Busyness, distraction, and stress have all led to the shrinking of the modern mind.
I realize that’s a strange thing to say. Most of us don’t think of our mind as something with space in it, as a thing that can either be big or small, expensive or claustrophobic.
But just think about the last time you felt overwhelmed, stressed, or out of control. Chances are, you might not even have to think that hard. You might be experiencing that state right now as you read these words.
What happens in these moments?
First, our mind wanders. It spins through all sorts of random thoughts about the past and the future. As a result, we lose touch with the direct experience of present time.
Second, we lose perspective. We can’t see the big picture anymore. Instead, it’s like we’re viewing life through a long and narrow tunnel. We become blind to possibility, fixated on problems.
Put these two together and you’ve got the perfect recipe for eradicating space in the mind. The landscape of the mind begins to feel like a calendar jammed with so many meetings, events, and obligations that these neon colored boxes cover-up even the smallest slivers of white space.
So it could be nice for our partner, for our kids, and, mostly, for our ourselves to consider: how can we create more space in the mind?
Here are five tools for creating mental space. If you want to go deeper, check out my new book with Sounds True on the topic called OPEN: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World.
1. Meditation.
You’ve no doubt heard about all of the scientifically validated benefits of this practice. It reduces stress. It boosts productivity. It enhances focus.
That is all true. But here is the real benefit of meditation: it creates more space in the mind. To get started, try it out for just a few minutes a day. Use an app or guided practice to help you.
2. Movement.
So, maybe you’re not the meditating type. That’s fine. You can still create space in the mind by setting aside time for undistracted movement.
The key word here is “undistracted.” For many of us, exercise and movement have become yet another time where our headspace gets covered over by texts, podcasts, or our favorite Netflix series.
There’s nothing wrong with this. But it can be powerful to leave the earbuds behind every once in a while and allow the mind to rest while you walk, stretch, run, bike, swim, or practice yoga.
3. Relax.
When it comes to creating headspace, we moderns, with our smartphone-flooded, overly-stimulated, minds seem to inevitably encounter a problem: we’re often too stressed, amped, and agitated to open.
Relaxation – calming the nervous system – is perhaps the best way to counter this effect and create more fertile ground for opening. When we relax – the real kind, not the Netflix or TikTok kind – the grip of difficult emotions loosens, the speed of our whirling thoughts slows, and, most important, the sense of space in our mind begins to expand.
How can you relax? Try yoga. Try extended exhale breathing, where you inhale four counts, exhale eight counts. Try yoga nidra. Or, just treat yourself to a nap.
4. See bigger.
When life gets crazy, the mind isn’t the only thing that shrinks. The size of our visual field also gets smaller. Our eyes strain. Our peripheral vision falls out of awareness.
What’s the antidote to this tunnel vision view? See bigger.
Try it right now. With a soft gaze, allow the edges of your visual field to slowly expand. Imagine you’re seeing whatever happens to be in front of you from the top of a vast mountain peak. Now bring this more expansive, panoramic, way of seeing with you for the rest of the day.
5. Do nothing.
Now for the most advanced practice. It’s advanced because it cuts against everything our culture believes in. In a world where everyone is trying desperately to get more done, one of the most radical acts is to not do — to do nothing.
Even just a few minutes of this paradoxical practice can help you experience an expansion of space in the mind.
Lie on the floor or outside on the grass. Close your eyes. Put on your favorite music if you want. Set an alarm for a few minutes so you don’t freak out too much.
Then, stop. Drop the technique. Drop the effort. Just allow yourself to savor this rare experience of doing absolutely nothing.
I can relate to these thoughts and questions, because I had the same experience since my life-transition happened about 18 months ago. I use the term ‘happened’ and not ‘started’ because there is no beginning and no end to it. It just is. And for the tactics and strategies, to get it going even faster: stop them. It is no use to try anything to enhance the progress. I think that any tactic or strategie only slows it. Let it be, it comes and goes, but it always is. The moment you let these strategies go, you feel to be right in it. And the art of living seems to be to realize that this is so at any given moment, though there is always only this one moment. Does that make any sense to you?
It makes perfect sense to my heart (my ego says hogwash of course). Thank you and good luck in the never-ending-ness of it all!
I am in the midst of a transition as well, and something I have recently noticed are the new characteristics that the transition brings out in me…that through this challenge, I have enacted courage, spontaneity and even had moments of intense joy although the transition is inherently troubling. Yesterday I realized that I love these three new qualities of my being, and am curious to see how I can also enact my loving and compassionate self while at the same time preserving these other helpful qualities. As Michael writes, let it be, it comes and goes but always is…
I concur. I also have experienced the unfolding of unexpected ‘positive’ qualities and realizations, which tell me that ultimately things remain in balance. Let go of something, and something new is usually right around the corner, although you have to pay attention or you might miss it.
Thanks for sharing your strategies, Joe. I think one of the most amazing spoken-word teachers otu there right now is Jeff Foster. Early in his adulthood, he went through a really intense period of depression that he shares so nakedly that you can’t help but feel like you’re connecting with someone who truly understands loss and emptiness. His big ST audio set is fantastic, but so are his “homemade kitchen table” YouTube videos. Blog readers, here’s a link, totally worth checking out if you’re in life change or confusion: https://www.youtube.com/user/lifewithoutacentre