14 Feb 2023
For the whole of January 2023, I was in my head. The sudden chatter about productivity and new year’s resolutions led me to plan my life ahead of time. I suddenly felt the need to rush and achieve everything right this second. I called it New Year’s Overwhelm!
When you fight negative thoughts, your first instinct is to control everything in your life. That’s exactly how I felt, making sure that I am aware of my next move at all times, especially the smaller ones. Planning for every minute of the day felt like the right thing to do to minimise uncertainty. But this level of micro-managing never works if you value mental peace in your life.
What I learned last month is something that our brain is not wired to practise if we want to be successful in life. A line that I read recently hits the spot,
” For so many of the meaningful endeavours in our lives, the best way to move fast is to go about it slowly.” - Brad Stulberg, The Practice Of Groundedness
I’ll say you save it in your phone’s notes or write it down in a notebook and frequently revisit this statement.
If you need mental peace in this phase of your life, remember that sometimes letting go is the best thing you can do to feel at ease. Slowing down might be the life vest you need to learn to swim again. This choice will probably leave you feeling guilty for not functioning as per society’s standards, but it will steer you clear of the stress and discomfort accompanying a mental breakdown.
Here’s what you can do to regain your mental peace this week,
Set boundaries with social media.
Acknowledge how you’re feeling instead of pushing it under the rug.
Breathe in some fresh air. Soak up the sun.
Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself time to get back on track.
Do something you used to love as a kid.