07/01/2021
Hello,
Ugh ! Why do we get caught up in mindless activities? When you do mindless activities ( scrolling , binge watching, etc.), it relaxes control. Control of what? ..our brains- which in turn lets go of the monitoring, evaluating, planning, making too many decisions, too many interruptions , too many demands, & too much coordinating that fills our head all day long. The withdrawal is an intentional and allows us to regroup inwardly, to calm ourselves, a kinda safe place to go and sort of rest. Some folks only need a short time to
“ withdraw” …while others seem truly lost for decades of day after day of what seems to onlookers as being totally “ checked out”.
I hear a lot : “ but I’m tired”…which in translation seems to sometiems mean “ I can’t self regulate”. Is it physical tired or mental exhaustion ? Maybe it’s both ! …either way our capacity has been exceeded. When this happens it becomes harder to make healthy decisions, stay focused on tasks, and even remain calm. You get the “ grouchy ness” syndrome.
What are you supposed to do? Research suggests to go outside notice 5 colors, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and one thing you remember tasting . ( this is a grounding technique). You then might have some more bandwidth to do something fun , or some selfcare , or something on your
“ to do list”.
Other ideas to get your body up or your mind refocused :
Hold an ice cube in your hand
Smell essentail oil
Make some hot tea
Wash your face
Set a timer to only sit / rest for 15 minutes - then get up
The last activity that I might suggest is instead of scrolling is to reconnect to spontaneity. If you’re going to doing something mindless because you’re too tired -do something intentional such as: draw( doodle), dance, make a smoothie, change your sheets, declutter a small area , write down something you’re grateful for . What do you think might help ?
Twila
