7 habits of a peaceful and productive mind
Parent Post
A cluttered mind makes
A cluttered mind makes navigating the most basic parts of our day stressful and frustratingly inefficient. And that’s to say nothing of how much harder it makes dealing with major challenges and setbacks.
Here are 7 habits you can learn to cultivate to decrease your stress.
EssentialismWhat is it?Essentialism is
Essentialism
What is it?
Essentialism is a values-driven and minimalist approach to life and work put forth by Greg McKeown. It is based on the idea that “only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.”
Why is it important?
When we spend our lives bouncing from one thing to the next—unable to distinguish the trivial from the truly important—a chronic sense of restlessness and dis-ease can creep into our lives.
Ultimately, regret may grow as we realize the extent to which we invested our time and energy into superficial pursuits.
Why is it hard?
Essentialism can sound daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. The trick, as usual, is to begin very small.
Ask yourself: Is this activity truly essential or merely trivial? Am I living “by design or by default?”
MindfulnessWhat is it?Mindfulness is
Mindfulness
What is it?
Mindfulness is about cultivating a second mental gear in that we are simply being aware of and noticing our minds and the world around us.
Why is it important?
Mindfulness helps you strengthen two essential mental muscles.
- Meta-cognition is the ability to take perspective and watch our minds at work. This enables us to detach our sense of self from the content of our thoughts and emotions.
- Attentional shifting is the ability to deliberately refocus our attention away from one object and onto another.
Why is it hard?
Mindfulness is so trendy these days and has been so hyped up that many of us come to it with unreasonable expectations that it will profoundly change our lives after a few deep breathing sessions. And that’s not what happens!
Set your expectations accordingly.
Emotion-focused journalingWhat is it?In
Emotion-focused journaling
What is it?
In this form of journaling, simply write about and articulate whatever is going on in your life emotionally, big or small. The key is to write continuously without any censoring or editing.
Why is it important?
Emotional reasoning occurs when we react or make decisions based on how we feel at a given moment rather than acting intentionally.
A good way to be less emotionally reactive is to make time to validate and clarify what we’re regularly feeling . As a result, we become less impulsive and more mindful of our emotions.
Why is it hard?
Journaling seems a little hokey and woo-woo for many of us. One should approach it in a pragmatic and experimentalist fashion: Commit to spending 5 minutes a day journaling for a week.
That’s it.
Maintaining a consistent organizational
Maintaining a consistent organizational system
What is it?
An organizational system is an external strategy and plan for keeping track of what we need to do and accomplish.
Why is it important?
It is important to have a reliable plan for making things happen with some degree of efficiency and punctuality. By creating and maintaining a reliable organizational system, we give ourselves the best possible chance of efficiently processing the day-to-day Have-Tos in our lives to have sufficient time and energy to focus on the Want-Tos (the things that really matter to us).
Why is it hard?
It is tough to stick with an organizational system for two reasons:
- We choose an organizational system that looks appealing but isn’t really a good fit for our current life situation or the way we tend to think. A day planner and a few hanging file folders can work beautifully.
- We don’t think about or aren’t sure how to adapt an organizational system to our unique needs and personalities. When starting up, always ask yourself, “How would this fit with my life, and how could I modify it to fit better?”
Deliberate worryWhat is it?It
Deliberate worry
What is it?
It is a practice for training our minds out of the tendency toward automatic worry and rumination. The basic idea is to schedule a short amount of time every day to worry on purpose and on paper.
Why is it important?
A consistent practice of deliberate worry has 3 main benefits.
- By creating a consistent time and space for our brains to worry, we discourage them from worrying during inopportune times.
- By distinguishing problems from worries on paper, we’re better able to recognize a particular thought pattern.
- It’s one of the most effective strategies for eliminating sleep anxiety and insomnia.
Why is it hard?
Since worries are uncomfortable and scary, it’s natural for us to recoil from the idea of seeking them out on purpose. The best idea is to give it a shot for a week or so, and you’ll find that you feel less worried and anxious after worrying on purpose than you did before you started.
AssertivenessWhat is it?Assertiveness is
Assertiveness
What is it?
Assertiveness is about setting effective and healthy boundaries for what we do and don’t want in our lives, setting clear limits, and being willing to follow through on the consequences of having our boundaries violated.
Why is it important?
When we aren’t able or willing to be assertive, we end up living other people’s lives rather than our own. A lack of assertiveness:
- Erodes our self-confidence and self-efficacy.
- Makes us chronically anxious.
Why is it hard?
Many of us were raised in environments where indirect and aggressive communication was accepted. Therefore, assertive communication feels awkward and strange, so we revert back to what feels more normal and comfortable.
Deep WorkWhat is it?The
Deep Work
What is it?
The idea of Deep Work was created by Cal Newport. It is the ability to perform valuable, cognitively-demanding activities in a distraction-free state.
Why is it important?
It allows us to operate at or near the upper bounds of our cognitive potential—which is essential to doing our best work. No matter who you are, the ability to bring your full mental ability to bear on a particular project or problem is essential.
Why is it hard?
The primary obstacle that most people face in their ability to perform and develop the capacity for deep work is digital distraction.
We train our brains to feel at home with a mind that is constantly flitting from one thing to another. This prevents us from keeping our mind on one thing for any length of time.