In figuring out how to balance the mind, there are a couple of questions that are helpful to reflect on…
When would we be well served to balance the mind and our thinking?
What does it mean to balance the mind, and how do we accomplish that?
To answer the first question about when we would be well served to balance the mind, we first need to know what the mind is up to, which requires that we stop for a moment and check in with ourselves and our thinking. If you pause for a moment and observe your thinking, what do you notice?
Is our mind/thinking helping us to do the stuff in our life that is important by aligning our actions and our values? The mind can be a very helpful tool when we engage it to help us plan, organize, strategize, research, learn, create and collaborate. If your mind is helping you in these ways that is awesome! What happens when you are wanting to take a break from these activities? Are you able to shift your attention away from these productive mental activities and relax, regenerate, and enjoy your life?
This leads us to another inquiry on your relationship with your mind/thinking. Is your mind and the way you think making you feel good or bad? If you feel good about how you are using your mind, then that is great! If there are times that your mind and your thinking make you feel bad due to negative beliefs, worry, doubt and criticism, then it is important to recognize when this is happening and find a way to redirect your focus away from your thinking.
To summarize, if your thinking is unhelpful and is making you feel bad about yourself and your situation, it would be beneficial for you to balance your mind.
So, what does it mean to balance the mind? Balancing the mind is really about balancing the attention that we give to the mind! When we are consciously, or unconsciously engaged with the mind and our thinking and it is not serving us, then we have an opportunity to recognize this pattern and then shift it. We shift it by moving our attention back to the present moment, and back to our physical body. We aren’t trying to control our thoughts (I'm not sure that it is even possible to control our thoughts!), but we can set them aside and pay attention to what is going on within and around us, and when we do this, we start to notice that things shift in important and helpful ways.
Instead of worrying about something that might happen tomorrow, we bring our attention back to what is happening today and focus on what is right in front of us. We can take a few relaxing breaths, we can talk with a friend, we can go outside and appreciate the day and the changing weather. We can ask ourselves if there is anything that we can do to prepare for tomorrow and if there is, then focus on doing that.
Instead of focusing on negative thoughts you are having about your job and how much you hate it, you can focus on actually doing the job, focus on completing one task at a time, and focus on how you are feeling as you are making progress in your day. Can you take a few calming breaths and try to relax as much as possible as you are working? This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look for another job, you probably should! But even in looking for another job, can you stay present, try to remain as calm and regulated as possible, and take your job search one step at a time?
So balancing the mind is about redirecting our attention away from the unhelpful mental patterns and back to the present moment, back to our body, our breath and our senses. It is fairly simple to understand, but sometimes a bit more challenging to put into practice, and that is why it is so important to practice! See the 5 Essential Practices for more information.
If you would like more information or would like to discuss how Balance Mind Coaching can support you in balancing your mind so you can feel more productive, more confident, and happier, please reach out.
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