Close your eyes,
Or soften your gaze,
And let yourself settle into this moment.
Feel the support of the surface beneath you,
And take a deep breath in through your nose.
Hold it for a moment,
And then release it slowly through your mouth.
You're probably here because you feel stuck,
Caught in a loop of overthinking,
Replaying the same thoughts over and over again.
That's okay.
This is rumination,
And it's something many of us experience.
Your mind is simply trying to solve a problem by thinking about it endlessly.
But instead of helping,
It's making you feel worse.
The good news is,
You don't have to stay in this cycle.
Together,
We're going to work through it,
Step by step.
First,
Let's pause and notice what's going on.
Take a moment to say to yourself,
I'm stuck in this loop,
But I don't have to stay here.
These thoughts are just thoughts,
They're not facts,
And they don't control me.
Notice how rumination feels in your body.
Is there tension in your chest,
A tightness in your jaw,
A heaviness in your stomach?
Breathe into those places.
Inhale deeply,
Letting your belly rise,
And exhale slowly,
Imagining the tension softening and releasing.
Now ask yourself gently,
What triggered this?
Was it something someone said,
A memory,
Or maybe your mood just pulled you into this spiral?
Whatever it is,
Remind yourself,
I don't need to solve this all right now.
It's okay to pause.
Next,
Imagine each thought in your mind is a cloud drifting across the sky.
Some clouds are big and heavy,
While others are small and wispy.
Watch them pass.
You don't have to chase them or hold on to them,
They're just passing by.
If a particularly sticky thought lingers,
Imagine yourself writing it down on a piece of paper.
Picture yourself folding that paper into a tiny plane,
And setting it off to fly past the clouds in the sky.
Watch as the air currents carry it away,
Further and further,
Until it's out of sight.
And say to yourself,
These thoughts are not permanent.
They will come and go,
Just like the clouds that pass by.
Let's bring your attention back to the here and now.
To ground yourself,
We'll use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.
As you complete this exercise,
Feel your mind slowing down,
Reconnecting with your body in the present moment.
Follow my voice as I guide you.
We'll start with 5 things you can see.
Open your eyes if they're closed,
And slowly look around the space you're in.
What do you notice?
Pick 5 things that catch your eye.
Maybe it's the color of the walls,
A book on the table,
Or the texture of a curtain.
Name them silently,
Or say them out loud.
Next is 4 things you can touch.
Bring your attention to what you feel.
Notice the fabric of your clothes,
The surface supporting you,
Or the floor beneath your feet.
Explore these textures gently with your hands or feet.
Pick 4 things and name them silently or aloud.
And now,
3 things you can hear.
Close your eyes once more and listen.
What sounds can you pick out?
Maybe it's the hum of a fan,
The rustle of leaves,
The chirping of birds,
Or even your own steady breath.
Is there anything far away,
Or close to you?
Choose 3 things now.
Let's move on to 2 things you can smell.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Is there a scent in the air,
A candle,
Fresh coffee,
Or the faint smell of the air?
If you don't notice anything specific,
Just be aware of the air moving through your body.
And lastly,
1 thing you can taste.
Bring your awareness to your mouth.
Can you taste anything?
Maybe there's a sip of tea,
The lingering flavor of a meal,
Or simply the natural taste in your mouth.
With each sense,
You're connecting more deeply to this moment.
Take a second to notice how grounded and present you feel now.
Now that you've acknowledged and released your thoughts,
Another helpful technique is to shift your focus entirely.
Take a moment to consider what's 1 thing you could do after this meditation to break the cycle.
Maybe it's stretching,
Going for a walk,
Or journaling.
Whatever it is,
Choose something that feels kind and grounding for you.
If you decide to write,
Start with these prompts.
What exactly am I worried about?
What's the worst-case scenario?
And how likely is it?
Keeping in mind that around 92% of worries never materialize,
They're only our mind trying to prepare us in case something happens.
But then it doesn't,
And we're fine.
Or you could write about what you would say to a friend who felt this way.
Then re-read it,
And listen to your kind words.
Sometimes,
Just getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper can make them feel smaller,
More manageable,
And free up your mental space.
Take a moment to acknowledge what you've done today.
You paused,
You noticed,
And you made space to let go.
By choosing to practice these evidence-based techniques,
You've started teaching your mind a new way of responding to things that feels need attention.
It's okay to listen to your body.
After all,
It's how we honor our needs.
But once you've acknowledged its reaction,
You can gently move forward.
Return to the present,
Lighter,
And more at ease.
This process isn't always easy,
But today,
You showed yourself it's possible.
You did something powerful by taking this positive step forward.
Feel proud of the effort you've made.
Feel accomplished for giving yourself this gift of presence and care.
If no one has told you this lately,
Let me remind you.
You are strong,
And you are capable.
Rumination doesn't define you,
And it doesn't have to control you.
Each time you practice this,
You're teaching your brain that it's safe to let go and to move forward.
Now take one last deep breath in,
And exhale slowly.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes and know that you've done something good for yourself,
And that you can return to this practice anytime you need.
And remember,
I believe in you,
And you can do this.
