I was completely captivated by the article "This is how the fog disappears from your head" by Annemiek Leclair and the amazing illustrations by @asile.studio in Flow magazine #8.
Why?
Well, I have had the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's since 2017 and that fog in my head is my daily ghost. So I wanted to know more about it and started reading and taking notes.
I read the phrase "Coming to Your Senses". What does that mean and what does that have to do with that fog in my head?
Well, an overloaded brain spins like a carousel around the same worries.
But if you calm your brain, your senses get the chance to transfer stimuli to your brain and you can smell, taste, see and hear things that were temporarily on mute. You come to your senses again or "coming to your senses", hence the phrase.
It also means that after a period of craziness you get back to normal. But that's not what we're talking about in this blog.
But how do you calm that overloaded brain? That's different for everyone and it's really a matter of trying out what works for you. But here are some ideas:
- Go outside into nature
- Try yoga
- Massage your hands and feet (with my natural shea butter, for example)
- Meditate or exercise
- Paint or draw, take a course or write in a diary
- Listen to music and create a new playlist
Maybe there isn't anything you like. But at least try something you've never done before.
The "fog of preoccupation" is also such a beautiful phrase. That's like the daily hustle and bustle that numbs your senses. You no longer notice what you see, smell and taste every day. New stimuli give your senses a boost.
Introverts and sensitive people, like myself, often avoid busyness and action. But it is very healthy to sometimes seek out the hustle and bustle of a beautiful city or go to a concert. New stimuli are healthy and calm your overloaded brain.
Here are some tips for some harsh sensory stimuli:
- Take a cold shower or an ice bath
- Go to the gym and do strength training
- Take a long walk with a schedule, longer and longer
- Go to a music concert
- Book a city trip and enjoy different food and museums
- Buy a flowee nail mat (and sleep better afterwards, I can't live without it)
This way you can really see, taste, hear, smell and feel everything again. The "fog of preoccupation" disappears and peace returns to your brain.
Do you still see everything and enjoy all the little things? Great, don't do anything about it anymore.
But do you no longer hear the sound of snow under your feet? Do you no longer smell the smell of freshly mown grass? Do you no longer see the robin in your garden?
Come back to your senses. It makes you clearer and you enjoy the little things again. That's what you want, right?!