If you’re an introvert who has a brain that never takes a break, it can be hard to find mental peace. Your mind latches onto worries and regrets and puts them on repeat like a broken record.
Whether you’re ruminating over something you said five minutes ago, or five years ago, the end result is the same: mental overwhelm.
Even though introverts are more prone to overthinking, that doesn’t mean we’re destined to a life of mental turmoil. There is a better way.
The first step to finding mental peace as an introvert is to understand the sneaky blocks that have been preventing it. Allow me to explain…
The biggest block to mental peace
Years ago, when I was travelling the world in search of purpose, trying to find myself on sunny shores, I had a scary revelation.
I saw very clearly, as if looking at my little life from above, a major source of my inner turmoil. In my constant seeking I’d picked up an extremely inhibiting mental habit.
Aziz Ansari touches on this dangerous peace thief in his new Netflix Special.
In a touching moment he explains that before the controversy that nearly ended his career last year, he was always thinking about the next thing: the next tour, the next special, the next show. Now Ansari really and truly appreciates this moment.
Eckhart Tolle calls this full attention to the present the Power of Now. Others call it mindfulness. Lately I’ve been calling it “meeting the moment.”
Whatever you choose to call it, being in the Now is a core secret to mental peace. As simple as this concept may be, that doesn’t make it easy to apply.
Here are 3 practical ways to feel mental peace Now:
See the world from a new perspective.
I mean this literally. The creative soul longs to wander and experience the world with fresh eyes.
But as adults, we suffocate our soul with rigid routines that translate into rigid, repetitive ways of thinking.
Author Neil Gaiman explains:
“Adults follow paths. Children explore. Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands; perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between fences.”
When you stick too rigidly to the same old boring places and habits, the mind becomes like an anxious rat in a cage. It claws and chews and whimpers, creating problems where there are none.
The key is to get out of your routine and snap yourself out of a mental rut. Be inspired by this quote by Eve Ensler:
“Cherish your solitude. Take trains by yourself to places you have never been. Sleep out alone under the stars. Learn how to drive a stick shift. Go so far away that you stop being afraid of not coming back. Say no when you don’t want to do something. Say yes if your instincts are strong, even if everyone around you disagrees. Decide whether you want to be liked or admired. Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out what you’re doing here. Believe in kissing.”
Yesss please!
Make decisions faster
If you’re someone like me who tends to overthink decisions, you might have noticed how mentally draining this can be.
We waste A LOT of energy with indecision. We also create unnecessary mental turmoil.
When you make decisions faster, and commit to those decisions, you free up your brain for more important tasks, like daydreaming. ?
Meet the moment
Have you ever noticed that the most painful part of a dreaded task is often the thought of it?
All the worrying and anxiety before the event or project makes it seem way harder than it actually is.
What if you reclaimed all the energy you waste on worrying and used it to focus completely on what is right in front of you?
What a relief it is to drop the weight of fear and worry and just meet the present moment.
I hope these tips help you to find some mental peace today. You deserve it!
Love,
P.S. In case you’re new here. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Michaela, and I help introverts gain confidence and connections, all while embracing their introversion. I have hundreds of articles and resources to help you live your best innie life. You can start with my free Introvert Connection Guide.
