How to De-Compress

Every once in a while I get to this point where my brain just wants to turn off. It doesn't want to read anything. It doesn't want to email anything. It doesn't want to think anything. It just wants to do nothing. I have noticed that when that happens, its time to let it turn off for a bit. No more reading, no more learning, no more striving. Just do nothing.

There is a lot of power in nothingness. Of being able to let go of the brain and just be.

However to settle into the space of nothingness can result in discomfort for many people. When we let go of our minds, they can take us into a zillion and one directions, sometimes into darker thoughts of our past or fearful thoughts of our future. And so we often avoid it and instead distract ourselves with whatever catches our attention: i.e. flashy icons, celebrity news, facebook updates.

By stopping, sitting and breathing into nothingness, we can breathe some space between our thoughts and find more clarity within our minds. It gives our brains a moment, a pause in its day. Through this, all the information inside us starts to automatically decompress and we begin to feel lighter and refreshed.

In one way, meditating can be easier than just doing nothing. I often fall into the category of people who need to 'do' something all the time. Sitting and breathing is helpful for me because in one way I think at least 'meditating' still 'doing' something. It is sometimes a way of tricking myself into doing nothing.

So when you hit information overload - sit and breathe. Try it for 5 minutes straight. Sit in a chair, on the floor. Count to four on your inhale, count to four on your exhale. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

xoSusanne