Did you know that our mind can only do addition & multiplication and not subtraction & division? Puzzled? So was I on hearing this the first time. When someone asks you to get rid of your negative emotions, can we subtract them immediately? The simple answer is ‘No’, given how hard it is for our mind to let go of something, on the contrary, the negative emotions keep adding and sometimes even multiplied depending on the state of our mind. It is quite difficult to control our minds if we do not know the needed tricks to do so, and a foggy mind results in bigger problems.
Most often our anxiety begins with failing to understand ‘What we want may not necessarily be what you really need’. In the process of racing against time, little do we focus on ourselves. Only when the hurdle is large enough to stop us from running, do we stop and look back; by then the panting has engrossed us and restricts us from envisioning the future. It is believed that trying times bring the best in a person, but what we are unaware of is that our thoughts need to be clear in such times to bring out the best within us.
Let me acknowledge, these little tricks am about to share, might not be the gospel of truth but might help you calm down and alleviate your worries. If you’ve ever endured daunting times, pulling you down however hard you try, then this article is for you.
Let the mind and body align unless you have lost your mind J. During testing times when you are mentally down, it is quite essential to focus on your body. If you already have a good fitness regime with everyday workouts, start including breathing techniques or yoga in your routine. In a time of stress, our body secretes cortisol which makes our mind foggy; Effective breathing techniques/ meditation controls the secretion of this hormone and helps in relaxing ourselves. A lot of reading also helps to stimulate the parietal lobe of our brain that controls our emotional responses, therefore books on motivation leave a positive impact on our brain. Picking the right books matters though. The feeling that we are not alone in this pain, provides the much-needed motivation that you are deprived of. It is thus important for your mind and body to travel together aiding symbiotic healing.
Respond and not react. ‘Change’ is the only constant thing in our life. I believe that great minds are not born in maternity wards but by our choice of responding to situations. Our response to every given situation decides the rest of our life path. The major prejudice that encapsulates our mind is that ‘This cannot happen to me, ‘I cannot go wrong,’ I cannot fail’, and these are thoughts that arise from a fear of disapproval from society. Only when we understand and acknowledge that we are at a serious problem, can we prepare ourselves to overcome the same. Our immediate reaction when in tough times is to find a way to get out of the trouble instantaneously by finding a short-term solution which seldom helps.
When you feel you have faced injustice at some point, choose not to react rather respond to it by rising above the situation. Your reflex instincts occupy the entire brain operation, and this can happen only during life-threatening situations; For instance, when a hungry lion chases you, your metabolism, hunger, immunity, etc. nothing matters, you just have to run for life. Reactions are as good as reflex instincts, let us not trivialize its purpose. The response to a situation will be much effective and meaningful than the reaction, and the process shall let your mind handle the situation calmly.
All is well. Researchers have found that our brain can be tricked despite it being the most complex organ in our body. If you are eating the world’s delicious food but keep telling your mind that the food tastes sour, your mind will believe that as true. If things are going wrong inadvertently and you keep informing your mind that there is nothing to fear, cortisol secretion can be controlled and in turn, your brain can focus on what is needed at the moment. It is necessary to question ourselves, as in what are we worrying about?
Is it the feeling of being left out, FOMO, or other bigger problems like job loss, financial trouble, medical problems, relationship issues, social injustice; and if your brain does not have a clear answer, it is necessary to address that first. If there are multiple things that are bothering you, then it could be your perception of life that needs to be changed. Deep down a voice constantly guides us and you can call it Grace. If you have identified the cause of your pain and there is nothing that you could change, it is better to leave the pain to a higher power that you believe in. This helps you feel relaxed and unburden yourself from the cause of misery. In any given situation, it is essential to calm down to understand the situation better and take an educated decision.
Sometimes, all you need is a break from whatever you are doing right now. You deserve the time to give yourself and others around you a better living. A simple change in our lifestyle, perception, or habit could make a massive change in our life path. It is just that all these need a calm and clear mind. Nothing takes precedence over a peaceful life. When your mind is calm, no amount of insanity can overpower you.
The World Around Us 
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