Saturday, January 18, 2020

Physical Release, Mental Clarity

I am guilty, like many I know, of getting overwhelmed by all the things going on in life and feeling like no matter what I'm doing I should be doing something else. If I am writing (or at least trying to) I can't stop my mind from racing through all the chores I need to finish. If am trying to read and relax a little I feel like I should be writing. If, by chance, I am actually done cleaning and running errands with enough time to sit and work on writing I still find myself struggling to stick to one project. I have so many books I want to write that I find the characters will argue with one another, pushing and shoving for my attention.

Because of my scattered mental situation, more often than not I have noticed I get to the point where I just don't want to do anything. I would rather throw myself into pointless endeavors and ignore all obligations than try to make sense of the craziness in my mind. Because I am aware of this tendency though I do my best to find ways to clear this chaos whenever possible. Tactics I have tried in the past have included to do lists, creating a schedule, going to alternative locations to write so I can focus on nothing else, but I still find my mind wandering. I have tried so many different ways to clear my head and instead I find my brain simply adding things to the list and running faster and faster.

Last week I went to the gym like I try (but often fail) to do. I have taken several classes in the past. Zumba, Water Aerobics, and Body Pump are some of my favorites but while I concentrate on what is happening in the class, things change so often I am unable to tune out completely and get lost in the moment. When I went last week I had planned to take a PiYo class. For those unfamiliar it is a combination of Pilates and Yoga with an increased speed. As I walked into the gym however I saw how many people were already in the room for PiYo and had no desire to contend with a crowd. There was a spin class at the same time so I grabbed the bike seat cover I keep in my bag and made my way to spin class. Three songs in I was sweating, struggling to breathe, and my mind was putting things in order for an upcoming book project I hadn't been able to focus on until that point.

Because I didn't have to pay attention to choreography, changing weights, or stretching positions, I was able to just let my body keep pushing while my mind could drift to a subconscious place and that allowed the book to become clear. When I got out of class I was still in a go get it done kind of mood so I completed all the house cleaning while still thinking about the writing breakthrough I had made. When the chores were done I sat down and was able to write out everything I had come up with during class. The physical release of tension that I didn't have to concentrate on has given me a chance to focus in way actually trying to think hadn't been able to accomplish.

I am still taking my Zumba, Body Pump, Water Aerobics, and even a few yoga type classes but I am incorporating more cycling to allow the creativity to flow. Do you notice anything you do helping your ability to sort out mental issues and solve problems like spin helped me?

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