In this age of technology, we can be more efficient in so many ways. Yet, most would agree that we seem to have less time than ever.
In fact, our research found that in a 12-hour day, the average working adult spends less than an hour either exercising or engaging in self-care. Instead, the never-ending to-do list dominates their days, and they plop into bed feeling that they failed to be productive at home and at work.
8 Ways to Improve Your Mental Energy & Mindfulness
In this video blog, we share our top 8 tips for focusing more of your mental energy on nurturing and rewarding activities and less on those that leave you feeling drained and unfulfilled.
1. Maintain a gratitude practice
You may be aware that it’s important to be grateful, but did you know that gratitude actually makes people happier? Yes! The research is overwhelmingly consistent in finding that people who practice gratitude have more joy in their lives. In fact, gratitude has been called a ‘happiness shortcut.’ But gratitude is not something you have or don’t have. It is not even a feeling per se. Gratitude is something you do. It is a behavior. Learn how to cultivate a gratitude practice in this video.
2. Reduce resistance
One way to use your mind’s precious energy in a more productive and healthy way is to reduce your resistance. It is human nature to resist what is, in favor of how we think things ‘should be’. Even more of a time waster, is the energy spent on wishing the past could have been any different. Acceptance and forgiveness is the acknowledgement that there’s not a thing we can do to change the past. Learn how to reduce your resistance in this video about the “Clenched Fist In Your Mind.”
3. Practice letting go
Perhaps the most important practice of all for a healthy mental state is the act of letting go. Far too much energy is wasted in mistakes, regrets, and resentments from yesterday. The longer we stay in the ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda’ place, the more we suffer. If we can learn to let go of the fact that life will not always unfold the way we want, and look around at what we are grateful for, our lives will become more enriched, fulfilling, and joyful. See how to do this in our “Art of Lightening Up” video.
4. Allow emotions
We have all been there. We try so hard not to be angry, disappointed, or frustrated. The harder we try, the worse we feel. In these moments, we are doing what psychologists call ‘repressing emotions.’ It’s not a surprise that repressed rhymes with depressed. Those emotions do not simply go away. In fact, the harder we resist, the more fervently they take over our mental state. Over time, we feel a looming sense of doom, stress, or sadness. What to do? Learn how to set those emotions free in this video about the “Big Bad Beachball of Feelings.”
5. Break the stress cycle
As humans, our bodies are pre-programmed to respond to stressful situations. Our bodies know exactly how to mobilize to protect us. For acute stress, this response is perfect. If there really is a danger lurking, you need your body to get ready to run. The blood runs out of our stomachs and into our legs. Have you ever noticed that upset stomach feeling in these moments? Have you felt a tightness in your thighs? That’s your body’s way of taking your energy off digestion and putting it into running away from danger. But of course in modern life, the real dangers are few. The perceived anxiety provoking situations are many. What happens is not acute stress but chronic stress. We are not built for that. To manage it, you need to help your body let go of it. A few strategies are: a hardy laugh, a good cry, or a dance party. My personal favorite is driving around listening to a song on full volume and singing my heart out. It’s up to you. Choose your favorite. The master of all of these strategies is exercise. Learn how it works in this “Break The Stress Cycle” video.
6. Stop complaining
As obvious as this sounds, we all fall victim to this cycle of complaining. Something unpleasant happens and we get sucked into a negative spiral. Maybe it’s raining on the day of your outdoor birthday party. Maybe you are in a hurry to get somewhere and you run into traffic. Maybe you thought it was going to be the perfect dinner date and you have slow service at the restaurant. The problem is not the seemingly unpleasant situation; it’s in our reaction to it. I have heard it said this way, “The moment in front of you is not what’s bothering you. You are bothering yourself about the moment in front of you.” Learn how to avoid falling into this trap with the “Two Arrows Technique” video.
7. Notice your thoughts
We all have an internal experience as we go out and encounter the external world. There is an internal dialogue that has something to say regarding just about everything. Researchers estimate that we have about 60,000 thoughts per day. Unfortunately, though, most of these thoughts are negative. Worse yet? Most of these negative narratives are untrue. But rarely do we stop to examine the thoughts. Often, we don’t even recognize thoughts for what they are. Thoughts are temporary and often have no factual basis whatsoever. Thoughts are not you. You are the one in there who gets to decide whether to follow them. Learn how to be effective at monitoring your thoughts in this “Thoughts vs Facts” video.
8. Scan for the positive
As humans, we are naturally wired to scan our environments for risks and dangers. We do have the ability, though, to notice and attend to a more optimistic view. This viewpoint can only be achieved through intentional practice. Our default view will likely be pessimistic and risk averse. Yet, the power of our intentions cannot be underestimated. We get to choose where to put our attention. The power to choose where we focus our energy is one of our greatest gifts. Use your attention wisely with the “Upstairs Self Downstairs Self” technique in this video.
Congratulations!
You have done yourself and all who know you a great service today. You have taken the time to learn how your mind works and the conditions to nurture it into a healthier and more optimistic state. In this piece, we learned about the importance of gratitude. This strategy is #1 for a reason. If all you do today is spend a little more time being grateful, you have accomplished a great feat.
We talked about the importance of letting go, allowing for emotions, and reducing resistance. A great deal of our suffering comes from our resistance to life being as it is.
Even more painful is any energy focused on wishing the past could have been any different. We learned how to let go of these events that can’t be changed.
Finally, we learned about our power to choose our thoughts. Rather than suffering twice; once with the negative event, and then twice with our reaction to it, we learned to react differently.
Now you can see how to see those thoughts coming up and choose a more optimistic view. Taken together, you have a rare gem: a mental well-being and mindfulness toolkit. These techniques will serve you well through the inevitable ups and downs of life. Great work!