Do you ever wish your mind would just let you go to sleep? Sleep deprivation is at epidemic rates as nearly 30 percent of American adults sleep less than 7 hours per night.. The body rests during sleep, however, the brain remains active, gets “recharged,” and still controls many body functions including breathing. But to even get to sleep your mind needs to stop racing a mile a minute. If it seems that your mind just won’t take a break sometimes, use these few tips to silence the noise and learn how to give your mind a rest.
1. Stop Moving
the first way to help your mind to rest is to stop moving your body. Find a quiet place in your home or another location where you can be alone with no one else around. In this space, refuse to lift a finger unless it is lowering yourself on the bed or a bench. If your body wants to move, don’t let it. Keep it still and soon your mind will begin to become still also.
2. Think about your thoughts.
What is your mind thinking about as it’s racing around. If you’re a multitasking person, you try to make a lot of activities fit into one 24-hour day. When you think about five different things, the mind is quickly shifting between one thing, then the next and the next, making it very agitated. You may get a lot done but there is a price. When you try to find the calm after the storm, it’s hard to get there. One of the main reasons is that you don’t let hour body stop at the same time. The mind and body are connected and it’s is hard to keep the mind at quiet when the body is still moving after a day of multi-tasking. Take time to stop, relax, slow your mind down. Think about what you are thinking to bring things to calm down.
3. Breath.
Try a few breathing exercises. Most people don’t breathe deeply. You probably didn’t notice that you were breathing shallow and fast. Now, you can slow it down and go deeper to bring more oxygen in your lungs. Increased oxygen levels also increases mental clarity and focus. Doing yoga is great for teaching you how to listen to the sing-song rhythm of your breathing.
4. Cut the distractions
Try to get rid of distractions to get a rested mind. No one likes to think of their family as a distraction, but when you need to center yourself, anyone or anything that vies for your attention is just that. Turn off your cellular phone, your PDA and your computer. Let the only noises you hear be the natural sounds around you. Besides, with these devices close at hand, your body remains tense waiting for them to buzz if you realize it or not.
5. Change your attention
When it’s time to settle the mind down, find something to occupy your time that is not related to work or problem solving. Often we are thinking of ways to fix or change something. Instead, read a book, take a walk, pray or meditate. Even stare at the ceiling and focus on comforting thoughts. By changing your focus, your mind gets a chance to rest from its labors and concentrate on something that is not stressful. One device that you can have is a music player of some kind. Music usually conjures up memories of less stressful times. It also calms the savage mind. Let the sweet melodieslull your mind into a deeper consciousness.