Everybody needs to learn how to calm an overactive mind.
Really. Having your mind going wild is bad for your brain fitness. Still, wondering why people have to look for ways to biohack their brains?
We all hate inconveniences. And don’t you hate how wild your mind goes at any slight inconvenience?
It is usually never just after a minor inconvenience. Sometimes, you are just trying to relax and stop the negative chatter in the mind. But then your mind still goes wild with all sorts of thoughts.
You suddenly cannot stop thinking of embarrassing moments that happened decades ago. These are then clustered with how frustrating work is. And to crown it all, all the stressful aspects of life get in the way.
You were having a good day. But with such overreactions, there is nothing more you can do. This means that you have to sit and focus on random and wild thoughts.
Who has the time and strength to deal with an overactive mind full of scattered thoughts?
It should not be you.
We discuss top ways to calm your overactive mind.
Let’s go!
Tips To Calm Hyperactive Mind
Here are the top ways to cool down an overactive mind.
Calm an Overactive Mind Tip #1: Write Down your Thoughts
If you have gone to therapy, chances are high that your therapist asked you to express your thoughts in writing.
And, this works excellently to the traumatic thoughts that you cannot just seem to express in words.
Therefore, what are the benefits of writing down your thoughts? Writing down your thoughts and feelings allows you to come back at them later. You know, sometimes, your mind is so crowded and racing. It is just challenging to address the issues. When you write your thoughts down, you organize them well. And, you will be able to work on them effectively when you achieve mental clarity. One thought at a time. (1)
We, therefore, hope that you see it as a trick to arrange your thoughts to deal with them later. And when your mind is clearer.
Also, as you write, your mind is engaged. Keeping your mind engaged is a sure way to calm racing thoughts.
Calm an Overactive Mind tip #2: Meditate
Meditation is another everyday life biohack of the brain.
Regular meditation practice would help you ease your foggy brain. In fact, we recommend that you have meditation on your daily to-do list. And, it does not have to take hours. Just a few minutes per day will work magic.
So, what are the meditation benefits for the brain? It helps in:
- taming negative thoughts,
- relieving stress(1)
- improving focus,
- focusing on the present moment,
- controlling emotional reactivity in the brain.
In simpler terms, we can say meditation helps offload your mind. And that is precisely what you need when the racing thoughts won’t leave you.
Also read: Muse Headband — The Meditation Companion
Calm an Overactive Mind Tip #3: Yoga
Yoga is another way you can use to get past the overcrowding in your mind.
Yes, it is more than physical. It goes deep into the brain.
There are lots of yoga poses for peace of mind that you can try out. First, as you execute the yoga poses, much of your attention is drawn to balancing. And what does that mean? Your busy brain is focused elsewhere.
Also, with yoga, you have to focus on breathing. This is an excellent way to get your mind off negative thinking.
Besides, we encourage you to try out calming yoga poses for anxiety. It’s always the best solution when mixed with natural anxiety supplements in the daily routine. These are perfect for the morning when you are about to take up that task that makes you anxious. (2)
Calm an Overactive Mind Tip #4: Take Nature Walks
Do not just sit quietly behind your screen all day.
Go out.
Be in nature.
Take fresh and deep breaths.
Sitting all day on your own is a sure way to have your mind running out of control. Therefore, the next time your mind is racing, get out to your favorite park or the woods. Spending time in the calm serenity provides you with the much-desired peace of mind. That’s also how you stop listening to negative thoughts.
Studies show that people who spend 30 minutes to 1 hour in the park daily experience less anxiety and fewer negative thoughts.
Also, great outdoor activities will help in:
- controlling heart rate
- managing blood pressure
- regulating stress hormones
- relieving muscle tension.
Also read: Biohack your stress
Soothe a Hyperactive Brain Tip #5: Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness(2) is another trick how to calm an overactive mind down.
We advise our readers to transform their worry time into a mindful practice.
There is a mind’s tendency of wandering off when you are doing something. For instance, when you are having a cup of coffee, your mind may easily wander off to all the financial problems you have. And within no time, your busy mind is all over the place.
However, in such a scenario, mindfulness would involve focusing on your coffee drink. You pay attention to every sip. Savor its taste and smell. Feel it go down your throat. Focus on how it feels to take the coffee. Just be mindful of what you are doing and not past events.
Also read: Braintap Review— Mindfulness Made Easy
Soothe a Hyperactive Brain Tip #6: Use a Mantra
When you have constant negative repetitive thought patterns, you need a mantra.
Just a simple phrase can help transform a worst-case scenario into something manageable.
Try things like, “I have got this,”
or
“Everything is going to be fine.”
Having your repeated mantra can calm your mind whenever needed. Have it as your regular practice. When your mind wanders, You can use a mantra, repeated when necessary, to stop racing thoughts.
Soothe a Hyperactive Brain Tip #7: Focus on the Present
No lies, this isn’t easy.
Many people have traumatic moments they cannot just get past. Sometimes, however, it is just a simple embarrassing moment that happened at work. It was not such a big deal, but your mind won’t let it go.
When all these thoughts happen and crowd your mind at a time, it becomes overwhelming. The secret is getting the necessary treatment to let go of the past. And to stop worrying much about the future.
Just live in the moment.
Soothe a Hyperactive Brain Tip #8: Consider Cognitive-behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy will help you get through with cognitive distancing.
A constant racing could be a sign of a mental health disorder. And as you will notice, it is often accompanied by sleep disorders. Therefore, you may want to ask your doctor to provide medical advice.
Cognitive behavior therapy is a medically proven way to reverse negative thinking. And, it is excellent in improving life and brain health. But how?
First, it helps teach you how to identify recurring negative ideas and thoughts. These could include:
- feeling guilty,
- dwelling on the past,
- overthinking the future.
The first step to dealing with a problem is identifying what the exact problem is.
Secondly, cognitive behavior therapy helps you transform inner monologues into constructive thinking. You know, what you think determines the quality of your life. 1
Soothe a Hyperactive Brain Tip #9: Exercise
A racing mind at night can be frustrating. You may want to go to bed early, but the 3 am thoughts won’t just step away.
One way to deal with such is going strong on exercises. After hitting the gym, your body will be tired. And, all it will be craving for is a good night’s sleep. It is clear that working out is a good biohack for sleep. And if you have Ooler or Chilipad, the moment is the cherry on the top of your sleep cycle.
Secondly, 5 minutes of simple aerobic exercise such as walking predominantly calms the mind. It promotes endorphin release, which is a chemical that:
- improves mood,
- guarantees better sleep,
- helps enhance concentration and focus.
Also read: Power Plate Review— The Sassiest Way To Exercise
Soothe a Hyperactive Brain Tip #10: Listen to Music
Music calms the activity in your mind. Many, we listen to music as a background. Either as we work out or work, which is an excellent way to entertain ourselves.
But have you thought about what may happen when you entirely focus on your music? You can calm a busy mind and even reduce anxiety. Try this, every time you listen to the same song, try discovering something you didn’t discover the last time. Trust us; it will always be there. It can be on the beat or even the lyrics.
While listening to music, fewer neurons in the amygdala are activated. Amygdala is the part of the brain that processes and responds to fear. This means that fewer signals are sent to other parts of your brain.
Also, music is an excellent way to distract from pain and stress. However, the trick is to focus on the music and not use it just as background entertainment.
Also read: SleepPhones Review— Calming Audio Even When You’re Sleeping
Use Braintap
Braintap is a mental health innovation you should invest in. It is enormous on guided imagery. And as you know, guided imagery is a top way to control your feelings, thoughts https://agelessbodyblog.com/braintap-reviews/and emotions. For this, we love to perceive it as one of the top ways of biohacking the brain.
How Do Braintap headsets work their magic?
Braintap headsets use brainwave entrainment to synchronize with the flow of your brain. The headsets have flashing lights and audio that help entrain your brain.
While using the headsets, your mind is activated to specific brainwave frequencies. These are entrainments that are associated with deep relaxation. And, isn’t this what you are looking for?
Secondly, guided images help us form our mental images. This is an asset to anyone who is going strong on meditation. Therefore, if you meditate and would love to control the process of mental image formation, get that brainwave headset. Trust us; you will see symptoms of an unrelaxed mind gradually fading away.
Read more on BrainTap headset.
Wrap-up
There we go for tips on how to calm an overactive mind. Nothing is frustrating as having your mind all over the place. It feels like your head is light and heavy at the same time. Racing thoughts are even more frustrating when you are trying to relax or trying to fall asleep. Sometimes, we are told to take a deep breath, and it works momentarily. But soon afterward, the racing thoughts recur.
The tricks above will help you calm your mind, live in the moment, and focus on your present well-being. But if you want to go a step higher, then go the Braintap headset way. With the guided mental image formation, the days of racing thoughts would be a memory to you.
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Sources
- https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/want-to-sync-2-hemispheres-of-your-brain-neuroscience-says-to-do-this-daily-it-only-takes-4-minutes.html
- https://www.yogiapproved.com/om/calm-monkey-mind/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/racing-thoughts