Stop thinking, just for a while.

 

Why should I stop thinking, I can hear you say? 

The main reason is so that you can find space for creative thought, for solutions, ideas, positive outcomes.

We have so much going around in our heads on a daily basis, and our brains only have the capacity for a few things, in fact, we can only deal with 3-5 items at any one time. This is what we call our 'working memory' and if one of those things is a big deal, a life-changing event, wedding, baby, new job, then the main focus is that, and then you are definitely down to just 3.

If you have a lot going on and you are trying to find the solution to another problem on top, the likelihood is that you won't get there until you have got through your other mental tasks. But creating space in your mind will help, and here is a good exercise to help you.

Very similar to your stress container exercise that I have written about in a previous blog, get yourself a piece of paper or a trusted notebook, write down everything that you have to action, say, in that week, so it's there in front of you in bold. You have no need to retain that information for at least the next hour, because you won't forget it, it's there in black and white. 

Now, just sit, be, and try and empty your head of all thoughts, watch them drift from you, create a space in your mind, relax and enjoy this exercise, watch your thought float away into the distance, creating mind space, breathing space for your head, and then the magic happens. Thinking too much doesn't help you solve problems, not thinking of anything does that for you, ideas spring out from the gaps in your mind, solutions appear from nowhere, because you have enabled space for them to flow.

Over-thinking is not a solution for problems, it creates them, so as with the stress container, when you have written down that list, then write down an action plan and a timeline for the actions. If, on closer inspection you see things on the list that you don't even need to deal with, erase them, get rid of them, make your life easier, because you are the only one that can do that, no one else can do your mind management for you.

Try this, and see how well it works, enjoy the feeling of an empty mind, even if it is only temporary.

It's a great exercise to do once a week to stop things getting on top of you. Let me know how it goes.