Module Four: The Simple Path to a Healthier Brain
I hope you’re enjoying the exercises, information and meditations so far.
Before we get into this next module, I would like to say again how important it is to journal, not just throughout this program, but in life. I put a document called “Journaling” in the “files” section of this platform, but here it is again. Journaling.pdf The importance of journaling cannot be overstated! Whether it’s paper or electronic, it is an incredible way to clarify your thinking and deal with emotional issues that can produce stress, an important factor in the development of dementia.
One of the contributors to stress is clutter, and that’s one of the things we’re tackling this module under the umbrella of simplicity.
Unnecessary complexity and clutter and discord all contribute to pulling our attention in many directions, making it harder to concentrate and learn, but also adding stress to our lives when there is literally no need for it to be there.
This is also going to be an introspective week; a chance to look at what we consider “important”, and see how it can help or hinder the health of our brain and the clarity of our mind.
What brings joy in your life, and what are things that are just there because you can’t get rid of them?
That includes people, things and yes, troublesome memories.
Decluttering might seem like a physical thing, but it has as much, perhaps more, impact on your mind as it does on your body. In a clean space, your mind can focus. Minimalism is often bandied about these days, but it is an honorable goal. The more we consume, the more stress on the earth and our own psyches. Happiness is not a loaded shopping cart.
Happiness and a healthy brain have trouble manifesting in busy-ness, so we will be looking at multi-tasking and its effects on our brains.
We’ll also be looking at the emotional freedom technique (EFT) as a way to clear the clutter of negative thoughts from our minds and our hearts.
As you free your space and your mind of clutter, you will become more self-aware, and that will help you stay on track for making good choices to protect your physical, emotional and spiritual health and, of course, your brain.