Like most people, the last few weeks have been an anxious time for me. I’ve never been a person that can take too much negativity.

A friend recommended that I check out some content by Jason Silva. He is best known for hosting National Geographic documentaries: Brain Games and Origins.

Jason talks a lot about the flow state.

A state of peace, where you are relaxed and think clearly. Able to perform at your highest level. I found his thoughts and views exciting and very entertaining.

For him, he goes into flow state whenever he goes walking in nature. I gave it a go but felt no real change.

Thinking of a way to get my 30 minutes of exercise each day, I decided to go for a run. It has been years since I went running, but I dug out my running gear and left it out for the next morning, so I had no excuse.

At the start of my run, my thoughts were still racing, but as I got into my second mile, my mind went calm. All the build-up of anxiety left me.

It was such a beautiful feeling. It felt like the feeling Jason described. Ideas came flowing through my mind; I saw all my current concerns through a different lens.

With such a shift in my mood, I decided to work out what had happened. Ask and you shall receive.

I remembered an article I read a few years ago about the brain and how it works. (The power of the mind has always interested me.)

The article stated that the brain takes in trillions of pieces of information from the environment every second, to help us navigate throughout the day. But when it is the same environment, day after day, the brain stores most of the information as memory.

I bet you could direct someone around your room to find something you left behind.

This memory is what allows us to drive to our local shop, for example, while on autopilot, thinking of something else.

This can become a problem, though, because when the brain doesn’t have to work processing new information, the mind takes over and starts to overthink.

This can be good sometimes, but with current events, it can create a negative thought loop in your mind: the beginning of most mental health issues.

On my run, my brain went into overdrive. It had no time to overthink. It was given so much new information to process.

My body was activating muscles that hadn’t been used for months; my lungs and heart had to work faster. Then on top of that, the beautiful scenery, the air flowing through my hair. My feet pounding on the ground.

By the time I was 15-20 minutes in, my brain had so much to process that the negative thought loop that had been playing for weeks broke down.

I connected to my spirit, that unchanging part of me that has been with me since birth. Words don’t describe the feeling that came over me, but I would like you to feel it too.

Connecting with nature worked for me so I think it will work for you too. Learn to activate the flow state so you get ideas that will help your productivity, and general happiness.

Worry or anxiety has a way of building up almost unnoticed most of the time. One minute you’re feeling fine, the next, you have a tightness in your chest.

And if you’re not aware that anxiety can give you them feelings, you could easily get panicked—the last thing you need at a time like this.

I just wanted to share my feelings, so that it may help someone else, to navigate a way through this challenging time.

Connect with nature this weekend and see the difference it makes.

Take care and thank you! If you could leave your thoughts below. 🙂