Calm a Chaotic Mind: 5 Creative Ways
Calm a Chaotic Mind: Wherever you go, there you are. Do you ever feel like you can’t escape your mind? Does it spin out of control? This is personal to me because my OCD exacerbates my (already) chaotic mind. One of the symptoms is having to deal with unrelenting intrusive thoughts.
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Sometimes, Melissa can hear the wheels in my head screeching and see smoke coming out of my ears because my mind is having an “episode.” With or without OCD, many of us experience “Mind Chaos.” We get pulled into the rabbit hole and find ourselves trapped in a mind prison. This can reach a point where it becomes all-consuming and keeps us from living a full life. The next time you find yourself stuck inside your head, try one of these creative ways to calm a chaotic mind. |
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Calm a Chaotic Mind: 5 Creative Ways
1. Keep it Busy
There is a time and a place to be distracted. Distraction is an extremely effective tool when it comes to combatting a chaotic mind. Teach yourself to redirect the overstimulating energy towards a hobby. Picking a creative hobby can open your mind to new experiences and allow you to gain knowledge.
I have gained control by turning to one of my favorite hobbies: fly tying. Fly tying helps me turn my mind’s excess energy towards something creative and fulfilling. I get to express myself through art and enjoy having a finished product. It literally converts my negative energy into something productive and positive. You can do this with any hobby you choose.
2. Help Others
When was the last time you offered a helping hand to someone who needed it? Engage others and help them overcome their own challenges. Our brains are prone to calming down when we’re in “helper mode” because we are no longer focusing on our mind’s chaos. It’s a way of engaging a mental circuit breaker.
3. Care for your Physical Being
Don’t forget the mind-body connection. Physical exertion can help convert your mind’s chaotic energy into a positive “feel-good” state (thank you endorphins!). Your mind can become healthier the more you take care of your body. A healthier mind has less space for chaos. So that’s why Melissa makes me walk every day!
4. Connect with Others
This is where I have great difficulty. I am a certified “Angus” introvert and become anxious at the thought of social gatherings. I am working on it though! At the end of having a “big day” at a social gathering, Melissa straps me into the car seat and gives me back my pacifier (sorry for that troubling visual). Humans require socialization. We thrive when we are part of a group. Whether or not we admit it, we tend to crave human interaction. The more we engage in human interaction, the less time we spend being alone with our thoughts and the better we feel. Isolation will only feed a chaotic mind.
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5. Try hypnotherapy Mind chatter can trigger a cycle of worry, fear, and rumination that can be hard to disrupt on your own. If you’re finding it tough to stop overthinking, Hypnotherapy can help you:
It’s especially important to get professional support if the mind chatter begins to affect your personal relationships, work success, or quality of life. As always, feel free to customize your own list. In the wise words of Melissa’s professors: “If it works, it works!” ~Ted |
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