Musing :: Mind :: 9 Ways to Practice Unplugging

Sometimes i get very mentally flustered. Someone i think is important once told me that this is common for people who are very goal oriented. We want to do so much, to make so much happen, it can get overwhelming in the face of time and circumstance. As a result, it is immensely important to our health to step back and do what i call practice unplugging.

Now, notice how i said practice because it does not come so easily for all of us. When you're a mental mover and a shaker, it is very difficult to do nothing and ten times harder to think nothing, so it's going to take some time. For me its taken 20something odd years to just be okay with the idea of sitting still for even the shortest of times, so unless you're EXTRA supercalifragalistic, don't expect to grasp it in one go.

Now luckily i have come to acquire some strategies to make this a less painful venture.

1. Sit In A Dark Place

This one is my favorite. I like to leave all gadgets in another room. This is big for me because often i go into a mini panic once i don't have my beloved phone within hands reach cause i'm such a Techno baby. Going into my favorite room in the house and sitting still, just enjoying being in one of my favorite spaces alone, without noise or movement or even visual stimuli. For me that is the one room where everybody leaves you alone and can't move you once they know you are in there. It''s nice, not having a gadget around to check email or facebook or whatever distraction or commitment may demand your time. It's Nice just sitting. It's also rare.

2. Do a monotonous choir. 

For me i choose doing the dishes, something i under normal conditions (well as normal as i can ever manage to get) hate so much! It just drains on to me in routine: wetness, then soup the dish and rinse it out. Bleh! When my head is full and refusing to slow down though? Just standing there with no choice but routine is somehow calming. No pressure, just get this task you've done a million times before done. Not even over with, just done: wash, rinse, repeat, wash, rinse, repeat. If you're lucky your mind will drift to some random thought or silly joke you shared with a loved one. If it doesn't i would try to force it to focus strictly on the routine literally at hand.

3. A Simple Hobby

For me this is sketching. At first it could be stressful too because i felt pressured to create something that i could enter into some art exhibition or something someday. (A dream of mine.) Then i finally got over that and went back to sketching for good ol' fun. Whether that be digital sketching, which i am just learning to do or old pen and paper. Even better if i can muscle in some time to colour! I know this may sound a bit juvenile but colouring is wildly therapeutic for me! Even if i don't hope to show it to anyone or it looks scratchy and unimpressive somehow, it lightens my heart.

4. Take A Shower

Not a bath, if i attempt to take a bath I'm going to be there i looooong time just lounging and possibly just re-hatching the stress I'm trying to get away from in my head. However a shower has that timed routine feel to it and who HASN'T had some kind of epiphany or inspirational moment in the show? Plus if nothing else you will come out feeling clean and fresh! (there will be no shower scene but here have a super quick sketch instead!)

5. Take A Nap

End game. Go to your bed and sail off to lalalannd. Warning: You are going to have to wake up eventually and when you do, your work or annoying problem will still be there but you may have a fresh perspective! Oh and why yes this has little to do with napping really but i didn't have a picture and so this is me just lounging in my favorite knee high socks. See how they have the pretty painted Sakura flowers? Love!

6. Pets. 

Walking, feeding, tummy rubbing, nuzzling. What more needs to be said? This picture is of John-John when he was but a wee lad <3 I wont talk too much about him because i try hard not to get attached to  pets of our household (still recovering a loss) he's much bigger now though but he still thinks he is the coolest kid in town. He was an only child and is extremely jealous and possessive. He is also extremely polite! And ALWAYS sits bolt up right like a gentleman.

7. Write A Letter

Well not me exactly, anyone you care about really. Sometime you need to sit back with the old fashioned forms of communication. Writing a snail mail letter to a loved one makes me happy. Especially knowing it's going to make them SUPER happy to receive it in the mail. Snail mail is something most people don't expect and  almost always comes as a joyious surprising knowing someone took the time out of their days to pen you something. Perhaps because in this age it is completely unecessary and is nothing more than a willful action.

8.Tea Time Is Me Time

I couild never explain to you the great joy i get from having a cup of tea. Seriously i am a tea fanatic. I love it, i love tea cups i love hot tea at any hour of the day, i am a writer and a Victorian age lover what do you expect of me?

9. Go To The Beach.

A bit of boasting, i am a caribbean island girl. We have the best beaches so i am lucky. If you own the luxury of leaving your home or surroundings i would say go! Even better if you can catch a sunset! The beach is awesome. Just sitting there watching and hearing the ebb and flow of the ocean, the salty air on your skin, glistening water and clear sky bigger than you or I? Don't fight the calm man!

The Huffington Post agrees you should practice unplugging!

So how do you do it? How do you get your mind to slow down when it's on the fry or on the fritz?