Are You Distracted By Negativity No Matter How Hard You Work To Stay Positive?

There’s a very simple, practical, scientific, spiritual and rational truth that goes something like this:

What you focus on will grow. 

What were you thinking of when you woke up this morning? 

What are you thinking about now? 

Do you feel grounded, centered, vital and connected?

For every time I say I’m totally focused on the positive and the right things are in my life, I know when the spinny, floaty, disconnected and even panicked feeling sets in that perhaps I’m not that focused on what I want, but, rather, distracted by problems or things that don’t feel quite right or settled that idle in the background of life, floating and ready to create anxiety-filled distractions.

It’s subtle how it sneaks up.  For me, I feel less effective, less inspired and more tired first… and then… somewhat rapidly… a problem or unresolved issue starts to emerge and dominate my thoughts no matter how many times I say I’m totally focused on great things.

Do you feel grounded and certain and calm? Is your mind focused on creating super-positive outcomes? Or… do you say and try and even make huge efforts to stay focused on the positive when you’re actually living with unresolved problems that capture your mind?

Forcing myself to think in a certain way never works. Dramatic decisions don’t work either.  Today, I’m excited to share some mental de-cluttering that has been life-saving when life feels full of triggers and issues that pull the spotlight off of everything great that you want to build!

De-cluttering your mind of distractions is a super-personal practice, but I’ve learned some pretty spectacular ways to feel in my own body and see in my own life the results of staying clear of negativity and clearing away the stuff that triggers bad feelings and a spinning mind.

Does that mean it doesn’t happen to me, and I’m always totally dialed in and pefectly focused? Nope.  But I know now, before the waves sweep me under as they have in the past, when things are starting to wobble.

Working with an innovative therapist a long while back I learned that in times that we feel threatened, ill at ease or at risk of trauma there are a few common responses- fight-or-flight (you know, you literally run away from danger) or dissociation (i.e.; you check out and sort of go numb).   If you’re moving through the day and have unhandled problems and things that feel unsafe (be it a broken relationship or a bad boss or anything else) looming in your life freely, you may either be in a constant state of panic (high stress, super-strung-out) or a constant state of feeling ungrounded (numb & checked-out).

These emotions and the chemicals that flood in with them can hijack your mind, rob you of happiness and blanket like in a sense of duress, even if your day is pretty calm and otherwise normal.  It’s this clutter that’s most toxic because it follows you around and washes all of life in grey until you can stop and decide to let it go.

How present do you feel right now?

One of the ways I know if something is right for my life- from people to vitamins to jobs- is how much I feel wholly focused and centered on things while it’s in my life. It’s a hard won lesson.

Here’s an interesting thing to try:   Get quiet for a few minutes and ask yourself…Where do you feel your energy right now in your body? If it’s focused on tension, you likely aren’t grounded.  If it’s in your head, you definitely arenn’t grounded.  Now…  Focus on your feet.  How much do you feel them rooted into the ground.  Now focus on your hands.  How alive and full of energy do they feel?

When you’re grounded and calm and don’t feel yourself reeling from this mental clutter, you become momumentally and instantly more effective.

The most simple way to get more grounded is to take a walk.  There are thousands more ways, but walking is brilliant to bring both sides of your brain into harmony and release pent-up tension.

Start de-cluttering your mind by de-cluttering your home.

This is the basic first-step to all mental de-cluttering that I’ve seen work effectively.  I’ve met therapists who work in innovative addiction rehabilitation facilities and they hire de-cluttering profesionals and organizers to purge the environments of their patients before they rerturn home to a newly sober life.  It’s far-reaching and powerful.

The more junk and mess you let go of, the more bandwidth you will free up in your mind, too!

Remove yourself from problems being triggered in the present.

If you’re constantly being triggered by people or situations into a state of panic or numbness, the change starts with you.  It’s often lots of courageous decisions that lead to a much more peaceful life.

 Do you need to take a long vacation  or sabattical to break a habit?  

Do you need to get a new job?

Do you need to go to a debt councellor or an accounant?

Do you need to move out of your house?  

Is there no way to accept certain people or certain dynamics in life any more…and do you need to decide to step away?  (Reminder: you can’t change anyone!)

Make decisions that are based on how you feel most powerfully whole and present.

Then… tackle the deep stuff.  I’ve experienced incredible forms of therapy, holistic healing and much more. It’s all a constant process of de-cluttering and letting things go.   I teach many tools in my Camps, especially the Catalyst Camp Home & Life De-Clutter.  I can tell you that when I’ve done some of the above berfore going deeper and become more grounded and free of clutter and triggers in life, I had the space in my mind to finally go deeper and resolve stuff that needed to be swept away to create a profound sense of freedom and possibility.

If anything is lingering, looming, swirling around and not handled, you’re likely focused on it.  And when you focus on it, it grows.  It can become monumental, even if it’s small.  It can take away the best parts of the day, pulling you into a confused tailspin.

You don’t need to be creating problems. I’m guessing that’s the past thing you want to create.

Get settled, get calm and get some clear space.  Dare to ditch the distractions, and root out the clutter that is renting space in your brilliant mind.  Watch how much more powerfully and effectively and amazingly  (!) you’ll make things happen that you do want… and how much easier and happier all of life becomes in the process.

xoxo Dana

PS: The Catalyst Camp is coming in Spring and the FREE videos of super-grounding, space clearing and clutter clearing feng shui kick things off!  Start HERE !  xoxo!

Are You Distracted By Negativity No Matter How Hard You Work To Stay Positive?

Daily Inspiration for living your Ultimate Life!