I've been thinking about the subject of mental weight recently.
Mental weights are those things that "weigh" on your mind, most often things that you are:
- Worried about
- Procrastinating on
- Just thinking "I really need to do that" in general
I believe that mental weight contributes to physical weight.
Why?
Because your stress level increases when you allow things or people to weigh on your mind.
But when you focus on dropping mental weight each day, then you decrease your risk of those behaviors.
The easiest way to start releasing mental weight is to do a brain dump. Just write down everything you want or need to do something about.
Try to write down 100 things. You may not reach 100 but it is amazing what you can think of when you are striving for that number!
Once you've dumped everything out of your brain, then apply the "1 thing" rule to determine which items on your list to tackle first.
The antidote for feeling overwhelmed is to "Simplify."
So to simplify, you want to ask yourself "1 thing" questions like:
- What is the 1 thing I must do today that will have negative consequences if I don't do it?
- What is the 1 thing I can do today that will make me feel best when I complete it?
- What is the 1 thing I can do today that will improve my life/health the most?
"1 thing" questions help you set daily priorities. Acting according to daily priorities helps you ensure that the most important things in your life get done.
Years ago, I was given multiple project responsibilities with deadlines I knew I could not meet. So I asked my manager, "Which project is the priority?"
She responded: "Everything is a priority."
No, everything cannot be a priority! By definition, a priority is "a thing that is regarded as more important than another."
So if you are making everything important, then your mind is divided and your focus is split. You run from one task to another, never feeling successful at any because you cannot give each task full attention.
One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 90:12:
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Your days are numbered, so make each one count with right priorities!
In addition to releasing task-related mental weight, some of you need to release people-related weight! Remember, you cannot control or change another adult. You can influence them, but not change them.
So if you are trying to do that, you are fighting a losing battle.
Pray for them, then mentally release them to make their own choices, fix their own mistakes, or clean up their own messes.
As you know, it is hard enough working on the things God has told you to change, never mind trying to fix someone else!
What mental weights do you need to get rid of? Start the process today and with consistent practice, you will see that releasing physical weight becomes easier too.