Mind over Matter
With global pandemics and increasing usage of social media platforms in this ever changing reality, we are constantly living in surroundings with low vibrations and uncertainty. This becomes a big problem when we don’t know what actually matters to us or what deserves our mind space. We grow and learn by what we absorb and experience consistently. This is what most people don’t realise – we don’t have a limited amount of time a day, we have a limited amount of energy. We only have so much bandwidth that we can use, which means we have to consistently decide what’s going to go inside our mind and our system.
Add to this, the pressures of our profession are not hidden to us. From increasing the daily OPD and counselling all types of different patients, to managing staff or students effectively, along with maintaining a profitable cashflow can be a backbreaking task (in dentistry, even working on patients for long hours can be backbreaking!). This results in a tense, stressful environment right inside our minds.
The only thing that is certain is that we have this moment right now, nothing else matters. When we learn how to separate our emotions from an ongoing reality, we become really powerful.
How can we achieve that exactly? Well the answer is simple by detoxifying your mind.
Mental Detox is just like RCT!
Somehow being a dentist, I can’t stop comparing this mental detox to a root canal treatment. Usually we come to know the need of the mental detox only when we find ourselves constantly worrying and getting irritable on smaller things. Just like in case of root canal treatment. We get signs and symptoms like sensitivity to hot and cold or maybe excruciating pain and only then decide for an RCT.
Like for debridement of the pulp, we have a gold standard irrigant – sodium hypochlorite, similarly for mental detox we have a gold standard technique that is -meditation.
Just like we protect the inner root canals from attacks of the the oral cavity with a strong outer core buildup or crown, we need to preserve our inner selves from outer savage environments by a strong filter and regular mental detox practices.
Here are 7 tips to Detox the mind!
*Meditate*
Silence and stillness around you and within yourself allows you to find all the answers that you are looking for outside of yourself. Meditation is a technique used for thousands of years to develop awareness of the present moment. Example of some of the best known meditation techniques are:
- mindfulness meditation
- breath awareness meditation
- Kundalini Yoga
- mantra meditation
- transcendental meditation.
You can pick one and do what suits your thinking. Committing to a fixed amount of time for daily meditation will help you for many years to come.
*Practice Gratitude*
Constant feeling of gratitude or practicing gratitude for what you have is indeed very powerful. Gratitude is a warm feeling of thankfulness towards the world or towards specific individuals. The person who feels gratitude is thankful for what they have and doesn’t constantly seek more. Simple ways to express gratitude everyday are:
- show respect for those around you
- don’t complain constantly
- volunteer in your community
- write in an abundance journal
*Focus*
Focus on your health. Know that exercise is the best to connect with yourself. Exercise is a super easy way to be in the moment. Ways to focus on to rejuvenate your mental health are:
- a daily Yoga practice
- the discipline of practicing martial arts or
- simply going out for a walk.
Tip: When you go out for a walk don’t forget stop and look at the greenery, to smell the roses and walk barefoot on grass if you can, as walking barefoot helps us to connect to the earth’s energy.
*Acknowledge your emotions*
Know that emotions are never right or wrong – they simply exist. As human beings we need more than one kind of emotion to function but self awareness is the key. Running away from your own emotions will lead you to empty roads! So face your feelings, but remember to separate yourself from all the the emotions and practice more breathing and acceptance.
*Volunteer*
Do seva. When we give to others, it allows us to feel full and empowered from within. Every time you have a bad moment think of all those who you can serve – that thought in itself can help you change the perspective.
*Do Chores Consciously*
Let’s face it, most of us dislike doing household chores but have we ever thought of combining housework with mindfulness? Do your daily chores as a way to detox. While doing the daily chores like cooking or cleaning, you can try to be consciously conscious of present moment.
Mindfully completing a simple household task can be like skipping a pebble on a pond, sending ripples of Zen into the day. A simple task like making your bed in the morning and looking at a clean completed task, sets the pace for a positive day. When you focus on being in your environment, it’s easier to appreciate the moment for what it is instead of wishing you were somewhere else.
*Take a short break/Introspect*
All work no play, makes Jack a dull boy. As a dentist, we are constantly under pressure to perform well, behave well and earn well. We too need a break from this pattern, introspect at the end of the day just to reevaluate our values and priorities. While at work, you can take a short break and do one of these:
- Brew coffee or tea yourself.
- Pause and do a quick breathing exercise by simply focusing on your breath.
- Stare out of a window. Looking at greenery would be best.
- Read a page of a book or a blog post instead of social media checking.
- Close your eyes or take a 7 min power nap.
- Stand up and stretch.
- Take a short walk around the clinic.
Rejuvenate daily for a stress-free life!
My friends, we can never change our life until we change something we do daily. The secret of happiness is making mental detox a part of our daily routine. Let’s empty the old thoughts, emotions and words in our body and mind so that our heart then shows us the new story we have come to live. You will feel rejuvenated by implementing these mental detox tips.
Live, love and laugh in the moment and that is the greatest way to detox your mind!
Stay blessed and happy!
Author – Dr Shelly Prashar
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