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Enter X-Factor Intro Voice: "Do you find yourself constantly overwhelmed with thoughts? Do you struggle to turn your brain off? Do you find it hard to sleep when your brain is wide awake? Do you worry persistently about things in and out of your control? Well, you have come to the right place." (I really wanted to add a 'my friend' on the end of that sentence but I thought it was a tad too much?)
I struggle ALOT with my overactive mind. I think that a big part of it comes with my anxiety so that actually fuels the fire but you don't have to have anxiety to suffer from a never ending loop of thoughts and worries. You might find yourself jumping from 'What shall I have for dinner tonight?' to 'Oh shit, I forgot to message Lily back, I should probably do that now..' to 'Huh, I wonder what my dream meant last night...' It's exhausting right? It stops you from being able to concentrate on something to your full potential, it can give you a headache and it can make you unable to relax or stop you from sleeping.
Here are some things that have really worked for me (tried and tested!) Some of these tips may seem obvious, generic or maybe a bit woo-woo BUT don't knock it until you've tried it.
BREATHING EXERCISES
We are starting with this one because it will help you to calm down and slow down your mind and get you to a place where you'll be able to carry on with the other steps more effectively. Buddhists have always believed that breathing practises can strengthen your ability to focus and there is scientific research all over the shop that concludes it has beneficial results. I know that this works because I do it myself. It is especially helpful if you suffer from anxiety or find yourself getting into a bit of a state with your overthinking.
The most simple breathing exercise which I use often is to sit up straight, breathe through your nose slowly until you can't inhale any more, take one more sharp inhale of air through your nose (you should feel your lungs expand to what feels like their limit.) Now hold that breath for as long as you can and then slowly exhale through your mouth with your lips close together to help control the release of air. Now repeat.
I don't really use any other breath exercise as this one works so well for me! But Leeor Alexander has a great video explaining and demonstrating helpful techniques including the one I just described. You can watch that video here.
WRITE STUFF DOWN
I don't care if you can't remember the last time you wrote something down on paper. I don't care if you suck at spelling. NO ONES GONNA SEE THIS BUT YOU and this shit works so just go grab a pen and something to write on (back of an envelope/ letter will do.) There are three things that you can write down that will help you to slow down that busy brain of yours. They are; 'Brain Dump', 'Problem vs Solution' and the renowned 'To-do List'. Do them in this order!
BRAIN DUMP
A brain dump is dumping anything that enters your head onto paper. There is no right or wrong thing to write down, just put down ANYTHING that comes into your head, and I mean anything. Even if it's 'I don't know what to write. Ummmmm'. You might find that your mind takes a pause and suddenly you can't think of anything but just make a start and it'll all come rolling out in no time. Here's an example of my on-the-spot improvised brain dump:
Theres a guy walking up the stairs. now he's walking down. I wonder if people look over my shoulder at what i'm writing. I need to drink my water. Strawberry. Goals. To-do list. Finish blog post. going well. I like this goal book. swinging. coffee.
Notice how it doesn't make a lot of sense, It's grammatically incorrect and very jumpy? This is pretty much how our brain speaks to us! When we write it down as it comes to our heads, it helps us to analyse what's really popping into our minds rather than just letting it swirl into a big blurry tornado that can't be slowed down. You don't need to worry about spelling things correctly, about your handwriting or anything else because this piece of paper can be chucked after this. It won't serve much use or the future unless you want to track your progress over time with brain dumping.
Your brain tornadoes are typically 60% absolute useless crap, 30% worries and 10% things you need to remember. (That calculation was totally made up.) Doing a brain dump can make you feel more clear-headed. It's almost as though, by witnessing our single thoughts, we can let the useless thoughts go and focus on the more important ones.
PROBLEM VS SOLUTION
This one is especially good for people that suffer with anxiety and I love to do this one when I'm really getting myself into a state by worrying over potential situations. (If you have anxiety, you'll know that most of these worries are totally exaggerated, worse-case scenarios that you made up.) If you don't have anxiety but you find yourself worrying about what you tutor is going to say when you have to tell them you haven't started your dissertation, or you're stressing out over the fact you got really drunk last night and you can't remember what you said to Laura's boyfriend.
So, the idea of 'problem vs solution' is to write down a problem that comes to mind that you can't stop thinking about and then under neath it, you write a supportive, positive but realistic response as if you are helping your friend with their problem. Here's an example:
Problem
I haven't started my dissertation yet and my tutor wants to see 500 words and a plan tomorrow.
Solution
Okay, first of all, you're not the first person to tell a tutor they haven't done the work and writing is scary sometimes! So, there's no point in beating yourself up over the fact you've done nothing so far, there's nothing we can do to change that now so let's let that go. Let's focus on what we can do, now. We still have 'x' amount of hours left, we can do this. All we can do is try our best in the time that we've got and worse case scenario? Tutor gives us a bollocking tomorrow and it gives us the kick up the arse that we need.
Carry on writing out problems and solutions until your mind is emptied. Writing out the solution as if talking to a friend might make you feel a little crazy but it helps! Sometimes we're so caught up in a vicious cycle of thoughts that we can't stop and take a minute to calm down and realise it's not that bad. The best formula for a solution is comforting pep talk | note we can't change what we can't control | list things that we can do now that is in our control | note the worst case REALISTIC scenario | tell yourself it's going to be okay.
It's important to be kind to yourself, reassure yourself that it isn't the end of the world and to have a plan of action that you can start on now. Even if it's the small. One action is one step in the right direction to solving a problem and if there aren't any steps you can take now? Comfort and reassurance is key. Everything will be okay.
To-Do List
The 'brain dump' helps to reduce the useless stuff, the 'problem vs solution' helps to reduce the worries and the to-do list helps us to review and tackle any errands or things you know you need to do. Writing them down on paper stops them from swirling round and round in your head and checking off your list can make you feel like you've achieved something so it's a very helpful tool for an overactive mind!
This one is pretty self explanatory. Just write down a list of things you need to get done and little boxes next to each one is optional but recommended! It's a visual way for you to see what you've done and what still needs to be tackled.
MEDITATION
For those of you unfamiliar with meditation, this might seem a little woo-woo to you. It took me so long to actually give it a proper go because I kept disregarding it and didn't think it could help me. It wasn't until I was hearing about it wherever I turned, that I trusted my instinct and gave it a real go. Meditation can help you ease your overactive mind by training it to stay quiet but it can take a while before you start to see effects.
I meditated almost every day for 5-20 minutes over the first six weeks of the new year and I'm not going to spin you a story about how it changed my life and that I'm practically a monk now.. but I was surprised at how good it made me feel. It made me feel calm and connected to a part of myself that I don't feel often. It's as if answers to problems came easier and I saw the world around me in a different a light, a brighter one.
It really helped me and still does help me with my overactive mind. There is a lot to learn when it comes to meditation which is strange when you think about how simple it should be but naturally, we overcomplicate it! Here are my top bits of advice for meditation;
- Start off with 2-5 mins
- Sit however feels most comfortable but preferably with a straight back and palms facing upward
- Don't get frustrated with yourself when a thought distracts you
- Listen to a guided mediation if you struggle to concentrate
- Close your eyes, it helps you to focus
- Practice your breathing techniques during
- It is easier to focus first thing in the morning as opposed to the end of the day
Guided meditations are great to do before bed too as they can give your mind something else to focus on in order to fall asleep. Here are some of my favourites to fall asleep to;
GO FOR A WALK
When you've got a brain tornado occurring inside your head and you feel like you've got 100,000 things to worry about, going for a walk might sound like the last thing you want to do. 'I don't have time for that!' You might say.. Okay, so you have time to roll around at the end of your bed scrolling through Facebook and laughing at funny videos but you don't have time to get out of the house for ten mins? I SMELL BULLSHIT. And you know it.
Going for a walk can be so calming and literally a breath of fresh air. I really like to walk by myself around nature because nature reminds me that nothing really matters as much as I think it does. You'll still be here at the end of it. Nature doesn't ask to exist, it doesn't worry what others think of it, rain or sun- it takes whatever comes it's way and does the best it can. Fresh air can also do great things for you mood, making it easier to tackle those circling thoughts.
READ A BOOK
If reading really isn't for you, that's okay because there are plenty of other steps (above) that you can do but for those of you that find yourself saying 'I used to really enjoy reading, I should really start again...' -this could really help you with your overactive mind! Reading can take you into another world, away from all your problems that exist in this world. I really like to read crime/ thrillers because they keep me wanting to read more and really grab my attention!
Again, I don't want to hear that you don't have time. Half an hour before you go to bed can be spent by anyone and it helps your mind to wind down before sleep!
Okay guys, these are my top tips that I use myself in order to settle an overactive mind! I hope you enjoyed reading and I will see you back here shortly. Have a good week!
When you've got a brain tornado occurring inside your head and you feel like you've got 100,000 things to worry about, going for a walk might sound like the last thing you want to do. 'I don't have time for that!' You might say.. Okay, so you have time to roll around at the end of your bed scrolling through Facebook and laughing at funny videos but you don't have time to get out of the house for ten mins? I SMELL BULLSHIT. And you know it.
Going for a walk can be so calming and literally a breath of fresh air. I really like to walk by myself around nature because nature reminds me that nothing really matters as much as I think it does. You'll still be here at the end of it. Nature doesn't ask to exist, it doesn't worry what others think of it, rain or sun- it takes whatever comes it's way and does the best it can. Fresh air can also do great things for you mood, making it easier to tackle those circling thoughts.
READ A BOOK
If reading really isn't for you, that's okay because there are plenty of other steps (above) that you can do but for those of you that find yourself saying 'I used to really enjoy reading, I should really start again...' -this could really help you with your overactive mind! Reading can take you into another world, away from all your problems that exist in this world. I really like to read crime/ thrillers because they keep me wanting to read more and really grab my attention!
Again, I don't want to hear that you don't have time. Half an hour before you go to bed can be spent by anyone and it helps your mind to wind down before sleep!
Okay guys, these are my top tips that I use myself in order to settle an overactive mind! I hope you enjoyed reading and I will see you back here shortly. Have a good week!
LUNA EDEN x
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