Mindset Toolkit Archives - Page 2 of 4

When The Mind Can Take No More

Why Finding Time To Be Alone In Solitude Improves The Mind — Photo by Bob Price on Pexels.com

To find out whether you need to spend time alone or go into solitude, There are many signs that you will clearly see if you pay close attention. It could be your snappy with people, can’t concentrate, feel lost, you want to hide away from the world or you feel your motivation has gone.

This happens when the mind doesn’t have time to relax. When we are in contact with colleagues, our children or the work we have to do. Our mind is in external mode focusing on their needs not our own. When turning our attention to the internal mode we find time to focus on ourselves and let the brain relax on what’s best for ourselves.

Finding time to be alone can offer our minds the chance to catch up and recover. Much like sleeping repairs the brain. Finding time to be alone repairs the mind from exhaustion. You probably noticed when you don’t get enough sleep how much easier it is to get annoyed and frustrated. You feel the same when you don’t find time to be alone.

Main Benefits Of Alone Time

Studies have shown that spending time alone or going one step further and finding solitude.

Strongly increased happiness
Better life satisfaction
Improved stress management
Reduction in depression symtoms
Creative thinking

This goes to show why in everyone’s mindset toolkit, alone time or solitude has to be included. Being more introverted myself. Finding time alone away from the responsibilities of life makes me a better person when I’m present with my wife, children and work.

Even extroverted people need time to be alone too. They excel at being the life of the conversation, life of the party or exuberant leaders of people. As much as they love this role there will come a time when it’s time to take a break and find time alone away.

This is healthy and every human needs it as you need sleep. Without you will be drained and not the person you want to be.

How To Find Time To Be Alone

Making time to be alone will go a long way in increasing your wellbeing, productivity and performance. Below are just some of the activities you can do to strengthen the mind with alone time.

Travelling Alone

Travelling alone is a refreshing way to claim your thoughts back. This could be taking the train on your own or it could randomly pick somewhere on a map to travel to for a weekend alone. Doing this takes all the external responsibility away from your life where you can just focus on yourself. Whether that be finding time to read, learn about a new culture, or find out more about yourself.

Hiking In Nature

Exercising the brain is important and hiking in nature is a great way to spend time alone with yourself. You will feel challenged and at home in nature. As nature allows you to connect with it in a way that’s peaceful for the mind. When hiking you will have time to listen to your thoughts, come up with new ideas and focus on what you really want from your life. I always take a small notebook with me to jot down any new ideas and systems I want in my life.

Work Alone

Teamwork makes the dream work is a famous saying that’s actually true. When humans work together magical things happen. But there is also space for working alone too. If you’re constantly getting distracted or need time to process your own thoughts. Get away and find your space to work alone. If I’m at home working I find time in my week to work from a cafe. This allows me to focus on myself rather than be distracted by what’s at home.

Do A Hobby Alone

A great way to find your alone time is picking up a hobby that can be truly yours. This could be joining an MMA class, photography, writing or learning a new language. Whatever the hobby is it will give you space where you can take the mind internally to focus on the self-care of the mind needs.

Plan For It

Planning your alone time can go a long in preventing any symptoms of a lack of alone time popping up. Scheduling in your hobby or when it’s time just for you can go a long way in making sure you make it a habit in your life. It will make you excited and be able to give your external responsibilities all your attention. You can even plan for time in your day when it’s just for you. Waking up before everyone else or having your own room to do whatever you want will help too.

How To Find Solitude

Cabin In The Woods

Famously every year Bill Gates spends 2 weeks out of the year on his own in solitude. This is a time where he can reflect and plan for what he wants to do next. This is a great way to recover the mind the external responsibilities of life. In Scotland, many affordable cabins are far away from human life to spend in solitude. Wherever you live find somewhere you can go to find your solitude for a couple of weeks out of the year.

Your Own Space

You’ve probably heard of a man den before. There’s a lot of jokes about this and females can think it silly. But this is a super healthy way for someone to take a step back to find time for themself in solitude. It’s crucial in your own life to create somewhere in your home that’s your space. Whether that’s your own room, garage, shed or a time in the day that’s yours to command.

The Benefits Of Seeking Solitude

Clears the mind
Increases focus and what’s a priority
listen to what you really want
Problem-solving

Remember It Has To Be A Fine Balance

We are of course social creatures so we feel at our happiest when we have family, friends and a community around us. Because there is a clear distinction between loneliness and finding time to be alone. This article isn’t about overcoming loneliness it’s about finding space in your life to internally heal, repair and stimulate your mind.

Only you will know how much alone time and solitude you will need in your life and I expect introverted will need more than extroverted people would. But finding time to be alone with yourself and your thoughts is the foundation of mindset strength to build your relationship, career, and habits.

Let’s all find our alone time, our place of solitude and become stronger mentally for it.

PLEASE COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR STORIES

Has this helped you today? What’s your favourite mindset strategy you’re going to try out. I would love to hear your thoughts and your experiences with dealing with a negative mindset. Always remember you are not alone and everything can change.

A Final Word From The Future Mindset

I hope you enjoyed today’s article If you’re struggling with dealing with mastering your own mindset. Don’t worry you’re not alone. Millions of people go through the same experience every day. I hope the article has helped in some way. If you need extra help or any questions answered. Don’t hesitate to contact me at adam@thefuturemindset.com

@thefuturemindset/@futuremindset_

Mindset Toolkit – Forgiveness

Why Learning To Forgive Has To Be Part Of Your Self-Care Routine — Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com

The foundation of having a mindset that can benefit your life is built on forgiveness. When we learn to forgive as a practice. This is when we can let go of the anchors of the past that hold us back in life.

We all have times when we have let our-self down or others we have relied on have to. When we hold onto the negative emotions of wrongdoings. It creates bitterness, an invisible weight that can get heavier and heavier to carry as time goes on.

I’ve seen and experienced this first hand. It’s not pretty to watch or feel. The unseen destruction it can do to your mental health that reflects your overall health is clear. The way it latches on like a leech sucking your mental health dry is a weight too hard to carry.

For all the pain of when we don’t practice forgiveness of others and self-forgiveness. There is hope if we learn to forgive.
I too myself have had a mindset awakening when I took on the practice of forgiveness. It changed my life.

There Are Levels Of Forgiveness

There are countless stories told about forgiveness. The most famous one I can think of is the story of Jesus dying on the cross to forgive the sins of all mankind. In modern times there are stories of parents forgiving the murderers of their child which can be seen as level 10 forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a personal experience and cannot be forced upon. It’s a path you have to walk alone and will take courage to find your way out.

In my own life, I have battled against my mistakes and failures. Holding myself to account for standards that are unwarranted. This has led to days, weeks and months of negative feelings because I couldn’t forgive myself for being human. This is known as a fixed mindset. Where pain and suffering occur from a lack of a growth mindset.

You will too have your own stories of pain in your life. Some simple to forgive and others it will take more effort to come to terms with. A good article I read on 5 different levels of forgiveness can be of some help.

When you can find it within yourself to forgive. Only then will you have a release from the torment of the mind.

How To Practice Self-Forgiveness

Practising self-forgiveness to make it a habit has to be performed on a daily or weekly basis depending on your lifestyle. Before you get to that point there has to be a beginning. This journey is somewhat similar to an Australian Aboriginal walkabout. Where you find yourself.

This has to be done alone with no distraction. This will be a time where you can write down, video or record your life experiences that need forgiving. You need to look back in the memory bank as far back as you can. Here you will find the invincible weight that has been weighing you down in life.

I personally forgive myself for being abandoned by my biological father and I forgave myself for not revising for my failed exams. When you’re going through your life’s memories some will harder to deal with than others. If you start crying you’re doing something right. Your starting to let go of your pain. This exercise could take an hour or it could take days. By the end of it, you feel light as a feather and free at last of the pasts pain.

To maintain this you have to practice self-forgiveness regularly to combat any unforeseen negative feelings that can hold you back.

This is an exercise that has changed my mental approach to life. Where now I care less about mistakes and failures. But care more about trying it again with a different approach. I face my fears more without worry about failing. It’s a refreshing approach to life that has led to my own mental health has become happier and a feeling of freedom.

How To Learn To Forgive Others

Forgiving others can be hard sometimes depending on what they have done to you. But holding long-term grudges over people does no good for your mental health. When it comes to forgiving others you have to become selfish. This is a purely selfish act for your benefit not there’s.

If you get into an argument with someone and after you have cooled down. You should look to find ways to forgive that person whether it be they don’t know any better, having a bad day or it was a breakdown in communication. Whatever it is find it because when you do you can move on.

There is a story of a mum and a son. They have two completely different points of view on life and yet again they came to an almighty argument where they never spoke to each other for years. Months after the argument. The son set his boundaries between himself and his mum but learned to forgive his mother for all her actions against him. On the other hand, his mum didn’t forgive or reach out to her son. This led to years of pain for the mom where her mental health was heavily affected by this event.

Over the course of the 4 years the person who chose to forgive led a happier life compared to the person who did not forgive.

The moral of the story is that no matter what happens to you in your life where forgiveness seems impossible. You have to be selfish in your endeavour to find it because if you do not you put your health at risk.

PLEASE COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR STORIES

Has this helped you today? Are you more inclined to focus on forgiveness. I would love to hear your thoughts and your experiences with dealing with forgiveness. Always remember your not alone and everything can change.

A Final Word From The Future Mindset

I hope you enjoyed today’s article Why Learning To Forgive Has To Be Part Of Your Self-Care Routine. Don’t worry you’re not alone. Millions of people go through the same experience every day. I hope the article has helped in some way. If you need extra help or any questions answered. Don’t hesitate to contact me at adam@thefuturemindset.com

@thefuturemindset/@futuremindset_