Mind Traffic

Mind Traffic is that endless number of thoughts that seem to just come out of nowhere when you first start to relax. It occurs mainly during the first ten minutes of relaxation, meditation, day dreaming or reading a book and makes many people feel restless. It is a natural occurrence and when better understood, is welcomed.

Everyone experiences this flow of thoughts prior to falling into a deeply, relaxed state, it is how the mind processes information. To alleviate stress, regularly practice the Mind Traffic Exercise so that your mind has less to remember. After all, if it is written down, your mind knows that you will remember it and no longer has to keep these thoughts locked in your conscious mind.

To practice this exercise, sit in a comfortable chair. Have a pen and paper beside you. Close your eyes and practice slow breathing (a slow breath takes about three seconds to inhale or exhale). Mind traffic usually surfaces during the first ten minutes of relaxation. To gain the full benefit of this exercise, allow yourself a further ten minutes of deep relaxation, once your mind becomes quieter.

As soon as you begin to relax, your mind will start to file away all of the thoughts of the day. It is like a computer asking you to save your files. There are three main types of thoughts that flash across your mind as they are filed away.

They consist of the day’s activities, tasks not yet completed (your 'to do' list) and any conflicts that have not been resolved.

Let’s look at these thoughts in more detail.

1. The day's activities – Flashbacks.

These thoughts are random and are a collection of memories to do with day to day activities. When you meditate or relax, these thoughts flash across your mind rapidly. They are neither overly positive nor negative, you may picture the sunrise you saw this morning, or remember the smile on your child’s face. These thoughts get filed away easily.

2. Tasks not yet completed. Your ‘To Do’ List.

These are thoughts that remind you of tasks you still need to do. They cause an emotional reaction, and often distract people when they meditate because they think, “I have to remember that”.

When these thoughts surface during this restful period, write them down, so that you will remember them. Your mind will then file that thought away and you can move into a deeper, relaxed state without worrying about it. At the completion of your restful period, you can then transfer this list into your diary, for later completion.

This exercise of writing down your ‘to do’ list is also effective for people who find it difficult to sleep at night when they have a lot on their mind. By writing down your tasks, just prior to falling asleep, you will sleep more soundly.

3. Conflicts not yet resolved.

When a conflict has not been resolved and weighs heavily on your mind, the conflict should be written down. A decision can be made later about how to constructively resolve the conflict or concern. Perhaps talking to a friend, a teacher, parent or counsellor can help resolve the problem. Thoughts in this category can cause stress, which left unresolved can cause your body to experience unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms.

When these thoughts surface during this restful period, don’t try to find a solution, let the thought go after you have written it down.

The last step in this process is to allow your body to relax. This occurs naturally as a result of processing your mind traffic. Once your mind traffic begins to slow down, give yourself a further ten minutes to completely relax. When you want to finish this exercise, imagine that you are awakening from a deep sleep. Stretch, slowly open your eyes and then return to your usual activities.

Print the Mind Traffic template and keep it with you when you meditate or relax to remind yourself to write down your mind traffic. Alternatively have a pen and paper handy to write down your mind traffic if you do not wish to print out the template.

Adapted from: From Crappy To Happy