Ways that I settle my mind

Sometimes my mind is so full that I find it difficult to concentrate. Particularly a problem when I am waiting for something that is coming up later in the day - maybe an important appointment, something that I'm anxious about, or even something good like going away on holiday. I find it difficult to settle and end up just scrolling through the endless social media on my phone, which only serves to make me feel more anxious and on edge.

But I've found a few things that work well to calm myself when my mind is racing, and so I'm sharing them here in case they might help anyone else!

The first thing is to put my phone away, preferably in another room, and also switch off my PC. I need to step away from the screens and the scrolling!

I do some exercise. Ideally a run but a walk works as well. Or if I'm short of time or I need to stay at home then I pull out the yoga mat and do a quick stretching video. I have a few favourites that are less than ten minutes long, and because I don't get sweaty I don't need to worry about changing or a shower afterwards.

I read a good book. Something escapist, easy to read and predictable - either one of my favourites or some cheesy romantic fiction. If I don't happen to have anything on hand there is always something in the Amazon free Kindle books that fits the bill!

I play the piano. At the beginning of the year I set myself a goal to memorise some pieces, with the rather optimistic hope that I might manage a piece a month. I'm currently bang on track with four pieces pretty well memorised, so I work my way through those and then have a go through some of my favourite sheet music.

I get out my paints. If I'm not feeling inspired then I just paint backgrounds for future work - swishing around lots of colours with a lovely big brush.

I pick up a current craft project, usually my cross stitch. But I stick to an easy bit - a border or large areas of colour. The repetition of stitches is really calming.

I write in my journal. Sometimes it seems like an effort to pick it up, but I really do feel better when I've written something down, even if it's just nonsense. It really helps to clear my head.

I hope that you find these ideas helpful if you are trying to find some calm!