How To Quiet Your Mind

I tried to make a home out of you, but doors lead to trap doors, a stairway leads to nothing. Unknown women wander the hallways at night. Where do you go when you go quiet?
-Warsan Shire

Like many, Warsan Shire‘s poetry used in Beyonce’s Lemonade had me twirling in emotions. Without knowing the context yet, “where do you go when you go quiet?” lingered in my head for the rest of the night. But instead of questioning a lover’s whereabouts or if daddy was a cheater, I was questioning myself.

My brain went into turbo mode. As a proud supporter of Me-Time and silence, the word “quiet” immediately made me think about mental health and self-care. I began to compare relaxing quiet to nerve-wrecking quiet. I contemplated the differences between being alone and being lonely–all while trying to watch the videos. Less than 24 hours later, the Lemonade think-pieces and video remakes started to roll in. Only part of the noise in my brain that needed to be silenced was caused by reactions to Lemonade. World tragedies, politics, work, deaths–2016 started to throw all the curve balls. My mind needed a break. It was time to go quiet.

 

This roller coaster ride called life can be smoother with the volume down, and the quest to a quiet mind can start anywhere. Here are a few ways for you to visit your quiet place without going on a vacation or social media hiatus.

5 Ways To Quiet Your Mind

Write

Even if it doesn’t make sense, write down your thoughts to clear your brain and heart. You can save the words to read later, or throw it away.

Read

When trying to keep the amount of information you take in to a minimum, reading is the perfect educational distraction. Read or recite quotes and poetry that emphasize self-care’s importance:

You can’t start over unless you get still. -Oprah

Assumptions will ruin your beautiful mind. Be aware of what you’re entertaining even in thought. -Alex Elle

Silence is the great teacher and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence. -Deepak Chopra

Breathe

It’s hard to be anxious while taking slow, deep breaths. On the other hand, it’s hard to be calm while taking fast, short breaths.

Pray

Call on your higher power for peace– peace for yourself and peace for others.

Meditate

Your emotions and thoughts about others will appear, but meditation is about self-reflection. Why did she/he make me feel that way? Am I overreacting or nah? Questions that are hard to process when you’re overwhelmed can be answered with a quiet mind.

How do you quiet your mind?