whether or not you got everything
lined up for the promotions event
tomorrow, but try to suppress those
drifting thoughts. Breathe for thirty
minutes, and ask yourself who is in
charge here? You are in charge, and
the only thing you have to do is fixate
on one thing for these few minutes
of concentrated breathing. Focusing
your mind on simply breathing will
recharge you, allow your brain to
unplug, and reduce your stress-driven
heart rate. A space will open up, like
clouds parting after the storm, and
you will have a little energy to swing
back up the mood pendulum.
While a thirty-minute session of
breath meditation lasts as an analgesic
to your down mood for only so long,
you need to sort out the root of what
is bothering you deep down, that has
severely tainted your mood. There
is probably more than one thing
weighing you down, so start by making
a list of everything bothering you.
Putting your concerns to paper help
you identify your inner concerns, and
help you to objectify them. It may be
difficult to address life with someone
else, so if you don’t feel there is anyone
trustworthy, try journaling as an
excellent alternative. Even if you don’t
like to write, or have a fear of someone
reading your penned thoughts, make
the choice to type out frustrations into
a word document and lock it with a
password. Begin by answering why
these issues at hand are bringing you
down, why they matter, and what you
would prefer the outcome to be in
the future. In other words, what do
you see as a projection of the future,
and what are the steps to making it
happen? The key to journaling is to
be honest with yourself. If you’re not
being honest with yourself, how can
you trust you’re making the right
decisions for you? Journaling is an
exercise in processing and breaking
down perspectives to the realization
there are other alternatives to your
current situation. You might find
that you will need to consult with
a professional, but whatever you do
to alter your perspective right now
is key. Wading through issues and
obligations, while prioritizing and
discovering other opportunities to
your current situation ultimately
refreshes you, just as a hard start does
for your laptop.
The physical body will manifest all
sorts of ailments when the mind is out
of whack, so giving the controls to the
physical body takes your mind out of
the game and focuses the energy on
raising the heart rate for a sustained
amount of time to reap better-than-
medicine rewards. With a physical
task at hand, the brain has to focus on
pushing one foot in front of the other
while pedaling mindlessly down the
West Orange Trail. If you’re in group
fitness classes you can be a follower
and emulate what moves are being
demonstrated, and let your body have
the controls. Exercise is not only a
distraction for the brain, but a way to
reduce built up tension and increase
BDNF or brain-derived neurotrophic
factor, which “stimulates growth and
proliferation of brain cells” (Reader’s
Digest). Increasing and building brain
cells doesn’t sound like such a bad
idea, does it? Maybe having more
brain cells would have some shared
insight on juggling life, and surely
it couldn’t hurt. Mood elevation is
a direct correlate to exercise, as it
increases the production of seratonin
and dopamine, and with the release
of endorphins, there should be a
natural enhancement to combat a
blue temperament.
Its expected to get c aught up in the
web of life, but failing to address
emotions and life obstacles leaves
you depleted and depressed. You
blame the lack of time, but you are
your master, and can easily choose
time to heal yourself, too. Bench your
brain for a short inning or two, to sort
out and process what is going on in
a way that works for you. Be honest
and support you by pumping up, and
pampering your mental health.
SEPTEMBER 2018
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE |
33