Saima Ikram
The stream of thoughts that comes one after the other in your mind has the power to leave you unable to focus on anything. For some people these thoughts are strongly heard as a voice they cannot ignore and it feels for them as a background noise in the brain. There are different reasons that can be a cause of the racing thoughts and can easily be triggered by high levels of stress, lack of sleep, or some kind of medical condition. These racing thoughts are a replay of past events and can generate anxiety and sadness for you, consuming your time and often having no rational conclusion. Your energy gets drained away, you stop living in the present moment, and a loop seems to be created in your brain which feels difficult to escape from.
But following are the few ways you can stop the racing thoughts and calm down your mind:
Focus on the present:
Racing thoughts develop when you think about something that has either not happened and something that has already happened in the past. Your racing thoughts cut you off from the present moment you are living in. it drains all your energy and you fail to enjoy the present. Whenever you feel your mind being overtaken by such thoughts, start focusing on your present situation.
Use Mantras:
Studies have proved that if you repeat a single phrase in your mind over and over again, it reduces the activity in the part of your brain that is responsible for self-judgment and reflection. When you focus your thoughts only on that one mantra, it turns the mind away from the racing thoughts.
Try distractions:
Distractions are not considered good when you are trying to focus on one single point. But when your mind starts to focus on the past or future thoughts then distractions can help you get away from those thoughts. Get involved in your favorite hobby, start coloring books, and focus on something that distracts you from those thoughts. It will help reduce stress and will calm down your mind.
Start doing exercise:
Your mental well-being depends a lot on your physical wellness. Numerous studies have shown that exercising can have mind-boosting power and it can help improve the symptoms of depression. So whenever you feel racing thoughts developing, go out for a walk, jogging or similar activity to calm down your mind.
Practice deep breathing:
Thinking about the past or future sends your body into a panic state which causes breathing to naturally speed up. In this situation deep breathing can slow down your body’s response and promote a feeling of relaxation. In order to accomplish deep breathing, just breathe in for three seconds and exhale for five to ten seconds to help calm down the racing thoughts.
