On my birthday, all I asked for was a day alone in the woods.
That’s all I really wanted.
It just felt right.
You can probably guess why.
We lead really interrupted lives.
When I’m home alone for several days with children, for example, I start to realize just how interrupted I am.
I can’t start a project,
Read a page in a book,
Watch a Youtube video,
Start an Amazon order,
Write a blog post,
Experience a meditation…
Without being interrupted approximately 12,382 times.
Just by the kids.
That’s not even counting the ads, the outside influences, the phone, the dogs, etc.
Ultimately…
I cannot start a thought and finish it to completion.
How often are your thoughts interrupted?
Do you know where you can start a thought and finish it to completion?
The forest.
Or perhaps a sensory deprivation tank.
But that costs and takes more effort to organize.
Forest bathing is free and accessible.
So, to the forest I went.
And I did a few practices there to allow my thoughts to flow uninterrupted.
I found a sit spot off the trail in case anyone else was on the trails.
I flipped my phone to silent,
And I started a mindfulness exercise by concentrating on one leaf on a stump. I returned to that same leaf every time my thoughts started to wander.
I also focused on my breathing, taking in the minty fresh air.
After grounding myself like this, I finally did allow my mind to wander.
I also brought my journal and other writing paper in case I needed to brainstorm and wring out my soaked mind.
And it was glorious!
A novelty really.
To sit quietly and allow the forest to focus me rather than allowing my focus to be stolen from me.
The next time you’re in need of a mind break (and it takes some intentional focus to even notice when this is happening), find your thinking tree.
The Thinking Tree Exercise
- Find a quiet sit spot [learn about sit spots here] in the forest, a park, or your yard. Ideally away from passersby and other distractions.
- Take up to 10 minutes to settle in, taking deep breaths.
- Find a spot to focus. Could be something like the tip of a plant, a certain leaf, or a pebble. Every time your mind starts to wander, bring your attention back to your focus spot.
- Once you’re grounded and your mind has quieted, shift into thinking mode. Don’t force thought, just allow your mind to wander and your thoughts to focus wherever they will.
- Keep a notebook handy to write down any ideas you want to remember later.
- Just allow your thoughts and follow them wherever they lead.
- If something has been weighing heavily on your mind, it will probably naturally come in. Let it. Oftentimes, nature is a great place to find solutions or perspective for those problems. If a question has been bugging you lately or you need clarity on a decision, let it in. If everything is going well, let it in. Give your mind space to think about whatever it gravitates toward. Only try to steer your thought process toward the productive, not the limiting.
- When you feel like you’ve reached the completion of this exercise, however long that takes, close your eyes, take a few culminating breaths, and return to your normal routine.
- Take a moment to think about how good this exercise makes you feel, to follow thoughts without unwanted interruption.
Check out this Livestream where I explain the process in visual form.
As simple as this exercise sounds, the Thinking Tree exercise is profoundly cathartic. It’s brain catharsis.
When you return home from this exercise, you should notice a sense of relief at allowing your brain to do its thing, uninterrupted.
You might find you’re able to concentrate better once your brain is wrung out.
You may have more patience.
You may feel a tangible sense of relief.
We all need those breaks from interruption.
Return to your thinking tree every time you need a break from over-stimulation, too much input, too much distraction, too much interruption.
I’d love to hear from you…come back and tell me about your experiences at The Thinking Tree.