Living in the exact center of Canada, I know the weight of winter all too well. During these dark months, it's easy to slip into a state of mental fog and down right negativity!
Winter is a time of rest and renewal and you can take steps to reduce the effects of winter brain fog. We often consider flushing out the toxins that clog up our body and slow down our internal systems, but how often do we prioritize mental detox? Mental and emotional toxins often fly under the radar, yet are just as important, especially with the digital overload we we experience ever day.
A cluttered mind can lead to:
Lack of focus
Fatigue
Stress
Indecision
Feeling Overwhelmed and over committed
Communication breakdowns
Mistakes and errors
Health issues
Unhappiness
To avoid these problems, follow these steps to learn how to detox your mind.
1. Set an Intention A helpful way to begin the detox process is to set an intention for the remainder of the season. This helps you move forward conscious way, instead of leaving it up to chance. Consider how you wish to grow in your life — no limitations, just your biggest dreams. Is there a word or phrase that describes the overarching feeling of what you want? When you've settled on your intention, write it down and post it somewhere you see often to remind yourself every day, as often as possible. I like to place mine on the refrigerator or the bathroom mirror.
2. Go Outdoors Spending time outside is a powerful way to cultivate encouragement, inspiration and increase energy levels of the body and mind. Going outside can improve your overall physical and mental health, lower your stress levels, increase your ability to concentrate and quiet your mind. With this kind of power, getting outdoors is one of the best ways to detox your mind! It's harder in the winter, but when you find some activities you enjoy, the crisp winter air can be especially refreshing. My favourites are cross-country skiing and taking a walk in a quiet park or forest. 3. Schedule in SCREEN-FREE Time Setting time aside without distractions is essential for getting into a state of self-reflection and improving mental clarity. Removing yourself from the perpetual demands of the digital age is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Schedule time away from your smart phone, access to social media, and steady stream of texts, calls, and emails. Why be at the mercy of your notifications when you can be in charge of your time? All you need to do is detach from your devices for a while. The best way to do this is to set up technology boundaries ahead of time and follow through. You might start with even 5 minutes the gradually increase your tech-free time.
4. Meditate Did you know he average human mind has at least 50,000 thoughts every day, meaning you have a new thought about every 1.2 seconds. It’s easy for the mind to follow the many random thoughts and get lost and distracted, so having a way to detox your mind is important to help you keep your focus. Meditation is an effective way to help calm a distracted brain. Try a guided meditation from my podcast as a starting point.
5. Let Go Reflect on your responses and goals in life. What or who may be in the way of achieving your goals in life? What are you ready to release from your life in order to create space for something new? This could be a job, relationship, type of food, emotion, responsibility, limiting belief, time commitment, chore, or otherwise. Write down as many things as you can think of that are standing in between you and your success and happiness. Then, commit to let it go.
6. Boost Nutrition
Add in some brain boosting foods! Did you know that there are several foods that are known to boost your brain power? Green leafy vegetables, walnuts, fatty fish and berries are just a few examples. I take a supplement specifically formulated with natural nootropics to increase my mental clarity, boost my memory and improve my focus and concentration. It's been life-changing.
I hope these tips help you with boosting your energy levels and your brain power for the last push of the winter. Spring will arrive. I promise.
