The Quiet Chaos of Being Human

Life is not easy.

Ups and downs make us human. People come and go. Some stay. Some get closer to your heart while others keep distant.

And then there’s work, bills to pay. We encounter health issues.

Then there are social issues and political issues we get so invested in so much so that they impact our mental well being. Not because you’re over thinking or over analyzing but because at times they seem dystopian and you feel powerless.

Holding It All Together When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned

Life is also busy. You got responsibilities for yourself, family, work, community, etc. Things don’t always go the way you hoped them for.

There are times you have to make compromises. You may even need to sacrifice something that is important to you for the greater good of your family, your community.

And there are times things just happen that are beyond your control: natural disasters, accidents, losing of a loved one, etc.

All of the above can impact your mental well being. Which then can start showing up on your physical health.

Trapped by Overthinking: The Silent Exhaustion of Mental Clutter

I have had some mental clutter and every time when I am overthinking something, it makes me physically sick.

Not in the sense of actual sickness but I can feel I am exhausted and don’t have much energy. Sometimes I get headaches.

Other times, I just don’t feel like peopling or exercising or do any of the things that can help me stay on track for my goals.

However, I just have to break the pattern and I have found that it is possible to break the pattern of overthinking.

But that also depends on a lot of the other things you do on a daily basis.

For example, if you are distracting yourself with something everyday, chances are that you won’t be able to catch yourself when overthinking because your mind is so distracted with constant flow of information with whatever distractible activities you are involved in.

Hours of mindless scrolling of social media, binge watching shows, non-stop playing videogames, etc. in the name of ‘resting’ are simply acts of distracting yourself.

But they can be looked at as a break from actual work, rest from the work you’re doing. It only becomes problematic when you overdo any of them in the name of rest.

There is nothing wrong with doing any of that in order to take a break, to get a little entertained.

However, when you say you’re resting and getting involved in all those activities, your senses are constantly needing to put up with all that and you are doing everything but rest.

True Rest vs. Mindless Distractions

Now that we’ve explored how distractions and overthinking can wear us down, let’s look at ways to regain control and reclaim your time and energy.

When you actually rest after deciding to do so, you get rejuvenated.

Even though that ‘rest’ can be subjective but don’t confuse that with doing something for entertainment and for long hours.

Taking a nap, walking in the nature by fully immersing in the moment, reading a little, meditating, etc. are some forms of resting that can be very effective for rejuvenation.

The key is to be aware and intentional about your form of ‘resting’. And not overdoing the distracting activities in the name of resting.

Making sure your mind, your eyes and your overall body gets adequate rest will majorly impact other areas of your life, in a positive way.

Breaking the Cycle of Distraction: Practical Strategies to Build Better Habits

After being aware of all these, if you feel you are too addicted to distracting activities such as doom scrolling, binge watching shows, etc., here are a few strategies I live by, that if you implement in your day-to-day routine, will help you break the pattern and start building new habits:

Using social media blocker app:

If you didn’t already know, there are apps that you can use to block social media for whatever time you want.

If you get impulses to just scroll through, having them blocked for few hours throughout the day can get you started for eliminating doom scrolling habit.

Besides, during that blocked time, you could work on something productive and fulfilling.

Opal is an example app which I use everyday on my phone. It has both free and paid version but free version is enough for starting out. (I’m not sponsored by or linked to them)

Setting timers for activities:

This has been a game changer for me when it comes to being productive and/or even when just getting entertained.

For certain tasks like engaging with folks on social media, learning a new skill, generating ideas, researching, etc. I simply setup time block by simply Googling ‘set timer for 30/60/90/120 minutes’.

Doing this forces me to feel a sense of urgency because my brain thinks I have a limited time to work on a task hence helps me stay focused.

Also, having a time block for entertainment helps me immerse fullyy in the moment and when time’s up, it’s easy to go and do the next thing.

If you’re on your phone and not a computer, you can use the stopwatch/timer on you phone for this.

Making a short list of important tasks:

A list of important tasks for a day or even a week can help you prepare mentally for what’s coming and needs getting done.

And if you want to be even more systematic then you can use a framework called Eisenhower Matrix. It’s basically prioritizing tasks based on the urgency.

I try to use this on my content creation and learning.

But, life happens and you may not get to the end of the list by the end of the week. And that’s okay. You just have to reflect on it and find ways to get them done in the following day or week. There’s no one size fits all and it’s all about figuring things out.

Meditating:

Having a few minutes before bed and right after waking up for meditating or simply focusing on your breathing can help tremendously to calm your nerves down and set you in the relaxed state of mind.

This is crucial for both getting a peaceful night sleep and having a sense of calm for whatever the day throws at you.

It does not magically solve problems but it helps in tackling and handling things tad bit easier.

Making meditation a habit like brushing teeth should be a goal for all of us.

If you don’t know where to start, search Calm on YouTube. They have great beginner-friendly 10 minute guided mindfulness practices. (Again, not linked or sponsored by Calm.)

Journaling:

This can be in any shape or form meaning you can either have this as a tool to mind dump before the meditation at night, or just reflecting on things for the day.

And this is also like meditation, you have to make a habit of doing it to get benefits from it.

Journaling isn’t just about writing down your thoughts, it’s a way to release the mental clutter and give yourself the space to breathe.

It’s about giving yourself permission to not have everything figured out right now, but simply expressing how you’re feeling in the moment.

Learning a skill:

This will help keeping your mind active and sharp.

This skill doesn’t have to be related to your career or for monetary gains.

It can be anything that sparks your curiosity and perhaps keeps your creative juices flowing.

Believe it or not, this will add tremendous fulfillment to your life compared to doom scrolling for cheap dopamine.

Working-out:

I don’t feel I need to point out the benefits of working out except it’s worth mentioning that working out can be in any shape or form and not just lifting weights or doing cardio.

Finding a hobby that keeps you moving will help you stay consistent in your exercising habits.

Decluttering and organizing routine:

A cluttered space will eventually take a toll on your mind and productivity and you will start looking and feeling like a habitual hoarder.

As boring as it may sound, decluttering, cleaning and organizing your work and living spaces will help you stay sane.

What would it look like if you spent just 10 minutes a day decluttering your space? Could that help you find some mental clarity?

Fueling your body with nutrition dense food:

Just like working out, this is a no brainer.

Some may argue that nutritional foods are expensive.

However, that is not always true.

While organic food items can be a tad bit expensive, farmers’ markets and stores have ‘sale’ campaigns going on from time to time.

Those are usually the best opportunities to buy nutritious foods on a good price.

Even when there’s no sale going on, the long term benefits of eating healthier compared to junk foods is unmatched.

Start by eating out less and cooking at home more, cutting sugar consumption, adding more fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water everyday.

Socializing:

Finding a like-minded community/group will keep you mentally active, after all we are social animals.

If not sure how to find them, start by looking into local Facebook groups if you are on it.

Or even better, there’s a website dedicated for finding groups that you maybe interested in.

It is called Meetup and it is available widely throughout the world.

If you live closer to a city, chances are that you have a meetup group that is active and of interest for you.

If you live in a small town, being active in the community whenever you can will give a sense of fulfillment and belonging.

Last Few Words

Living intentionally doesn’t mean doing it all or being perfect. The whole idea is to be mindful of how you spend your time and energy.

Start with one small change today, and let it snowball.

Until next time, take care of yourself, and remember: life may be messy, but you have the power to steer your own course.

Thanks for reading!