System Overload

It's been a while! I guess you can say, I have been on system overload.

By definition, a system overload means excessive system activity, leading to the degradation of performance or failure. Essentially, when relating this to the human mind or body, you are doing too many things at once, eventually leading to complete exhaustion and failure in certain areas of your life.

I know we all resonate with the saying "my brain has too many tabs open." Being busy, especially after being locked down during this pandemic is great! Or so I thought...

My brain is like an internet browser. I have 19 tabs open, 3 are frozen, and I have no idea where the music is coming from...

When talking to majority of people, everyone says being busy is good. Don't get me wrong, it's addicting and deceivingly easy to achieve, but extremely difficult to sustain. It can be daunting, draining, and for some of us, lead to a debilitated state of being/mind. Thus, I have decided to focus on each task at hand, and close my tabs for good - declutter my life, and my brain. Here's how...

Strategies to Declutter Your Brain, and Close the Tabs

1) The Digital Detox.

In today's modern world, we are faced with the constant barrage of social media platforms, communication outlets, and online gaming/surfing. I don't know about you, but sometimes I will fall into a reel daze (pun intended), and two hours later, realize I just wasted that much time being overloaded with useless information.. sometimes I am on my phone so often, that my thumb/wrist will start to hurt! Clearly something had to give...

I put the phone down, and so should you! Allot a time for social media/gaming/internet searching, and stick to it. Don't tell yourself "five more minutes".. because we all know that will turn into 30, or maybe even an hour. Also, this might not be for all, but social media can negatively affect your mental health. Monitor your usage on these platforms, and if you start to notice your mind getting cluttered by negative thoughts and feelings from triggering posts, it is time to take a break.

Learning to be present (I repeat! Which requires putting the phone down.) and making each of my moves purposeful, has been such a game changer in decluttering my mind. Which leads me to my next point...

2) Make Every Movement Purposeful.

What's the first thought that comes to mind when you read that? For me, I think about Yoga. Every movement is purposeful and impactful, and without holding that pose, you don't get the full effects of your practice. Try applying this to everything in your life, whether cooking dinner, doing an assignment in school, meeting a deadline at work, going on a date, or spending time with a loved one - be purposeful in your actions. You set out to do a task, or gain an experience, be present and in the moment and you will reap the benefits of each movement.

More specifically, this means closing those tabs that were left open. Finishing that task, and checking it off your list. Anything moving forward you set out to do, make sure you get the job done before you start another! Because believe it or not, humans are not multitaskers by nature. Multitasking may seem efficient on the surface, but studies have shown that multitasking actually reduces productivity and fills your mind with too much activity.

"Busy is a drug that a lot of people are addicted to." - Rob Bell

3) Ask Yourself What You Really Want.

This might not apply directly to everyone.. depends on your circumstances in life. But for me, I was exploring too many career opportunities. I realized I would rather give 100% to a task/job and be amazing, than 25% to four and be average.

So, this begged the question, what do I really want? When I look into the future - five, or ten years from now - where do I see myself? Obviously, typing this out is a lot easier than asking the questions and searching for the answers. But again, this all came back to being purposeful in my movements in life. What was going to get me to my end goal? Everyone needs an end goal in life, and if you don't have one... start thinking!

So I guess you'll hear it here first, I have closed the Weddings chapter in my life, and am focusing all my efforts into the Housing and Real Estate world. So you'll be seeing a shift in my branding, and content! Excited for this change, but if we're being completely honest, also a little scared!

4) Breathe.

Something to remember on your day-to-day; breathing and humour are great ways to reality check our behaviours! Whenever things get too overwhelming, or life gets too serious, remember those words. Take a couple of minutes to breathe, meditate, and bring awareness to your thoughts. After all, you can't move forward if you don't take the time to figure out what is keeping you stuck.

Everything is always easier said than done. There is no perfect formula to living a healthier, more productive lifestyle. Every day is a new day to learn, and challenge yourself. There will always be something that pops up, a struggle to overcome, a hardship to work through. What matters most is having the proper tools in place to keep moving forward, and concurring this crazy thing we call life!