Having difficulty finding the inner peace you need to think through problems or big decisions? This simple and FREE mind-opening technique may be all you need.

 

“Problems cannot be solved with the same mind set that created them.” ~Albert Einstein

 

Do you ever have those times when you need a quiet place in your head and heart to hear yourself think? Sometimes you need that space to do a little soul-searching. Or you need to sort through things to solve a complex business problem. Or maybe you seek clarity about the next step in your career or life. For busy people, inner quiet, though sorely needed, can be illusive.

There are many ways to reduce distractions that hinder thinking, but here’s one of the easiest actions you can take that can help create the inner stillness you need to think things through. Go outside and be in nature. Walk in the park, around a nearby lake, beside the ocean, hike in the woods. Or, plop yourself down on the grass in your own backyard. It can even work in a city where nature is co-mingled with concrete.   Just walk outside and find a space that feels comfortable and safe enough to relax – maybe even close your eyes.

Once you’re out and about, bring your focus inside of yourself by breathing deeply. Avoid interacting with others. Be only with yourself. Relax your shoulders and feel the tension begin to melt away. If you can, focus on nothing – which is harder than it sounds. Turn off your “seeking mind” – the mind that yearns to understand, to explain, to make sense of it’s surroundings. Even a few minutes in this state can open up the space you need to revisit your task with openness and a renewed perspective.

While your answer may not come at the very minute you want it to, I assure you, it will. Albert Einstein, one of the history’s greatest thinkers once said, “Problems cannot be solved with the same mind set that created them.” Often that mind is tense and it has become so slowly without notice. Once you begin to release that tension, patiently, wait and watch.

Make this a practice and you will have a tremendous problem solving tool at-the-ready.