Sometimes we get burned out…tired of everything bombarding are poor little brains. Lose weight, feel great, eat right, don’t eat at night, I’m hungry, I’m tired, get this done, conquer the world in 8 short days…all these messages can make us wacky, or, unfortunately turn our brains off before it burns out from overload. Silence is key.
Recently, I have been suffering from a burned out brain. When a brain is burned out, it stops working properly and sometimes starts working against itself by giving you negative messages, conflicting or even frightening thoughts or make you sound like a blubbering idiot. You can get frustrated or hurt more easily and you feel tired, irritable and unfilled a lot. When I begin feeling this way, I know it’s important for me to sit down and doe the following:
1. Write down how you feel. And when I say write, I mean, write…write the unabridged version of every thought you have, every pain you feel. It’s going to be depressing or even angering but you need to write it out. You may go from laughing to crying to screaming but you need to let it out…everything that comes out is what has been bottled up inside and it’s definitely healthier to get it out then to continue to give it valuable mind space
2. Reach for the book. I have already recommended Dr David Burn’s book The Feel Good Handbook but I will recommend it again. The first time, I checked it out from the library, but I will be going to half price books (or online) to purchase a copy for myself because I think it’s just that valuable to have around at all times, and I will want to share it with my children when they get older and start dealing with teenage years. The Feel Good Handbook teaches you how to deal with your thoughts and emotions in a practical and safe way and you will fill TONS better just by following the steps he suggests in his book.
3. Meditate. Be silent. This is a hard one. It used to be hard for me to sit and not think about anything but, after much practice, I have reached a deeper level of meditation than I ever thought I could. All you have to do is sit in the dark silently for a time period. I sit Indian-Style on the floor and focus on my breathing with my eyes closed. Soon, I begin to see a white circle between my eyes and I focus on that. It sounds weird, but focusing on this circle does wonders. At first, there was no circle, so I would say “peace” or “help me” each time I inhaled and exhaled. Doing these things keeps your other roaming thoughts at bay otherwise you will find yourself thinking of things you need to do, situations that transpired through the day or other things that will make you even more stressed and worn out than you were when you began. Slowly, as you practice, you will find background noise will suddenly mute itself. And, you will find time will start going by faster. When I first started, I could only sit for 3-4 minutes, now, I find I can sit anywhere from 10-15 and it feels like only seconds! I hope to one day get up to at least an hour. Just try it. Meditation is a truly personal thing and maybe it’s not for you but you will never know if you don’t try. You don’t need any special equipment or outfit. You just need yourself, your thoughts and your breath. You will feel more relaxed than you ever have (that’s why I do this right before bed).
The truth is, if you get overrun by outside influences and stresses, you will go crazy. You will not live a fulfilling life and you will become frustrated with your very existence. That’s not to say all your problems will go away and you will never be sad again. Lord knows I still have my days BUT I am equipped to handle those days in a more positive and less destructive way. Life is all about hills and valleys, you need to have tools for both. Are you ready for the journey?