Give Your Mind a Break: Advice from a Christian Counselor

The challenges we encounter every day can take us to the brink of throwing up our hands and wanting to hide. At times like this, you need to give your mind a break. Seriously. Every mind needs a time out, a break from taking itself too seriously. “I worry because worrying feels productive,” a client said to me. We think we are planning for the future when we are actually obsessing over uncontrollable areas of life. To give your mind a break is to give yourself permission to regroup and relax. It is about the process of making a conscious effort to prioritize what matters each and every day.

We Have Become Slaves to Technology

Clients and church members often ask how one can remain sane in a world that has so much going on. If the truth be told, there has always been something going on around us that could and would stress us to breaking point. But we now live in a time and an age in which technology – iPhones, iPads, Androids, computers, etc. – have somehow overtaken our option to take a break. We have bought into this consistent need to be connected and updated 24/7. It is as if we may miss something if we take a break from the chaos for 30 to 45 minutes. We talk about meditating on scripture as if it were a novel idea, rather than a part of detoxing from the things that come our way.

Learn to Unplug from Stuff

I am in no way saying that we need to be irresponsible and ignore obligations to others. However, there should be a time and a place each day where you unplug from stuff. Even Jesus took a nap. Giving your mind a rest should be an intentional act and I would dare to say that it should be scheduled into your day. Here are a few ways in which you can disconnect and give your mind a break.

• Take a 10 to 15 minute walk around your office building or your neighborhood.
• Listen to your favorite praise and worship music.
• Turn off every electronic device around you for 10 to 15 minutes and work this up to 30 minutes a day.
• Give yourself permission to think about an issue for 10 to 15 minutes (work down to 5 minutes) then leave it alone for the rest of the day.
• Make a realistic list of things to do each day. Then count your blessings for the day.
• Make an active choice to limit or eliminate toxic people from your life. You may not be able to eliminate toxic family members, but you can minimize the amount of time you spend with them.
• Prepare a handwritten note of all the things you are grateful for today. Then try it again the next day, and the day after that.
• Take time to listen to what your body is telling you. Where do you feel stress? In your shoulders or back? Where does the tension reside in your body? Listening to your body will give you the opportunity to change what you are doing in the moment.
• Learn to let go of what you cannot control. There are some things in life that you cannot change. Learn to embrace what you can change.

Focus on the Here and Now

Many of these suggestions allow you to focus on the here and now. To embrace the importance of living in the present moment can provide a sense of comfort and peace. We are to “guard our hearts and minds.” This means deciding what we choose to think about and determining the level of impact others will have on our daily lives.

Giving too much time to a situation or person that you cannot control is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. We don’t realize the emotional toll that obsessing produces within us. In our rush to get to where we are going, it is important to take time to slow down and smell the roses. You need to care for yourself in order to be healthy enough to care about others.

A Christian Counselor Can Help You to Live More Consciously

If you are aware that your mind obsesses over things, you may find it helpful to speak to a Christian counselor. A trained Christian counselor can provide a safe space in which you can share your concerns and will work with you on strategies to prevent them from overwhelming you.

Photos

“Just Breathe,” Courtney, Flickr CreativeCommons, (CC BY-SA 2.0), 5349693235_d72b40366f_o.jpg