How to Quiet a Busy Mind: Seven Small Habits That Help
You can't switch off your thoughts like a light. But you can give your mind fewer reasons to race, with small habits that fit a normal day.
Photo by Céline Druguet on Unsplash
Some minds never seem to stop. Lists, worries, conversations replayed and future problems rehearsed. If yours is one of them, you are far from alone.
You can't simply order your mind to be quiet. What you can do is make it easier for it to settle. Here are seven small habits that help.
1. Write it down
A busy mind is often a mind trying not to forget. Keep a notebook and write down tasks and worries as they come. Once they are on paper, your mind can let go a little.
2. Give worry a time slot
Choose fifteen minutes in the afternoon as your "worry time." When a worry pops up at other times, note it and tell yourself you'll think about it later. Many people find the worry feels smaller by then.
3. Do one thing at a time
Switching between tasks keeps the mind on high alert. Try doing just one thing for twenty minutes, like cooking, folding laundry or reading, with your phone out of sight.
4. Breathe out slowly
A long, slow out-breath is one of the quickest ways to bring the body down a notch. A calmer body often leads to a calmer mind.
5. Get outside
Even a short walk, a few minutes in the garden or sitting by an open window can change the pace of your thoughts.
6. Limit the news
Checking the news many times a day keeps the mind scanning for danger. Try choosing one or two set times a day instead.
7. Create a clear end to the day
A short evening wind-down, the same each night, tells your mind that the working part of the day is over.
When to ask for help
If your thoughts feel out of control, if worry stops you from living normally, or if you feel low most days, please talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. Support makes a real difference.
