Article recovered from archives of my old blog originally written on the 9th of June 2019. This article captures what the old me called a ‘journal entry’ and it is a fascinating time capsule of who I was at the time and what I was grappling with in my mind.
I myself, among with many others, are victim to what we have labelled a ‘busy mind’.
However, I don’t think we’re aware that we are, in-fact, a victim to this form of mental seizure. It wasn’t until today, after reading something, that I came to this thought. So, I did the only thing I know how to do when I reach an ‘aha!’ moment, express.
In this case, I’m writing a blog; although my expressions are usually a flurry of tweets or a random outburst of energy to my flatmate. Being honest, it is usually whatever my strange, introverted and awkward mind deems best for me to do in the moment and I don’t realise it has happened until I sit back down.
I am an entrepreneur, a creative, an ADHD, a sufferer of mental health illnesses, and a born ’round peg in a square hole’. These self diagnosed labels are what I blame my own ‘busy mind’ on.
A ‘busy mind’ is something that people are aware of and talk about, but there is no real definition. If you have it, you know about it.
There are moments where five different things will be happening in my mind, I won’t sleep, I can’t concentrate, I can’t sit still, I can’t breathe, I can’t do anything.
There will be days where I will get nothing done, because everything is being done in my head. During these days or episodes where nothing is happening in my physical world, I will be in a state of deep exhaustion.
If you suffer from depression or anxiety, you will no doubt find that you can relate. A depressed mind is inflamed. The brain is constantly being filled with non-stop information and always being filled to the brim and getting worked up.
Imagine a boxer in the ring having a seizure. This is what is happening when your busy mind is overthinking.
This is why people meditate. To stop having a busy mind. Happiness is bred in a state of calm. The best state of mind is a focused one.
To reach this, try ensuring that each thought and action has a purpose. Try to instil stoicism in everything you do.
During my own depressive episodes, I have made awful decisions. I can be boisterous and toxic. I can lose all memory and control of my own mind. This is a by-product of my busy mind.
Good decisions can only come from a state of calm, purposeful thought. You will very rarely have good decision making skills while in a state of frantic thought and inflammation.
If you want to perform, you need to be able to make good decisions.
To operate at your peak performance, you must learn how to tame your mind and jump out of your seizure.