How do you create space when your brain and life are full to overwhelm. Where do you focus when overwhelm makes any focus impossible?
Having a busy brain can be exhausting. Lack of sleep, hyper focus on one or two matters leaving other things in your life to be deprioritised until there is an emergency. Going from overwhelm to panic. Sound familiar?
The answer is to look at the three spaces. Mental space, physical space and safe space.
1. Creating space, in your mind
Give your brain a break. Take ten minutes, put the timer on your phone and do something creative. Mindful colouring in, making things with LEGO, painting, singing. If your busy brain kicks in again, create a mantra to say to yourself. for example, “I give myself this ten minutes of rest.” When you have mastered ten minutes extend the time. This gives your brain a rest. On the other side of this rest is rejuvenation and space to plan and to think. When you are in fight or flight you can only see immediate danger and this ten minute reset calms the hormones causing this and helps you create a wider viewpoint.
2. Creating space, for your body
Get outside, take a walk in nature and observe the world around you. A short walk around lunchtime can improve your sleep and vitamin D from the sun can improve your calcium uptake and strengthen your bones.
When you walk, what five things can you see? What four things can you hear? What three things can you touch? What two things can you smell? What can you taste?
This is called Attention Restorative Theory and was first developed by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan.
3. Creating space, for your safety
Where do you feel safe? Where can you express your fears or concerns and be supported. You may have more than one safe space, or you may need to create a space. Consider which of your friends or family is a good listener. Who has faith in you and cheerleads your ideas? Maybe your safe space is a bath with candles and time alone, or maybe it’s anywhere with a dog to hug.
Safe spaces can also be found within community groups such as choirs or dance classes. Here creative output and safe space can be combined.
Acceptance of yourself can start within the embrace of a community that accepts you, spots your good points and reminds you of them when you are in need of reassurance. Being with communities and people who support you are also good spaces to reflect. Are there other perspectives around a situation that you have missed from your viewpoint? Are there other solutions to situations you haven’t considered?
Attention Restorative Theory (ART) by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan
These thoughts are the basis of ART which was first discussed by Stephen and Rachel Kaplan (1989). They proposed that there are four cognitive states, or states of attention, along the way to restoration:
- Clearer head, or concentration
- Mental fatigue recovery
- Soft fascination, or interest
- Reflection and restoration
The first stage describes clearing the mind. Allowing thoughts, concerns and worries to pass through the mind and fade away. This is not achieved by ‘pushing’ the thoughts away, but by simply letting them flow through and out of the mind naturally.
In the second stage, the real restoration begins; after a task or activity that requires focused and directed attention, it is easy to feel depleted and drained. The mental fatigue recovery stage allows that directed attention to recover and be restored to normal levels.
The third stage is about gentle distraction and engagement in a low-stimulation activity, this reduces the internal noise and provides a quiet internal space to relax.
And finally a period of reflection. This final stage is the deepest and most restorative stage; this is where the most impactful recovery takes place.
What could you let go of?
When the grip on a situation, a thought, a feeling or a way of being is too tight – consider what you can let go of. Life is about balance, and ebb and flow. Gripping on, obsessing and restrictive thinking stops the flow. What would happen if you loosened your grip? What would happen if you let go? Creating space is often about deciding what no longer serves you – and with love and joy, letting it go.
If you like this blog you may like our previous blog – Three Ways To Mental Clarity Through Daily Mindfulness
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