much on paper as you can reasonably expect to get out.
Then go for a walk. Thirty minutes at least.
Recalibrate yourself by walking off the excess cortisol and adrenalin.
Listen to the Birds and Bees
Be an observer of all that is going on around you on your walk:
● Listen and see how many different sounds you can hear: birds, bees, trains, planes, cars and more.
● Look and see how many different forms of life you can see: people, dogs, cats, insects, and birds, all busily going about their day in their own way.
● How many different smells can you identify? Are there any that are familiar? Are there any that you just cannot place?
● How are you feeling right now? Warm? Cold? Somewhere in between? Do you notice anything else about yourself?
All of these things help you to be in the moment.
Enjoy your walk and marvel at the fact that all of life is going on around you at the moment, all engaged in their own form of activities, all completely separate and yet all interconnected simultaneously.
Back at Home - Tasks to Complete
Now that you've uncluttered your mind read through the notes you wrote earlier. You'll find that now you have greater clarity.
Write down the three most important things you need to get done today on a clean sheet of paper. Then:
● Choose one task from your 3 most important tasks. Choose any one. Make a decision on what you can do about it and take action to move it towards completion.
● Then, choose a second task and repeat the exercise.
● When that's done, take the third task. Make a decision and take action on that one.
Then go for another walk, at least 30 minutes. Observe all the business of life itself while you are just walking.
When you get home, have a cup of coffee and relax. You'll notice how your mental state has completely changed. Your mind is no longer racing, and you can feel good about yourself, knowing that you've handled the day's most important tasks.
The next time you find your head spinning, remember: Keep Calm and Write It Down!
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