With April showers, mimicking nature, we start to think about clearing away our clutter … mental and physical. However, we no sooner clear it away, and then the same old process of accumulation starts over again.
But why is this only a temporary fix even though it feels so uplifting to remove the chaos, and enjoy the peace, calm, and happiness that comes with clean, open spaces?
Neuroscientists are studying how emotions create the impulse to act
One technique being taught now in schools, workplaces, and healthcare facilities is Mindfulness, which can help you pay attention to your emotions and how they impact what is going on in your brain from moment to moment. This process can create positive mental shifts through continual awareness.
Understanding the Brain’s Process
In simple scientific terms. the amygdala, the impulsive limbric system, hijacks our behavior by triggering the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. Have you noticed that you act more impulsively when under stress?
When practicing mindfulness, you observe and mentally ‘note’ that you are angry, anxious, or whatever emotion arises. This ‘noticing’ slows the brain activity and shifts it from the impulsive, reactive limbric system… to the pre-frontal cortex, which is responsible for developing a more rational, thoughtful response.
Step 1 is to ask ourselves …
what is essential to bring me ‘real’ happiness versus the illusionary happiness that advertisers promise us?
Step 2 is to master self-control…
over our accumulation habits. We need to think long and hard before we say we must have such & such, bringing it home to add to our clutter. Then, like a kid, we are bored with it and want something new…rather than being contented with what we have.
Step 3 is to learn how to resist…
the non- stop temptations we are bombarded with daily by understanding what triggers specific emotions and predictable outcomes.
The famous Self-Control Marshmellow Test
was conducted in the 60s with young pre-school children to test their ability to resist instant gratification.
They were given the choice to 1. Eat the one marshmellow on the table right away, or 2. wait until the researcher returned, and receive two marshmellows. Then the success of these children was followed up 20 years later.
The overall concensus of the study was that when we learn to control our impulsive emotions, we are able to make better decisions with greater clarity which lead to beneficial behavior for long term well being.
Reduce the Clutter with Brain Training
The brain encodes whatever we repeat over and over, and over again…both the good and the bad. Therefore, Nadine suggests the feng shui solution of completing a 100 day Gong (energy practice) to help the brain shift the negative habit of accumulating clutter to REPLACE it with the habit of what brings you real happiness in life.
Studies indicate that 40% of what we can control to create meaningful moments of happiness lies in non-material areas.
Step 4 is to create a list of all the non-material things…
that bring you real happiness in life like making soup for a sick friend, giving someone a hug for the heck of it, reading stories to the kids, a walk in nature, etc.
Each day as you remove clutter, REPLACE the item with something from your non-material list rather than visiting the mall or spending time on-line to add to the clutter. Before the 100 days is up, your brain will shift its craving for all the material ‘stuff’ to a more enjoyable focus on what is truly meaningful in your life.
Contact Nadine to help support you with your commitment to the 100 day gong… and more wellness in your life.
‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ Lao Tzu
Call Nadine at 510-525-1116 for a consultation to start your journey.