I Felt Overwhelmed And Confused Until I Cultivated This Surprisingly Simple Habit

I have a black belt in Kung-Fu. I am not kidding.

I don't say that to brag (I am a bit rusty, to be honest), but because I lived many insightful experiences on my journey.

One of these was to fight with my teacher.

He is super fast and flexible and kicks you in the head as fast as with his fists. Impressive.

So when I had the honour to fight with him, I experienced a technique that I have heard about several times in the martial arts world: confuse your enemy.

I was getting hit in so many directions and so fast that it felt like being hit by a storm of meteorites. My brain was getting confused, and I couldn't do anything structured. Only random movements like a puppet manipulated by a drunk marionettist.

What is the link between kung-fu fighting and you feeling overwhelmed?

We are constantly exposed to information through many media and social apps. We are not always aware of the effect on how we feel.

Like the fists and kicks of my kung-fu teacher, our brains are hit by this endless flow of information coming from a lot of directions. Thus, our brain gets confused.

The worse is that when we feel insecure and confused, we seek even more information. An infernal loop we struggle to escape.

We feel we absolutely need to learn this ultimate thing that seemed appealing (thanks, clickbaity titles!).

The simple habit that reduces confusion

It is so simple that we will call it a scam and bounce back to read something that will help you. But trust me, that's all you need.

You need to cultivate the habit of making space for silence in your life.

I told you that it was elementary. But, simple doesn't mean easy.

Try this. Close your eyes and try to make some silence in your mind. At least for 30 seconds.

I will wait for you :)

Did you succeed? I guess not (or call me, please!)

You will have probably quickly given up. Your most random thoughts have flown into your mind without any way to stop them.

That's ok. Your brain is designed to create thoughts.

The good news is that you can learn to let them go. It is called meditation. I won't give a lesson on meditation, but you will find many experts or apps to guide you.

If you only take a moment every day to make some silence, you will feel much more relaxed. You will learn that your thoughts are just thoughts, not realities.

A simple way to do this is to focus on your breath and feel the difference in temperature between the air you inspire and the air you expire through your nostrils.

So, this is for what's inside you. But the noise also comes from outside.

Phones, TV, radio, people...

The good news here is that you can also shut off this noise (at least for a moment). Turn off every device, find a quiet space (hide in the toilets if you need to!) and breathe.

It feels so good. A few minutes is enough to make space and reduce this feeling of confusion.

I like to listen to music, the radio or YouTube videos (just listening, I promise) when I drive. But regularly, I also switch off everything and enjoy silence.

Not stimulation of my brain by the news or an exciting interview.

A quiet and peaceful moment with myself.

That's what you need too. You deserve it.

Takeaway

Silences are important.

They are like the white space in a design. Like a pause in a speech.

You probably had this situation where one of your friends, a relative, or a colleague comes to you and talks fast and continuously about something. You may (or not!) listen carefully initially, but it can be challenging to keep your interest for very long. We need space and pauses in communication to make it more efficient.

Think about using silences when you speak, when you interact with your colleagues or your partner, your kids.

In writing as well.

Shhhh.