Between juggling our work, home, and social lives, many of us may be looking for new ways to give ourselves a break.
While we can’t always control what goes on in our lives, what we can do is try to give ourselves moments of peace and escapism.
With that said, here are 11 ways to detox your mind.
1. Switch off
While staying connected is important, it’s also possible for our screen time to become a source of stress and negativity if we have too much of it.
If you spend a lot of time on social media, video calls, or reading the news, it’s natural that you might feel overwhelmed at times. Sometimes you might want a break from news headlines, worries about WiFi connection strength, or from seeing people’s political views on social media.
One of the main reasons that people struggle to take breaks from technology is due to the fear of missing out, or because it’s a way to keep our hands busy during quiet moments. However, taking some time to switch off and look up from our screens every now and then can often provide the peace and relaxation we’ve been looking for.
For help and guidance with this, you might like to read our articles; 8 tips for coping with screen fatigue and 8 ways to manage your news consumption.
2. Set aside ‘worry time’
If you have worries clouding your mind, it can be helpful to set aside time to address them, instead of simply telling yourself to stop worrying. This ‘worry time’ could be 20 minutes once a day, or perhaps a worry slot at the beginning of the day and another before bed.
This time will ideally be used to put any irrational thoughts and fears to bed by letting them play out in your mind or offloading them in a journal. You might also like to use this time to consider how you could overcome a worry or a negative thought by tackling it head-on.
Outside of worry time, it’s important to try and focus on other things. So, if you find a worry creeping back in, remind yourself that it’s not something to deal with now and that you’ll address it in your next allocated worry session.
Sticking only to the time scheduled for your worries can be challenging at first, but it becomes easier the more you practise. The hope is that (eventually) you’ll spend less time worrying and more time enjoying the things that you actually want to do.
3. Read
Reading can be a powerful form of escapism. A good book has the ability to transport us anywhere – a sunny beach, a fantasy world, or a fascinating time in history.
There are few better feelings than picking up a great page-turner. When I’m immersed in a good book, I often forget where I am, what time it is, and about anything else that’s going on in my life because I’m hanging on to every last detail, wanting to know what comes next.
So, if you’re looking for a way to break negative thought patterns, why not try to incorporate reading into your daily or weekly routine? It can be surprising just how much more enjoyable reading can make everyday activities like commuting, having a bath, or getting into bed in the evenings.
For some literary inspiration, check out our articles; 27 of the best must-read books and 15 inspiring self-development books.
4. Practise mindfulness
Mindfulness, like any skill, can take a while to master. But, once you do, it can be a great tool to use during stressful or overwhelming times.
Many of us spend a lot of time worrying about the past or the future, which can make focusing on and enjoying the present moment tricky. Being more mindful involves training your mind to focus only on what’s going on around you in a particular moment, or on how your body is feeling.
For example, you might choose to spend 10 minutes focusing on your breathing, or on everything that you can see and hear outside your window. As any unwanted thoughts arrive, it can be helpful to imagine yourself placing each one in a sealed box and watching it float away. Then, you can continue focusing on your mindful activity.
For more information, you might like to read our introduction to mindfulness. Or, why not tune into a mindfulness meditation session on Rest Less Events?
5. Declutter your inbox
Decluttering your mind is much easier if you can remove unwelcome stressors or pressures from your life – even ones that you might consider quite small.
For example, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, seeing hundreds of unread emails can make you feel worse. Staying on top of your inbox can make a huge difference to how clear your head feels.
So, next time you have half an hour to spare, it can be helpful to go through your emails to mark any spam mail as ‘junk’ and unsubscribe from anything that’s no longer relevant to you.
If you’d like to learn more about this, our articles, 8 easy ways to manage your inbox and 10 tips for a digital declutter, are worth a read.
6. Take up ‘junk’ journaling
Sometimes, when we have lots of thoughts circling our minds, it can be difficult to know what to do with them all and they can end up disrupting us.
Junk journaling can be a good way to offload some of these thoughts. In a nutshell, junk journaling involves putting anything that’s taking up your headspace, including worries or your to-do list, onto paper.
Writing things down can help to give clarity and make sense of your thoughts. Some people find it useful to keep a notebook by their bed so they can write down any nagging thoughts that appear before falling asleep.
If you’re interested in finding out more about journaling and its benefits, you might like to read our article; The power of journaling as a life habit.
7. Declutter and reorganise
Decluttering and reorganising are tasks that are great for keeping us distracted – and can be very satisfying too!
Restoring order to things is something that’ll please most minds. And it’s easy to get engrossed in organising your wardrobe or clearing out a cluttered car, especially if you’ve spent a long time avoiding the task.
Decluttering can also be very liberating, and many people say they feel lighter and better able to think when their surroundings are well organised. It can help to start with a room, drawer, or cupboard that you spend a lot of time in or use regularly as you’ll reap the benefits of your hard work more often.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out our articles; How to declutter and reorganise your home, 9 ways to declutter your workspace, and 24 things to add to your spring cleaning checklist.
8. Get creative
A great way to quiet a busy mind is to find a creative outlet – something that allows you to express your feelings in a positive way. This could be anything from painting and drawing to photography or baking.
It doesn’t matter what you choose, but it should be something that you enjoy. Exploring a creative passion can also be a wonderful way to steer your focus away from negative thoughts towards something brighter. Often, unwanted thoughts fall away when we truly immerse ourselves in a creative hobby.
If you’re ready to get creative, why not have a read of our articles; 9 creative skills that you can learn from home or 10 interesting craft ideas to try at home? Or, head over to Rest Less Events to browse our upcoming arts and crafts events.
9. Let go
It might not sound like the easiest solution, but sometimes when we feel overwhelmed by our busy schedules or racing thoughts, the best thing we can do is to simply let go. While this can often feel impossible, it can be incredibly liberating.
When we talk about letting go, we mean accepting that we can’t control certain things around us, and deciding not to expend energy thinking or worrying about them. This often becomes easier once we start focusing on the things that we can control.
It can help to set limits and boundaries. This involves deciding just how much we can cope with before we need a breather, or before we need to let go of something for good. This could be anything from a toxic relationship to a job where we feel overworked and underappreciated.
For example, perhaps you’ve been worrying about a friendship with someone who doesn’t make as much effort as you do. Rather than feeling stressed about this or trying to get the other person to match your expectations, you might decide to simply step back and focus on looking after yourself instead.
If this results in the relationship ending, chances are, this would have happened anyway. And at least you can now take the time and energy that you spent worrying and use it for something more positive instead.
10. Get some fresh air
Spending a lot of time indoors can leave us feeling trapped with our worries and anxieties.
But, stepping outside for even a short period of time can be an effective way to detox your mind. This could mean going for a walk, run, or cycle, or simply sitting in your garden and soaking up your surroundings.
Often, when we get outside and interact with nature, our problems seem smaller. This might be something to do with the fact that when we’re out in the world, we tend to feel part of something bigger. Plus, fresh air, a change of scenery, and some exercise can do wonders for both mind and body.
When you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, your natural default mode might be to hide inside and come out when everything feels better. But, often, this can make our problems feel greater.
If you’re struggling to get outside for some fresh air, start by trying to commit to 10 minutes a day – even if that means just doing a lap around the block. Or, perhaps you could do a spot of gardening or some bird or people-watching at an open window?
Read our article, 32 ways to connect with nature and feel inspired, for more ideas.
11. Get lost in music
The world would be a different place without music, and no matter what’s going on in our lives, music is always there to get us dancing, cheer us up, or allow us to have a good cry.
If you just want to have some fun and forget about the world outside, why not put on your most upbeat, toe-tapping playlist, and dance like no one’s watching? Letting your inhibitions go can be a great way to clear your mind and feel empowered. Similarly, if you’re feeling fragile, it’s often more beneficial to let it all out than bottle things up – and music can help with this.
However you choose to get lost in music, it can be a great escape – and is something that you can engage with at any time.
If you’re not sure what to listen to, you can find some inspiration in our article; 10 of the best Spotify playlists for every mood. Or, our article, How to get involved with music from home, has plenty more tips and ideas for how to detox your mind through music. You could also tune into a music event on Rest Less Events.
Final thoughts…
If you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed by negative thoughts, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. And, the very best thing that you can do is to take care of yourself – both mentally and physically.
Hopefully, by using the steps above you can experiment with different ways to relax your mind, even if just for a few minutes.
For more tips on looking after your mental health, head over to the healthy mind section of our website. Here, you’ll find everything from simple stress relieving activities to tips to help you laugh more.
How do you detox your mind? Do you have any additional tips that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.