How To Rest Your Mind

Being in a constant state of worry can take a toll on one’s emotional and physical well-being. Remind your loved one (and you too!) to give their mind a rest and not overwork their brain.

Here are some suggestions on how to "rest" your mind

1. Limit "worry" time

Instead of telling a loved one to stop worrying, suggest limiting their “worry time” as this may be more realistic for them. Ask them to allot only 10-15 minutes each day to worry about a certain matter. They can even write down their worries in a notebook or journal. To help them develop this as a habit, ask them to do it at the same time every day. Mornings might be the most ideal time as worrying in the evenings could keep them up at night. This “worry time” could be during their devotions in the morning, making it an opportunity to commit their worries to the Lord in prayer.

2. Find healthy distractions

Shifting their thoughtson something else helps, but this usuallycannot be done by simply thinking of otherthings. Focusing on something specific canhelp disrupt the worry thought-process.

The“3-3-3 rule” might also help. Wheneverthoughts of worrying creep in, focus onthree things or items. This and other distraction techniques not only help to prevent one’s thoughts from going into overdrive but also help slow one’s mind down and bring a person back to the present.

3. Be mindful of posture.

While most treatments of depression focus on medication or managing thoughts and behavior, recent studies are discovering the impact of physical posture on mood and thought process. So encourage your loved one to literally “get out of their slump”— get them out of bed, straighten their shoulders, and tell them to stick out their chests. Not only does this physical posture help in resetting their body, it may also cut through their harmful thought process by making them look forward rather than inward.

These tips are taken from Companioning: Walking With Our Loved Ones Through Their Anxiety by Dr. Joyce Piap Go, available at OMF Lit Bookshops, shop.omflit.com, Shopee, and Lazada for P150.