A Tool for Settling the Mind

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"Breathe in, breathe out. Watch your thoughts settle." This is an example of an exercise that can help us to be mindful, relax, and regulate. This exercise can be practiced in many ways. One fun approach that engages our senses is using the mind jar.

A mind jar is a visual aid to support our understanding of how our thoughts and feelings connect. It brings mindful awareness to noticing our thoughts and feelings without necessarily reacting to each one that comes our way.

How to Make a Mind Jar

A mind jar is very simple to make, and there are many different ways to make them. (If you Google mind/glitter jars you may come across numerous recipes.) Here is the simple version I typically use: a jar, some water, and different-coloured glitter.

As we put the glitter into the jar with water, we may explore what each colour represents. For example, red may be associated with anger, and we link to thoughts that we may have when we feel this way. In this way, this is a reflective exercise that explores the wide range of our thoughts and emotions, as well as the powerful link between them.

A Mindfulness Tool

A mind jar may be used in different ways. While it is a great way to learn about the thoughts and emotions and to explore them further, it can also serve as a calm-down mindfulness tool. By shaking up the mind jar (full of glitter) and watching it settle while breathing, we can use this tool as a way to calm down during stressful moments. We may watch the glitter slowly settle, observing that we can see things more clearly as the glitter settles and our thoughts are not as mixed up and all over.

This idea may be connected to the brain (the jar) and how our thoughts become all jumbled up when we have strong emotions rising, with our sympathetic nervous system activated (fight–flight response) and preventing us from thinking clearly and being in control of our thoughts and emotions. As we slow down with the jar and watch the glitter (thoughts/feelings) settle down, we breathe, which activates our parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response), feeling calmer and more in control, and thinking more clearly.

Using a mind jar is a time for exploration and fun, and it may be used as part of family practice to co-regulate and be present with thoughts and emotions.

A version of this post was also published at Mindful Kids Psychology Centre.