Everyone can certainly experience anxiety. However, if your mind is overactive all the time, you need to find a way to calm it down. Meditation, yoga, and self-awareness can help calm and clear the mind. However, you can also learn ways to get rid of anxiety, so it doesn't take over your life. Your mind may also be filled with cognitive distortions, which are mind games within yourself that convince you of something that is not objectively true. Recognizing what's on your mind is the first step to fighting these distortions.
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Method 1 of 3: Taking Practical Steps
Step 1. Write down the thoughts that are pressing on you
If your mind keeps racing before you go to sleep or while you're working on something else, take some time to rearrange your thoughts. Write down the things you need to do. Write down any thoughts on a book or computer. Write down any questions or thoughts on a notebook. After taking a few minutes to rearrange your thoughts on paper or a computer screen, your mind will be freer for other tasks.
Step 2. Use a journal
Another helpful writing technique is writing in a journal that can become part of your evening routine. Taking the time to write down your thoughts and feelings has the same effect as telling them to a friend. This technique helps you to get rid of stress and anxiety. Don't think that you have to write anything in particular. Just start writing, and observe what comes out of your mind.
Step 3. Focus on doing each task one at a time
The world today really tempts us to do more than one task at the same time. However, your brain is not designed to work that way. Your brain is designed to perform each task one at a time. If you try to focus on more than one task, you will become sloppy and messy.
Step 4. Learn to sort information
When you get too much information, you can become overwhelmed. Try to build a system for sorting incoming information, and keep only the important information. Unrelated details will "clog" your mind. One way to find out which information is important is to listen to sentences that are repeated, because important sentences tend to be mentioned over and over again.
Method 2 of 3: Meditate to Calm the Mind
Step 1. Try using a spell
Mantras are simple sentences or words that you repeat over and over again. You can use it to clear your mind while meditating. For example, one of the common mantras used by many people is “om” (“ommmm”). However, you can use any words you want, from “I love life” to “No more fear”.
To give it a try, take a moment to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Repeat your words many times, and focus your mind solely on the mantra. If your mind starts to run wild, refocus on your mantra
Step 2. Focus on your breathing
One way to meditate is to focus on your breathing. Sit quietly and close your eyes. Pay attention only to your breathing as you try to calm yourself down. Inhaling while counting to eight and exhaling while counting to eight will also help. Your mind will usually start to wander, but refocus on your breathing.
Step 3. Meditate anywhere
Another way to meditate that you can usually do anywhere, is to focus on how your body is feeling. Sit or stand with your feet wide apart. Focus on the sensations felt by your muscles.
- For example, at a train station, you may feel a vibration under your feet. When sitting in the park, you will feel the weight of your body on the park bench, the wind on your face, and your feet on the ground.
- By focusing on how your body is feeling, you are calming your mind.
Step 4. Practice walking meditation
Walking meditation is similar to breathing meditation; i.e. you focus on breathing to calm the mind. However, this time you are also focusing on your footsteps.
- Don't walk too fast. When doing walking meditation, you need to feel every step of your feet, so you shouldn't walk too fast.
- The great thing about walking meditation is that you can do it at any time, even when you're shopping.
Method 3 of 3: Try Yoga
Step 1. Start with a child's pose
This pose is aimed at focusing which helps you focus on your breath. To do this basic pose, you need to kneel down. Place your forehead on the floor with both hands extended to the floor. Try this pose and focus on your breathing. Hold this pose for about five minutes.
Step 2. Try the caterpillar pose
Sit on the floor. Straighten your legs forward. Lean your body forward and stretch toward your legs. If this movement hurts, try bending your knees slightly. Hold this position for five minutes.
Step 3. Perform one leg position
This type of position really needs your attention, when you are trying to get balance. Hence, this position helps to clear your mind.
This position is also called the tree position. Try to stand with one foot on the floor. Stand balanced on one leg. Lift one leg and place it near the knee with the heel facing up. Place the soles of your feet on the inner thighs above the knees. Make sure you stay balanced, then you can bring your palms together on your chest or lift them up toward the sky. Count each inhalation and exhalation, hold this position for a count of ten, then alternate with the other leg
Step 4. Finish with savasana pose. This pose is very simple; You just need to lie on the floor face up. Focus on relaxing your muscles and breathing.
Practicing Self Awareness
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Try practicing self-awareness. Self-awareness is meditation through the things you do every day. Except, instead of focusing on your breathing, this time you focus on everything that is happening in your life without giving any judgment. For example, instead of letting your mind wander while drinking a cup of coffee, you need to focus on each time you take a sip of coffee, feeling the taste and warmth of the coffee.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 13 -
Try to take time to be compassionate to yourself. Think about the stressful situation you are in. Admit the pain. You can say, “This situation is making me suffer,” or “I am suffering.”
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 14 - Associate your suffering with others. Basically, this means that you are acknowledging that suffering is a part of life and that you are not alone. You could say “Suffering happens to everyone,” or “Everyone experiences suffering sometimes.”
- Place your hands on your chest, and feel the weight. Acknowledge that you need to be nice to yourself and not "hit" yourself. You could say, “I have to be kind to myself,” or “I can be kind to myself.”
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Treat yourself like a friend. Think about it, it's easier for you to treat other people well than yourself. Most of the time, you become your own worst critic. Thankfully, you can use self-awareness exercises to help change the way you treat yourself.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 15 - Write something down. Think back to a time when a friend was struggling or feeling guilty. Write down what your response was or how you tried to help him.
- Now, think of a similar situation you have been in. Write down how you would respond in your own situation.
- Notice if your response is different. Ask why it's different, and what kind of anxiety makes it different. Take advantage of that knowledge in the future when you're not feeling well by responding to yourself the way you would respond to a friend.
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Practice self-awareness in your daily activities. In every activity you do, you have the opportunity to be aware. This means that you have every opportunity to pay attention to what you are doing and feeling.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 16 - For example, while taking a shower, you can notice every brush of shampoo in your hair and the sensation of your fingers on your scalp. You can also feel every soap rub on your body.
- As you eat, you can be sure to taste every bite and enjoy the taste.
- Whenever your mind wanders, go back to what you were doing before.
Using Other Ways to Calm the Mind
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Think about your worries. Instead of letting yourself be carried away by your anxiety, let it lead you. Ask yourself three questions when you feel anxious: First, ask yourself what you can learn from your anxiety. Then, ask what your mind is trying to convey through the anxiety. Finally, ask what you can do to get out of the situation.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 17 For example, maybe you are worried about your job interview. This anxiety can teach you that social situations are stressful and that you want to be better prepared for the future. It can also mean that your mind is trying to convey that you didn't prepare enough and you need more time to do your research
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Use the "cognitive distancing" technique. Your mind basically works without being prompted. Therefore, your mind tends to predict bad things that will happen. However, you can adjust your thought tendencies from negative to positive.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 18 - For example, consider the emergence of a negative scenario. Yes, you can get robbed at night, but the facts show that this happens very rarely.
- Think about the positive instead of or at least not the negative. If you've been interviewed and it didn't go well, think about what could have happened. You may not be as bad as you think, and you may be called back. However, even if it didn't go well and you didn't get the job, you can learn from this experience and do better in the future.
- Analyze what might happen. Usually, the worst case scenario in your mind is probably not going to happen at all.
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Tell yourself that what you think is not entirely the truth. Your mind associates facts and ideas and mixes them with your existing experiences and thoughts. What is in your mind is not the objective truth that other people see. So when you're feeling negative, take a step back to see if the threat you're thinking is really that bad. Sometimes, your mind reacts on instinct alone.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 19 For example, you are looking around the room, and someone looks away when you see them. You take it as an insult. In fact, you'd better think that he really didn't see you when you saw him
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Learn to name your thoughts. One way to realize how negative your thoughts are is to start naming your thoughts. For example, in the future you say, “My hair is a mess,” call this a “judgmental thought.” On the other hand, when you say, "Hopefully my son doesn't get into a cycling accident," call it "worry." Once you start to see how much you worry or judge, you'll realize that you need to change your thinking to be more positive.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 20 For example, if you find yourself thinking, "Hopefully my son doesn't get into a cycling accident," you could say to yourself that you're doing everything you can to make him ride safe (by providing safety gear and providing a safe place to stay). safe for cycling), and now you should stop worrying and enjoy time with your child
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Stop criticizing yourself. Often times, you become your own worst enemy. You may criticize yourself while no one is criticizing you. If you stop saying the criticism and turn it around, you can calm an overactive mind.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 21 For example, if you keep thinking negative things about your body, try turning them into positives. You might say, “I don't like the shape of my feet. But my legs are strong, and have managed to carry me through life's many trials.”
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Take a bath to calm your mind. Sometimes, taking a shower can calm the mind. However, adding a bit of a "cleansing" ritual can increase the enjoyment as well. For example, when you take a shower, imagine that anything that worries you will be sucked into the drain, so that you no longer have to hold on to that worry.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 22 -
Learn to be grateful. Sometimes, the only way to restore focus in an overactive mind is to direct it toward the good rather than the bad. On the other hand, if your mind starts to wander, take a few minutes to think about the people and things you love and are grateful for in your life.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 23
Recognizing Cognitive Distortion
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Be careful not to jump to conclusions. Sometimes, your mind jumps to conclusions that you think are logical, which are often bad ones. However, usually this conclusion is not correct. This type of thinking can make your mind work too hard, so learning how to pay attention and change those thoughts can help to calm your mind.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 24 - For example, you may find yourself automatically thinking that someone is insulting you because they didn't invite you to lunch. Your mind immediately concludes so. In fact, he may not even be aware of your presence in the office.
- When you're making a direct assessment, ask yourself if there's any other explanation.
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Pay attention to your mental "filter". Your mind may be fixated on one negative part of an interaction or situation. In reality, this may be just a small part of the interaction that no one notices, but you're focusing too much on it, which makes it seem so negative. If you maintain this type of thinking all the time, your mind will become overactive. So, try to get rid of this "filter" so that your mind becomes calmer.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 25 - For example, maybe you have prepared dinner for your family. Everyone seems to like it, except for one of your kids, who makes a sarcastic comment. Instead of focusing on the fact that other people like your cooking, you become focused on that one comment, and keep thinking about how to make your cooking better.
- Don't look for the negative, but try to focus on the positive, especially if the positive far outweighs the negative.
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Be careful with over-levelling. You may be overgeneralizing one incident. In other words, because you've experienced one bad thing in the past, you decide that you or anyone else isn't in that situation again. If you generalize everything, you will keep thinking about the bad things that might happen in the future. To calm your mind, you need to learn to stop thinking like this.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 26 - For example, your child gets a knife while helping you in the kitchen. You decide not to allow him to help you in the kitchen anymore, to keep him out of harm's way. In fact, your child can learn from this experience and be more careful in the future. Perhaps a more reasonable response would be to teach him again how to use a knife safely.
- In other words, don't make decisions based on just one bad event, especially if you've had positive experiences in the past.
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Beware of “perfect or nothing” thoughts. This type of thinking can make you see everything as a failure. This thinking goes hand in hand with a perfectionist soul; if you can't do something perfectly, you consider it a failure. This type of thinking makes your mind overactive because you are always looking for your next mistake, so learning not to think that way will calm your mind.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 27 - For example, you promised yourself to exercise every day, and then you missed one day. If you are a “perfect or nothing” thinker, you may conclude that your exercise program has failed and you will give up.
- Forgive/forgive yourself. Not every situation is perfect, and you can of course make mistakes. Allow yourself to start over from scratch.
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Make sure that you don't think that a disaster is about to happen. Basically, this type of cognitive distortion takes the form of always thinking the worst. You may find yourself exaggerating unimportant mistakes to justify the thought that the worst is about to happen. On the other hand, you may find yourself underestimating something to justify the same conclusion. Similar to other types of cognitive distortion, you will find that this type of thinking makes you think of worse things every day and every moment, so stopping these thoughts will help calm your mind.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 28 - For example, you might conclude that because you forgot to bring your child lunch to school, he will starve, and he will eat a friend's lunch containing nuts (even though your child is allergic to peanuts). You are worried that your child will have an allergic reaction and die from it.
- On the other hand, you may conclude that your friend (who has an impeccable driving record) is not a good driver because he or she accidentally turned the corner where he shouldn't, and you use the incident to justify your thinking about not wanting to be in the wrong vehicle. he steered, in order to avoid an accident.
- Look at each situation in a realistic way. For example, your child may remember that he is allergic to peanuts, and even though he may accidentally eat some nuts, a nurse at school will help deal with the situation. On the other hand, don't let one mistake in your friend destroy all the good records in his life. Everyone can make mistakes, and he is definitely a good driver if he has a good record.
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Understand that the things above are not the only cognitive distortions that exist. Your mind always wants to play tricks on you. Therefore, you should always take the time to step back from the situation at hand and observe whether what you are thinking is really something objective or true when it is controlled by your mind.
Calm an Overactive Mind Step 29 Tips
Remember that sometimes you need time to learn to control your anxiety. Keep trying, then surely you will make progress
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https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions/
