Jammed, jumbled, littered with half-finished tasks and looming responsibilities.
Does the inside of your head ever feel like an episode of Hoarders? Mine does.
And like shaking a backpack upside down, sometimes I just want to dump everything out, reorganize it, and start anew.
But today, our focus is stretched thinner than pastry paper, making it tougher to settle into a state of tranquility and calm—even after the workday has concluded.
Here’s how to clear your mind so you can fully relax, melt into downtime, and recharge your mental output for when you need it next.
1. Feed Your Brain Some Fuel
When your brain is firing on all cylinders, the day glides by.
You think clearly, execute tasks efficiently, and quickly solve the myriad problems that pop up in everyday life.
To optimize your brain function, you must be sleeping, eating, and drinking loads of water. But, you might also want to try a safe and effective cognitive supplement.
A popular brand that I’ve tried and had success with is TruBrain, an unpretentious brain supplements brand from Santa Monica, California producing nootropic formulas designed by UCLA neuroscientists.
TruBrain doesn’t push one formula, but instead prompts you to try a 10-drink trial to determine which blend best feeds your unique mind.
In the trial, you’ll try six different packs: sleep, mellow, mushrooms, medium, strong, and extra strong.
I like medium, the light-blue daily pack, which is a caffeine-free mix of minerals, nutrients, and nootropics designed to “boost your mental bandwidth.”
Mushrooms, TruBrain’s newest offering, comprises superfood mushrooms, Lion’s Mane, Rhodiola, and other natural ingredients. Lately, I’ve been adding powdered mushrooms to my morning protein shake, so I’m keen to try out this new formula.
Just remember, quality cognitive supplements shouldn’t transform you into a real-life Jimmy Neutron, just to leave you cloudy and fatigued later.
A worthy brain supplement should increase your mental output and deliver a subtle boost to help you accomplish your desired function like focus, sleep, or relaxation. Stick with healthy brain supplements with transparent ingredients to avoid gnarly side effects and an unpleasant comedown.
Not sure where to start with TruBrain? Their sample pack features all of their popular formulations—encourage better sleep, or boost your clarity to slap out emails for hours. This is the easiest way to get started with nootropics.
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2. Move From Mind Into Body
Nice, this dude’s going to tell me to start doing yoga, huh? Nope (though, yoga would totally accomplish this, so consider that too).
Moving from your mind into your body is achieved by engaging in one of those calm, productive, almost mindless tasks that softens your mental load and actually bolsters creativity.
Research conducted by a University of California lab, and cited in the Association of Psychological Science, finds that “mindless tasks that allow our thoughts to roam can be catalysts for innovation.”
This is why people really do have breakthrough ideas in the shower. Here’s a list of tasks and activities to help you move from mind into body and clear your head.
- Cooking
- Walking
- Showering
- Organizing
- Playing a game
- Hiking
- Sketching
- Building
- Gardening
Read these next lines and as you envision each activity, picture your thoughts softening as you do it.
You’re chopping up colorful ingredients, sauteeing them in pans, and combining them into a fragrant meal.
You’re plunging your hands down into wet soil and turning it over in your fingers.
You’re dumping a warm stack of clean clothes onto your bed, picking up garments, tugging them over hangers.
That last one was just doing laundry, but it sounds kind of nice, right? The simplest of tasks can shift our focus away from our frenetic minds into something productive, rhythmic, and enjoyable.
3. Map Out Your Tasks
Of course you don’t like maintaining a schedule or to-do list—but your brain loves it.
Often, we can’t clear our minds because we’re worried about looming tasks and responsibilities we have yet to take care of. This hinders us from focusing on the task at hand and adds to our ballooning mental baggage.
When you create a to-do list and schedule tasks, you’re actively writing them somewhere outside of your head. This allows you to be more present and forget about pending tasks until it’s time to accomplish them.
A study completed by Wake Forest University professors found that just the act of writing down a task can expel much of the anxiety around it. The heat relaxes my muscles, and the scent clears my head. I sit and sweat and breathe for as long as I can stand it, and when I leave, my mind feels as light and airy as a cloud. Another activity is reading. I’ll pour a glass of wine, light a candle, and pick up the book I’m currently reading. I’ll immerse myself in a different world, letting the words and stories wash over me until my brain feels refreshed and renewed.
Find your own mind-clearing activities. Experiment with different things until you find what works best for you. Whether it’s hiking, painting, meditating, cooking, or something else entirely, having a go-to activity that helps you clear your mind is crucial for maintaining your mental health and well-being.
After 10-15 minutes, I’ve released much of the baggage weighing on my mind and come down from my high-strung state. To heighten the effect, I imagine the hot temperatures heating up all my stress and worries and gently burning them away. By the end, I’m sweaty, relaxed, and clear-headed.
Another activity I consistently engage in is going for a walk and noticing how things look and sound around me. When my brain is racked with stress, I don’t want to think about a single thing. So, I just walk, look, and listen. It’s surprising how pleasant a gust of heavy wind sounds rustling heavy branches or how soothing it is to peer up into the sky with nothing to think about.
Consult the list in #2, think about your past experiences and what sounds relaxing to you, then go for it. There are no wrong answers.
Tom Brady once revealed that he drinks 2.3 gallons of water per day. Your muscles are almost 80% water, your skin is over 60% water, and your brain, the engine powering the whole show, is about 75% water. This is why you need loads of water throughout the day to keep your brain, body, and everything else lubricated and functioning.
When you’re adequately hydrated, your body produces essential mood-regulating hormones and neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. But when you’re dehydrated, your body produces higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Remaining constantly dehydrated can also increase your risk of anxiety and depression.
Healthy water intake is critical for brain function. Water helps your brain cells communicate with one another, linked to better focus and cognitive function. It’s recommended that men drink roughly 125 ounces of water per day.
Those are seven effective strategies to clear your mind and get mentally back on track. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to identify what you need. Can you support your mental output with a cognitive supplement? Will writing down your tasks take some pressure off? Can you exercise or engage in a calming, mindless activity? Maybe you need to take a walk through some greenery. The world will leave your brain jumbled from time to time, so it’s up to you to clear your mind and find ways to hit reset. Original content:
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