How to Beat Mind Clutter With These Six Simple Steps
"Words can only go so far in controlling your thought habits; if you want to change the way you act, change the words that you use." This is a quote from the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. Although often quoted, the truest wisdom of this age is "Words are only tools, if you use them well they can help you achieve your goals." In this case it is true that by changing the way you act you can change your life and even your circumstances. But why stop with just controlling your thoughts?
Control your thoughts first and foremost by making a conscious decision not to indulge in negative and hungry thinking. I am not talking about counseling or hypnosis. I'm talking about developing an inner monitor to monitor your thoughts and impulses. You may be surprised at what the inner monitor can detect. It can tell you when to quit, signal excessive eating, signal lack of sleep, signal a lack of energy, signal an impending headache and alert you that you are about to eat unhealthy food.
In other words, it can keep watch over your thoughts and activities. The second step to taking control of your mind is to start writing down what you observe and feeling on a regular basis. By doing this you will start to understand your thoughts and you will be able to respond appropriately. By watching your mind you will be able to identify the triggers of your negative and dark room behaviors. Once you identify these triggers, you can take steps to overcome them and become a happier person.
In my next step I am going to show you ways that you can release negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts. In my experience, one of the most powerful ways to release negative thoughts is to let go of them. I know that this sounds very strange because often thoughts that are not resolved to leave a lingering effect on the conscious mind. My goal here is to let go of that lingering effect so that you don't have the constant thoughts that result in negative behavior patterns. Let's take a look at that next.
The third step to take to let go of thoughts that are not serving you is to begin to question those thoughts. You may have noticed that when you do any self help type projects, the first thing I do is get the mind working for me by asking questions. This is the same thing you want to do when you are trying to release negative thoughts. When you ask questions within yourself, the subconscious mind opens up and allows you to release unwanted thoughts. The key is to continue this process until all unwanted thoughts have been let go.
The fourth step to beating your mind at the knees is to take a look at the voice in your head. Have you ever heard the expression, "The mind speaks with the mouth?" Well, your inner critic acts just like your inner critic does. Your inner critic is your mind's natural defense system that lets you know when you are not following the thoughts or feelings that it has programmed into your mind. By listening to your inner critic you can begin to neutralize this defense system and free your mind from any negative thoughts. You will find that by being able to control your mind, you will find that you are much happier.
The fifth step to let go of those unwanted and unhelpful innerinations is to create an environment that will send the hunger signals out to your body. In our hectic lives, we often let go of our hunger signals because we feel that we can handle or deal with the food later. What happens when you ignore your hunger and resist the food that comes to your door is that you fill your stomach and then find that you have an over-indulgence of food.
The sixth step to beat the mind chatter and truly control your mind is to clear your mind of all those thoughts that pop into your head. Go for a short walk and clear your mind and body. Try yoga or meditation if you prefer not to be physically active. By clearing your mind, you can better control your body and put more energy towards things that matter most to you.