Our minds are constantly running. And, when we aren’t occupying our minds in healthy ways, stress, worry, and anxiety can quickly take over. That’s why it is important to be mindful of what’s occupying our thoughts, and instead, focus on healthy ways to occupy your mind!
In this article, we explore seven healthy ways to keep your mind focused on the right things and keep unproductive thoughts from taking over.
1. Pick up a Book
One of the best ways to occupy your mind is reading. Reading opens your imagination, allows you to escape the stresses of reality, and provides a great escape when life gets overwhelming. Reading is also a fantastic source of knowledge and fine-tunes many skills, including vocabulary, problem-solving, and innovation.
Here are a few of our favorite benefits of picking up a book:
? Promotes mental health
? Reduces stress
? Improves general knowledge
? Expands vocabulary
? Improves writing skills
? Improves memory
? Sharpens focus and concentration
Are you looking for an excellent book to read? Here are five books we recommend for anyone looking to boost their career.
2. Brainstorm
Brainstorming is a tool most of us have used since elementary school. You can brainstorm with others or on your own. According to science, brainstorming is hugely beneficial.
Next time you want to occupy your mind, try brainstorming.
Here are some handy, free tools to help you with your next brainstorming session:
? Coggle
? Freeplane
? MindMup
? Mindomo
? Mindly
3. Journal
Journaling dates back to at least 10th century Japan. Successful people throughout history have kept journals. For thousands of years, men and women have used journaling to memorialize their thoughts, work through problems, and share experiences.
Here are a few of our favorite journaling benefits:
? Achieve goals
? Track progress and growth
? Gain self-confidence
? Improve writing and communication skills
? Reduce stress and anxiety
? Find inspiration
? Strengthen memory
4. Reminisce
If you’re feeling down, try occupying your time by reminiscing. Reflecting can reduce stress, improve communication skills, and help you learn from past experiences.
5. Meditate
There are many benefits to occupying your mind with meditation. Through meditation, one can quiet the mind allowing a person to be more present. Meditation can improve, for example, memory, attention, and focus.
Here are five tools to help you meditate:
?♂️ Insight Timer
?♂️ Mindfulness Coach
?♂️ Smiling Mind
?♂️ UCLA Mindful
6. Daydream
“Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose.” -Bo Bennett.
Would you be surprised to learn that daydreaming can lessen stress and anxiety? Daydreaming is also known to increase creativity and promote innovation.
Here are a few important benefits of daydreaming:
?♀️ Reduce stress
?♀️ Boost creativity
?♀️ Improves mental agility
?♀️ Increases empathy
7. Take a Class
What better way to occupy your mind than taking a class. This can be in-person or online. You can take a class to help upskill or to learn a new hobby. And there are an almost limitless number of classes.
Here are a few resources to help you pick your next class:
?? ALISON
?? Udemy
?? Coursera
?? edX
?? Udacity
?? General Assembly
?? Skillshare
?? LearnSmart
?? Codecademy
?? Pluralsight
Looking for more ways to occupy your mind? Work one-on-one with an Ignite Your Potential career coach who can help you find meaningful ways to occupy your mind.