Relax Your Mind

by Zahra Petri

The 25 mile commute from Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas to our downtown Austin office takes me approximately 52 minutes. Those 52 minutes give me a large window of time twice a day to be alone with my thoughts, which seem to be streaming in at a rate faster than I can process these days.

Sometimes my mind simply wonders, sometimes I worry, and other times I think of specific projects and ideas. These are the times that I wish I had a device which could record all my thoughts so I could refer back to them when I am unable to write them down. Unfortunately, technology of that kind does not exist and instead other ways must be found to organize my thoughts, take note of ideas, and quiet the voice in my head.

The Effective Edge team follows and teaches a process called the Mind Sweep. It offers exactly what is needed when I cannot turn off the little voice in my head. This exercise not only allows me to empty my head so that I may think more clearly, but it puts everything in front of me visually, either on paper or in my task list on MS Outlook. That way I am able to work through those thoughts in a list format and sort, organize, and expand them as needed. I am able to use those thoughts and clarity of mind to help me produce the best output at work and productively finish all my tasks and projects. By taking a moment to clear my head, I can focus my mind and relax the little voice that is constantly running and thinking of the next idea, project or task before the first was even written down. Without this rest and relaxation it is much more difficult to function in every aspect of my life, not just at work, making the importance of clarity that much greater. By following the Mind Sweep exercise I am able to center myself and function at a higher level while producing the best results.