8 Ways to Clear Your Mind When It’s Spinning Out of Control

We Have Our Own Answers – 36″ x 36″ x 2″ – Acrylic on Canvas

I’ve been diving deep into learning new ways I can have my work be seen by more people, especially online, and this is creating havoc for me in many ways. There’s so much new information to absorb and implement. It all takes time and energy – so much so at times that it makes my head spin and when that happens I find myself getting confused and anxious.

This ends up with my getting stuck and feeling paralyzed and overwhelmed. It’s a little like being on a playground merry-go-round and wanting to get off because it’s going too fast, but feeling afraid I’ll fall (fail?) so I just huddle in the middle doing nothing and holding off for dear life.  Have you ever felt this way too? It’s an awful feeling.

That’s how I felt one day last week, so I sat down to think of ways I could stop this cycle, because it happens far too often for me. Here are some possibilities I came up with:

1. Stop and do something physical but “mindless” for about a half an hour – like take a walk, do some Yoga, do some gardening task, dance to music, etc.
2. Do a simple, non-analytical creative task – things like baking, doing a simple painting exercise, coloring in an adult coloring book, gesso or varnish some canvases (for those artists out there), take some photographs, play with clay, etc.
3. Meditate for 20 minutes or so… or nap – your choice!
4. Listen to some inspiring music while you work on a crossword or Sudoku puzzle.
5. Write in a stream-of-consciousness way in one of your journals to clear your head of all the chatter.
6. Clean out a closet or part of your work space for half an hour.
7. Read a novel for about a half an hour.
8. Work on a jigsaw puzzle for a short while. It uses the mind in a different, non-stressful way.

My final advice:  Do NOT go on social media sites because (at least for me) it’s way too distracting and can side-track you for far too long!