I want to share with you 3 powerful methods that can make a profound impact on your mental health and emotional well-being. I'd like to give insight behind why these techniques are beneficial, even if you implement just one. These may not come as a shock for you, but I find that knowing why something is beneficial is crucial to helping a habit stick. Here we'll talk about the benefits of going for a morning walk, finding moments of stillness in meditation, and journaling everything that comes to your mind, yes everything. It’s important for me to mention that these don’t happen for me every day, however, I do try to be as consistent as I can. These don’t need to be done perfectly in order for you to recognize changes, but they do need honest effort, progress not perfection.
At times it seems like the idea of becoming still and quiet can feel like such a daunting concept. In today’s era, instead of “don't just do something sit there” it’s “don't just sit there, do something”. There are thoughts and emotions that we don’t want to look at or feel, yet we don’t realize how much of the emotional weight we are carrying is actually keeping us stuck. We remain in the same autopilot behaviors and thought processes. This was easy for me to do for a long time, until little by little I was tired of the narrative that kept playing on repeat in my head. I wanted to start creating a new story for myself. I wanted to begin to “feel it to heal it” because I knew that was the only was I would begin to truly heal.
Perhaps the reason why it is so difficult to face the feelings is because it doesn’t feel safe. However, knowing where the resistance is coming from — the safer the idea of facing “it” becomes. The more aware we are of the thoughts that are circulating through our minds, we begin to understand that those thoughts are coming from a place of fear and unresolved past experience. Next time you have a negative/fearful thought come up, for example, a common one for me was, “I can’t believe I messed that situation up again, I can’t do anything right.” You can acknowledge that thought as being separate from you. That thought is arising from past experiences of fear, shame, guilt, etc. Instead of immediately believing the thought, you begin to question where it’s coming from and why.
“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” -Socrates.
Also, if you don’t know where to begin with your meditation journey, Youtube has a plethora of guided meditations. My favorites tend to involve “self love meditations” “inner child meditation”, “higher-self meditation”, etc. Here is one of my go-to morning meditations, short but effective to start your day!
The late spiritual teacher, Dr. Wayne Dyer, who was someone who had ongoing spiritual conversations with Oprah for more than 30 years, spoke often on the benefits of meditation, saying,
“Meditation gives you an opportunity to come to know your invisible self. It allows you to empty yourself of the endless hyperactivity of your mind, and to attain calmness. It teaches you to be peaceful, to remove stress, to receive answers where confusion previously reigned.”
Often our mind can be our master but once we begin to be more mindful and go inward, we gain our power back.
Next up is the “Brain Dump”, meaning journaling anything and everything that comes to mind. There is clarity that comes when you remove the excess thoughts that are taking up space. When we distract ourselves from the uncomfortable thoughts and emotions we are only burying them deeper, they never actually go away — that is until they are acknowledged and felt. The following 3 things help to set me up for success, instead of set up for excuses.
This exercise helps to get your thoughts on paper which increases your self-awareness, which can decrease stress and make the thoughts seem less overwhelming! Until we become curious about our pain, they will remain inside of us, wreaking havoc with any opportunity to flare up. This journaling exercise helps us to be aware of our inner critic and begin doing the work and understanding this work is important and productive. When we begin writing down all the thoughts that our inner critic creates, we can begin recognizing patterns and ways of managing it – until slowly, those thoughts begin to diminish in strength.
Let’s begin with what will help to reset your circadian rhythm and why it’s so important for your mental and physical health. Our Circadian rhythm is a physical and mental process which fluctuates in the 24-hour cycle. This matters because it helps us be alert during the day and ready for sleep at night. When our sleep suffers, it's not just our physiological function that suffers, but our mental health as well. Although it may not seem like anything transformative, a walk outside in the morning has been a game changer. Something magical happens to my mind and body when I head outside for a walk within 30 minutes (or so) of waking. I’ll be honest, there are some mornings where I simply don’t feel like it. But I go regardless because I know I’ll feel mentally clear/alert and physically warmed up for my day. It’s no wonder dogs are obsessed with their walks, it helps their mental health too!
I recently came across the impressive benefits of getting morning light from a neuroscientist, Andrew Huberman. Sunlight and darkness are powerful biological indicators which means exposing yourself to the morning sunlight helps keep your circadian rhythm regulated. This means your body will decrease melatonin production (the sleep-inducing hormone) to wake you up and increase melatonin output at night to prepare us for sleep. This is the goal. I didn’t realize just how important sleep was until I began working at Innerbloom Ketamine Therapy. I began learning more about mental wellness and being surrounded by those who care to do the same. In his article on improving sleep quality, Dr. Peters discusses all about the importance of sleep hygiene as well as all the benefits that come along with it in his article “First Step to Better Sleep: Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day”
I realized that when I take care of my sleep, it ends up taking care of me while I’m awake.
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Even if these progressive shifts are at an atomic level, with time you will begin to notice not only your internal world improve but your external reality will begin to shift as well. It may even be helpful to set an intention when beginning a new habit. I write all about the importance of intention which may be a helpful place to start. Remember, once we get out of our own way, what’s on the other side is far worth the old habits and beliefs we leave behind. I simply ask that you give it a chance, the beginning isn’t always pleasant but try to resist the urge to stop. The mind would rather be stuck in a familiar hell than seek an unfamiliar heaven. Starting can always come with resistance and know that’s normal, so keep going. Just know that when we attempt something new it can lead to something better, it's a domino effect. Cheers to wellness!
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