An Occupied Mind: The Importance of Clarity

I have been pondering the importance of clarity and direction in mind, and just how easy it can be to lose one's train of thought.

Focus is essential to the Parkinson's mind, because what was once second nature, now takes more work and energy. An occupied mind can lack focus, be unable to prioritize, may be easily distracted, or have a mind that changes like someone sitting on a television remote control.

Multitasking is a luxury

Multitasking is a luxury that most Parkinson's patients can no longer perform effectively or efficiently. Trying to multitask may lead to harm, error, added stress, overloading the brain, and added confusion.

Life and all that comes with it can overwhelm and derail us from our goal or the task at hand. If you find yourself to be easily distracted, then you might want to consider some of the following tools for bringing the mind back on track.

Training your mind to think differently may mean to weed out sights, smells, and any other distractions. It takes practice, hard work, and commitment. The end result of practicing mindfulness can be very calming, peaceful, and effective in finding the balance that you seek.

Calming and quieting the mind takes some consistency and practice. In our current day and age, there are just too many interfering distractions constantly pulling at us. Extracting our best thoughts and goals effectively takes some precision. Allowing our mind to roam freely out of control can be tiresome as well as inefficient.

Tips for keeping a clear mind

Here are some things to explore:

1. Something as simple as spending a few minutes a day with a meditation app (like Headspace) can make a small but noticeable change.
2. Joining a local yoga studio that teaches meditation can be a great place to learn a guided meditation as well as yoga.
3. Experiment with focusing on performing one task at a time and completing each task to the best of your ability. Overload and trying to multitask, especially people with Parkinson's disease, are likely to get in a little trouble when they try to do too much.
4. Make a commitment to yourself to keep your mind as calm and serene as you possibly can.
5. Meditation will help to keep your mind calm, more aware, and will enhance your ability to concentrate. Staying present and engaged will become easier and very possibly, your sleep may even improve.

Keeping your mind uncluttered

Your mind is connected to your body and your spirit, keeping the mind flexible, refreshed, and uncluttered is optimal for it to complete all that you ask of it.

Overtaxing our minds is unfair to our entire body. We owe it to our mind and body to offer them time to recharge. Practicing mindfulness and meditation may just be what your mind and body are looking for.

Even taking a period of your day for quiet reflection and time to gather your thoughts can be considered a way to counter an occupied mind. Realizing the need to slow your barrage of thoughts is an important indicator that it's time to focus on yourself, right now.

Concentration, whether you have an illness or not, is about honing in on the essentials of the experience. Training our minds to focus more efficiently enhances the entire process of being there.