5 Forms of Mental Chaos
and what you can do about it
Ok, Philo fam
Buckle up, because this is gonna be a deep one and is predicated on the struggles I’ve been facing this week.
MENTAL CHAOS!
I have a big move coming up across the country, a community call on Tuesday, August 30th on how to create and distribute content at scale for your personal brand or business and so much more but I have a commitment to you all.
So let’s begin 🤓
I was NOT feeling it this week, and I literally have procrastinated writing this until tonight (Friday 08/26/2022).
See, even the guy who’s passionate about productivity shows his human 😅
I busted out my flip board and began mind mapping.
And here’s what I came up with:
5 kinds of mental chaos
5 triggers that agitate mental chaos
5 action items to mitigate mental chaos
Before we can learn how to fix our mental chaos and gain mental clarity, we have to know the different types of mental chaos and the various ways that it can manifest.
Mental Chaos
Triggers
For the next 5 weeks, here is what you can expect from me in each weekly Philo Letter:
1 mental model for organizing or solving problems
1 form of mental chaos you may be suffering from
1 trigger that can be antagonizing this mental chaos
1 action item to overcome mental chaos
This being week 1 is all about Negative Self-Talk.
But first, let’s look at a mental model specifically related to systematic thinking.
Listen! Please, don’t be intimidated by systems.
I know it’s more of a masculine energy term. However, you’re likely using systems in your everyday life; you just aren’t aware of it!
Systems thinking is a process in which we look at the world as an ecosystem rather than individual segments.
We acknowledge the relationship between parts allowing us to see the coherence of the unified whole.
Systems thinking requires:
Choice
Courage
Clarity
Curiosity
Compassion
It is only then that we can ask the who, what, when, where, and how. Because we’re coming from a place of logic grounded in emotion.
Emotion resides within the heart, and the heart is where love exists.
Logic backed by love.
Oophh 🤌
Gain Mental Clarity
Our minds are a fantastic thing; I mean, just think about it…
They’re full of immense possibilities and have unlimited capabilities.
However, our minds can quickly become overwhelmed in today’s over-stimulated and fast-paced world.
Many of us may even feel that our minds are never at peace.
I was on a call with my mom the other week, and I mentioned meditation and stillness.
She fought it pretty hard, and it seemed to be a trigger.
She kept saying “I can’t be still” and said it multiple times.
I stopped her and said, MOM! It’s not that you CAN’T; it’s that you don’t WANT to, and that’s ok.
She shifted her perspective and said, “where I’m at right now, it just doesn’t serve me.”
Although I disagree 🤷♂️, that is a completely different message to our body and, more importantly, to our psyche.
Psyche; the human soul, mind, or spirit.
We limit ourselves when we say we can’t do something, especially when millions of others can do the thing (proof of concept).
This is merely just a limiting belief out of fear of the unfamiliar. That unfamiliar space is stillness in this case.
There is a constant commotion that never stops, with an out-of-control banging of thoughts that can leave us feeling nervous, worried, sad, or troubled.
We’re rarely at peace with ourselves and can’t seem to get out of the ruts and move forward to accomplish our goals.
Oftentimes leaving us feeling unfocused and disoriented.
These are all clear signs of a chaotic mind.
If this resonates with you, then please, continue reading. There are solutions.
When our minds become overworked, it can lead to an inability to think straight, resulting in a loss of productivity.
If you feel like your mind is racing faster than you can keep up, it is essential that you take care of yourself and find a way to declutter your mind so that you can gain mental clarity and achieve greater success.
Fortunately, there are ways that you can train your brain to slow down and focus.
We first need to understand the many things that can lead to a chaotic mind; just accept this, and let’s move on.
Too many of us (myself included) spend our lives carrying around baggage from the past.
We hold on to things beyond our control and past grudges or worries that we can't change.
However, it is essential to understand that the past is gone, and if you want to gain mental clarity, you have to learn to let go.
The burden of the past can be incredibly heavy and will influence the present if allowed, impair our actions and judgments, and keep us from achieving greater success.
Another problem we face regarding mental clarity is the constant chatter that fills our heads.
It can render you incapable of experiencing life's real joys and impair your cognitive abilities.
It can slow us down, affect our decision-making abilities and leave us confused, bewildered, and absent-minded.
When we learn how to quiet this constant chatter, we can start to clear our minds and gain clarity in life.
You see, negative thoughts affect our abilities to process constructive ideas.
Unfortunately, if they remain in our minds, negative thought patterns will eventually become a part of our personalities.
They will begin to influence our thoughts and actions and keep us from accomplishing our goals.
We need to understand the mechanisms of negative thought patterns so we can learn the different ways to break them.
When our minds are cluttered with things from the past and negative thoughts we can't find happiness.
The negative thoughts we have cause us to complain about our shortcomings rather than counting the blessings in our lives.
We end up forgoing the simple joys in life without giving them much thought.
However, you can change this by developing a greater sense of mental clarity and space.
The reality is that mental chaos, when not dealt with, will not only influence your mind but can also lead to physical manifestations.
Taking the time to clear your mind of all the clutter and develop strategies for success is incredibly important if you want to enjoy greater success.
Chaos #1 - Negative Self-Talk
Most of us have a voice in our heads that dictates information to us.
It could be a voice that prompts us to say something during a conversation or the voice that tells us what it is that we truly want in a given situation.
It is the voice that speaks to us about how we look when we look in the mirror or the voice that talks to us in terms of our self-esteem.
It can be both positive and negative.
This type of self-talk, when it is negative, can create a significant amount of mental suffering in our minds.
When we tell ourselves that a specific goal we’re trying to accomplish is impossible, we can end up actualizing a situation where we end up failing; wild, I know!
On the other hand, if we can cultivate positive self-talk, the results are much more likely to end up being the opposite.
Instead of failing, we succeed.
Negative self-talk creates a negative mental environment that impacts every aspect of our lives.
Some common signs of this kind of negative mental environment include feelings of inadequacy, feelings of self-doubt, and feelings of ugliness.
If you can relate to these feelings, you're not alone.
This is a common type of mental suffering that many of us deal with, and many don't even realize that it is occurring until they stop and think about it.
Trigger #1 - Media
For many people, media (news, social, etc.) can be a trigger point that ends up causing unnecessary worry, guilt, and stress.
Nowadays, it can sometimes seem like almost everything we consume focuses on violence, controversy, or negativity.
Have you seen how demonic the rap industry has become?
There is a war going on far beyond our comprehension, and media is the multiplying force.
If you are used to watching the nightly news, you can determine if it is a trigger point for you by keeping track of how you feel afterward.
Action Item
Write down how you feel, or you can use your phone to record your feelings.
It's essential to take note of the emotions that might arise associated with the types of mental chaos discussed previously.
Once you've recorded your feelings after watching the nightly news, take a few nights off from watching it.
Take a step back from the chaos and see how you feel.
You may find your mind clearer when you refrain from watching it.
If you “need” the TV on while you go to sleep, try switching over to white noise or non-lyrical music.
While this doesn't mean that you should completely hide from current events worldwide, recognizing that media can sometimes create chaos in your mind in unexpected ways, you might be able to protect it better when necessary.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
5 forms of mental chaos
There are 5 triggers for mental chaos
There are 5 tools to mitigate mental chaos
Conclusion
We can all benefit from taking a step back to understand how our internal dialogue impacts our lives. When we better understand the root of our negative self-talk, we can start to make micro changes that will have a big impact on the overall ecosystem of happiness.
Final Thoughts
God is proactive, not reactive.
Let God (source, universe) be the model for us.
Go about your day with grace.
Be kind to others and more so yourself.
Know that negative self-talk does not serve you.
I love you guys for showing up every week, and I hope you find value from what I find and am learning along the way.
Alone we can do little, together we can do so much. ~Helen Keller~
It would mean the world to me If you shared this with someone you know that may benefit, or even better if you copied this link https://thephiloletter.substack.com/about and put it in your Instagram story or Facebook feed!
**See below - Philo assignment, past letters, and free workshops coming up*
Philo Assignment
Document how you feel after watching the news or scrolling/consuming certain media and keep track of this. Does it increase or decrease negative self-talk? Does it take joy from you or bring joy to you?
Free Workshops
CONTENT BATCHING PT. 2 (LIVE) - Schedule + Distribute - August 30th, 2022
The SON™
The SON™ Guided Prayer Meditation Candle - Comming Soon.
Oh, there sure is a lot in this post! Where to begin...
Taking a step back, not taking things personally, turning off the news...
Change the conversation. It only takes one little change to affect everything around it. Recognize your patterns, and if you don't like the results of what you would normally do, stop doing it! Or at least try something different to see if you get a better result.
Fear is a big one, especially after the last few years. Fear stops people in their tracks, slowing down their progress. There are things we can and can't control in life. Control the ones you can, but if you ever realize you don't like how you are controlling them, don't be afraid to make a change.
Thanks for the food for thought. I think I'll let it simmer for a while, and let it be a positive influence in days to come :)
Love this, Nadeem!
It’s crazy that self talk is at the heart of whether we succeed or fail, but it is. And, sadly, so many people don’t even realize it. I know that I had no idea how powerful it was until I began working on my personal growth, and since then I’m super aware of my thoughts and work hard on shifting my thoughts when they need shifting which is leading to much more success.
These concepts are life changing, and having the type of conversation you’re starting here in this newsletter is more important than you realize.
Great breakdown and advice!