Sometimes we have those moments when we feel overwhelmed by our own thoughts. And we feel completely stuck in our heads. But don’t worry. There are several ways to calm your mind so you will feel free again. I made a list of 11 tips to clear your mind if you are overthinking right now. Just try a couple of things and find out which one will work for you. Or maybe it is a combination of two or more things. Everyone is different and there is not just one golden solution for overthinking.
11 tips to clear your mind
Meditation
I’ve had said this before and I will recommend this for the rest of my life, meditation is really great for a lot of things. This includes clearing your mind. When you are a beginner, give yourself time. It takes time to get better. It is like training in the gym. You have to do it every day or at least a few times every single week. But eventually, you will get better at it. If you are feeling stressed right now, sit down for a couple of minutes and just breathe.
Exercise
If you are really stuck in your brain, it is time to get out of it. A way to do this is by exercising. You have to get out of your head and get into your body. So get up and start moving. And you don’t have to run a marathon, even going out for a hike or a walk. I think Tony Robbins once said that you have to change your physiology. If you do that, you will change your mental state as well. Do what people with a lot of great energy will do and move your body.
Focus on something else
If you are working on a project but you are feeling stressed and you are not making progress at all, try to focus on something different. Walk away from what you are doing and focus on something else. This really helps you to relax and clear your mind en before you know it, you are back with a lot of great energy and ideas.
You can out for a walk, which is my favourite thing to do when I am feeling stuck, but you can also read a book or clean your house. It has to be unrelated to the thing you were doing.
Braindump
A great way to get out of your head is by writing everything down. Sit down and get a piece of paper and just write everything down you were thinking of. Even the little crazy things. First of all, you will probably notice you were literally stressing about nothing. Second, apparently, it is really a good way to get those things out of your head. I’ve done this once when I couldn’t sleep and I got a notebook and wrote everything down. Not much later I fell asleep and the next day I read what I wrote down that day and I was literally worried about nothing. But that is what your mind does. It makes it bigger than it really is.
Talk to something
If you are really stuck in your head, you are probably dealing with some stuff. It doesn’t matter how big or how small it is. But maybe you can release this stress and worry by talking to someone. Maybe a friend, a family member or a professional. It doesn’t matter. This works just like writing everything down. But instead of writing it down, you say it out loud to someone. But when you are also looking for advice, this might be the way for you.
Go to a different book/movie world.
If you are just overthinking everything that already has happened, maybe reading a book or watching a movie can help you. Pick something you would enjoy. Maybe you can read your favourite book or watch your favourite movie again. But you have to focus on that book or movie. So put your phone away too. But this can really help when you are worrying about nothing or something you can’t change.
Take a deep breath
When you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, you are breathing differently. Your breathing is more shallow. Sit down for 5 minutes and take a few deep breathes in and out. Breathing is something we do on autopilot, but most of us are not breathing properly. Some people are breathing way too fast. That is what you do when you are feeling stressed. But breathing increases your energy level, detoxifies the body and relaxes mind and body.
Say ‘Stop’ to your thoughts
Another technique that could work for you, is saying ‘stop’ if you have too many thoughts. And let those thoughts go. In guided meditations, I learned to see those thoughts as balloons and you can let them float away. But you can also focus on your breath. Not by changing it, just observing your breathing is all you need to do. But saying ‘stop’ alone can really help.
Spend time in nature
Spending time in nature is good for your body and mind. Just walking in nature can help you to relax. Listen to the birds that are singing. Just listen to what you hear, see and smell. Use all of your senses. Being in nature reduces all of your stress hormones and increases great feelings. It not only makes you feel better, but it also contributes to your physical wellbeing, it reduces your blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension.
Turn off technology
Recently, I found another great way to relax our minds and that is just turning off our technology. I know, we love to scroll through our feed, we love to watch our favourite Netflix series and we love texting with our friends. But I found that when I turned off my technology in the evening, I felt so calm and relaxed. And I was starting to feel happy again.
Thoughts are just thoughts
Last but not least, I just want to mention that thoughts are just thoughts. I know that sounds a bit vague but it is the truth. Your thoughts are not always right. Your intuition is. but your thoughts aren’t. You have to realizes that. Your brain also wants to keep you safe and comfortable. So when you step out of your comfort zone, you will get a lot of thoughts too. You don’t have to take your thoughts seriously.