Yes? Then you must be ready for my psychological spring clean remedy.
I remember a colleague telling me how he went through a really difficult time trying to get to sleep. Every time he started to drop off some ‘unfinished business’ in the form of an emotional hurt, startled him awake and generated a series of unhelpful thoughts and images in his mind.
He told me he kept going over and over the incident in his mind’s eye, adding more and more negative thoughts to it. As it escalated he would have to get up, pacing his flat because he was feeling more and more wound up as he imagined all kinds of repercussions as a result of this problem. He told me he thought his head would explode!
This type of thinking can become habitual and is called an analeptic circle. The constant trawling of the past by re-running the memory of what happened followed by flipping into the future and imagining what might happen as a result of what has happened, brings energetic agitation to the mind. It’s like stirring a muddy pond with a big stick, it all becomes dark, dirty and murky.
Follow the 5 tips for cleansing your mind and notice the difference immediately.
Put the stick down! The mind feels lighter when we are present. You’ll know when you’re here now because you will have more clarity and greater peace of mind. When my friend practised just two of the following tips he gained more self control and was able to settle back into a proper sleep pattern.
Psychological Spring Clean
1. Write a letter.
In the space of 5 minutes write a letter to the person/people you have the issues with, tell them your truth. No holds barred. Go for it. Really let them have it. Now tear up the letter. If your mind goes there again you say out loud to yourself (or a silent shout) “Don’t go there“! Keep using that simple command. Don’t go there until your mind gets the message.
2. Write down all the things you are worrying about and decide to give them air time tomorrow.
If you’re in the habit of fretting and worrying, start to do this every night about an hour before you go to bed. If your mind goes there again you say sharply “No. That’s for tomorrow.” This works because the mind is actually quite obedient.
3. Clean the mind with breath.
Sit up with a straight back, feet flat on the floor. You know when you blow out a Birthday candle, imagine you’re doing that with a breath through your nose. Make a big outbreath through the nose. Now repeat this in quick succession about 20 times.
Obviously you have to breathe in at the end of the out breath, but don’t worry about that, it will take care of itself. Simply focus on the exhalation through the nose.
Imagine as you’re doing this, a bright white light flowing through the cerebal fluid between your scalp and skull.
There’s also this simple breathing exercise you can try.
4. Psychological Buzz
Sit upright. Legs uncrossed, feet flat on the floor. Gently close your eyes. Inhale. As you exhale hum. Feel the vibration around your lips. Then follow the humming sensation as it vibrates around the frontal lobes of your face. When you run out of sound, inhale and continue humming. Hum softly.
Follow the sensation through the sinus’s and eventually following the circular sound as it flows within the centre of your head and up toward the crown of the head. Imagine this vibration sweeping out old unwanted thoughts, out of date programs (ie negative ways of thinking). Do this for 10 minutes.
Listen this audio clip for guidance.
5. Banish the technology.
There’s a lot to be said for the gentle ticking of a clock that can send you off into a deep and peaceful sleep. Put away the mobile phones, iPads computers and anything else emitting waves in the room that you’re trying to sleep or relax in. It will all be there in the morning.
Let me know how you get on with spring cleaning your mind.
Sue x
