how i improve my mental clarity in a week
simple yet effective things
a couple months ago, i was in a good flow and everything felt fine.
but that was the problem: it felt fine. a constant. i was waking up, walking with my coffee, lifting, eating my protein, and working. i would go to my uncle’s, sip on some chai w the fam, and occasionally meet up with friends.
everything was fine. i was really happy. but something was off. i didn’t feel fully myself, which also meant that my mental clarity wasn’t at its fullest.
i had developed a routine, which was healthy, but felt too constant. it almost felt complacent (my worst nightmare).
now, most people believe traveling the world and being adventurous is what prevents boredom and complacency. which it does. but only temporary. all of us are guilty to this escapism (which is sometimes necessary tbh).
however, i believe the way to combat this is simple: have a spiritual win everyday.
most people focus on physical wins, professional wins, and relationship wins. but having a daily spiritual win can really help to ground you to who you really are.
now, there’s a lot of interesting commentary around spirituality. people praying to god, focusing on chakras, or taking ayahuasca. there’s no right way to approach spirituality.
i think spirituality focuses on:
a. binding your body + perception to your sense of self
b. integrating your soul to some higher being/belief/whatever you believe in.
(in my opinion, if you achieve a you achieve b but that’s for another day).
b is too attached to each individual’s faith, so i’ll only focus on a.
binding your body + perception to your soul
your sense of self is the most important part of you. if you abstract your soul as a limitless source of energy (which is why i personally think anyone can do anything), your sense of self is a conductor of that energy.
every second you experience molds your sense of self, and affects the energy in you. and just like anything in life, if you just experience without taking a breath, your sense of self will wane. you will go through the motions. you will feel burnt out.
therefore, it is essential that while you pursue ambitious paths, you keep your sense of self strong and detached from work. if it solely comes from work, you will feel lost once you succeed (commonly stated by most successful founders those who exit / retire). If you don’t believe me, read this by the CTO of Loom.
how do I stay grounded? it comes from simple things such as:
saying/writing everything that you are grateful for (works best for me)
meditation
reminiscing “core” memories
reflecting on your toughest moments and how you got out of them
catching up with people who have witnessed you change as a person
it relies on daily habits that force you to either sit with your thoughts or reflect + remember who you are. it takes at most 10 minutes out of your day.
start doing it if you haven’t and you will notice how much your daily perception shifts. this daily perception compounds how you feel over the course of months and years.