When The Mind Won't Stop: A Practice For Overthinking

When the mind won't stop planning, analysing, replaying, or trying to solve problems, it's often because the brain is doing its best to protect you. Yet for an already overprotective nervous system, constant problem-solving can unintentionally reinforce the message that there is danger or a problem that urgently needs solving. In this guided practice, you'll gently step out of the thinking mind, creating space for your nervous system to experience the safety of simply being, breathing, and noticing what else is here.

Transcript

Hi there, It's Mandy here. Welcome to this practice for overthinking. You know those moments when your mind just won't stop? Whether the thoughts are planning, Problem solving, Ruminating, Just getting lost or caught up. Maybe you've been rehashing a conversation that you had yesterday. Perhaps you're trying to figure out why you're still in pain. It could be a decision that you're grappling with. Whether the thoughts are planning focused or figuring something out, I'm sure it feels really important to solve it right now. And the mind can just become very busy and can sometimes get stuck and it can feel like it just won't stop, Right? Well, You're not alone. Often when we live with chronic pain, Fatigue, Uncertainty or ongoing stress, It's really understandable that the brain spends a lot of time trying to predict, To prepare, To analyze, To solve. It's always trying to protect you. And from the brain's perspective, This overthinking, It just makes perfect sense. Our brains have evolved to protect us, And they do this by identifying problems and trying to solve them. So if something's feeling uncertain, Threatening, Uncomfortable, Or unresolved, The brain's gonna zoom in, And it's gonna start scanning, Planning, Reviewing, Rehearsing, And searching for answers. The challenge is that for nervous systems that have already become overprotective, This process can become a trap. Because every time we repeatedly search for danger, Analyse symptoms, Or urgently try to resolve a problem, Or just get really caught up or overwhelmed by thoughts, We actually may be unintentionally sending the brain another message. There's a problem here. And if there's a problem, The brain's going to keep searching. So today we're going to try something different. We're not going to try and stop the thoughts. We're not going to convince ourselves that none of this matters. And we're certainly not going to force ourselves to just think positively and hope for the best. Instead, We're going to experiment. Wonder what happens if, Just for a few moments, We allow ourselves to put the problem-solving mind aside. Not forever. Not because the thoughts aren't important. Not because the problems aren't there to be figured out. But because perhaps, Just for the next few minutes, Maybe we don't need to solve everything. And perhaps in doing so, We can give our nervous system an opportunity to experience something maybe you haven't felt for a while. And that's a sense of safety in just being. Not fixing, Not figuring out, Just being. Nowhere to go, Nothing to do, We're just going to simply be for a while. So come join me. Find a comfortable position that feels supportive, Might be lying down or sitting, Even standing. And just allow the eyes to soften or close. And turn your attention to your breathing. Taking a slow breath in and a slow breath out. Really feeling in to that support beneath you, From the chair, The floor, The bed. Maybe getting a sense of what it's like to feel held in this moment. Might check in with parts of the body that could be holding some tension. Maybe just dropping the shoulders even if it's just by 5%. Bringing some softness to the jaw. Loosening the hands. Just arriving here in this moment, Just as you are. It's okay to notice the thinking mind. You might become aware of whatever thoughts have been occupying your attention lately. Maybe it is a problem you're trying to solve. A decision. Could be a symptom that you're confused about. Maybe a conversation you've been replaying. A future that you're trying to predict. And you don't need to get into the details, Just noticing, Ah yes, This is a busy mind. This is my mind trying to help, Trying to protect me, Trying to solve problems. That can be the really important first step here just recognizing you've been caught up. And it's not a failure, It's not a problem. It's just bringing a sense of awareness to the fact that you have a thinking mind. And maybe it's really active. But with that recognition also comes a moment of choice. Once we notice we've been swept up in thinking, We've already stepped outside of it. We've already had our mindful moment of awareness, Of waking up. Even just a little bit. And if you're up for it next you might even imagine what it would be like to gather these thoughts together. Not to throw them away or deny them or pretend they don't matter. Just collect them up. And maybe you imagine placing them somewhere, Could be in a box or on a shelf. Clicking them away in a folder somewhere. Sometimes people find it helpful to write things down in real life, But for now we're just going to imagine what it might feel like to set these thoughts aside in whatever way works for you. Just for now. You might even quietly reassure yourself, Yes, I see you thoughts, I know you're there, I know you're important. And I will attend later if I choose to. And then imagine closing the lid. Not forever, Just for a few moments, Just to see what happens. Just checking out what's here with that idea of closing the lid on these thoughts just for the next few moments. Might notice a bit of kickback maybe there's messages hang on this is urgent what that's okay just noticing And now that we've given that problem-solving part of the mind some permission to rest, To step aside even just temporarily, It's a great chance now to notice what else is here. Perhaps you notice the movements and rhythm of your breathing. Maybe you can feel the weight of your body. The support beneath you. Maybe you get a sense of the temperature of the room, Of your body. The touch of clothing. Sounds from around you. Maybe even getting a sense of the space that your body occupies. The space inside the room. Maybe you're becoming aware of sensations within the body. Not as a problem that needs to be solved, Not as something that you need to change or ignore. Maybe there's parts of the body where you can get a sense of pressure. Won't. Coolness. Sensations that are moving. Sensations that are still. Maybe even areas that feel a bit numb. Perhaps there's a sense of some emotions that are here too. Sadness. Curiosity. Frustration. Grief. Uncertainty. Or something else. Just seeing if you can make a little bit of space to welcome it, Allow it. Just see what it's like for the next few moments to experience existing being breathing without needing to figure anything out just simply being here. Just giving yourself this time to notice. Knowing that the world hasn't stopped, You're not being irresponsible or lazy, You haven't given up. We're just stepping out of that emergency response for a few moments. Just checking out what's here. What's here underneath all that doing and problem-solving? And as a way to bring in perhaps a greater sense of safety and ease in this moment you might take a few fuller breaths here slow breath in. . . And a long breath out If it feels okay to you, You might place a hand on your chest or your belly. Maybe just get curious. What if I didn't have to solve things right now? What if this moment, Just as it is, Could be enough? What if I could give my nervous system just a few moments of rest? And just notice whatever's bubbling up. No need to force anything, No need to search for an answer. Getting curious. Sometimes the safest thing to do is actually not think any harder. The safest thing we can do is to stop trying to protect ourselves. And just see what happens. Letting go. Letting be. Just this moment as it is. And when you're ready, We might start to bring this practice to a close. You might like to externalize your awareness a little bit, Feeling into that support beneath you. Opening your eyes if they've been closed, Checking out the room around you. And remember, Those thoughts that you set aside, They haven't disappeared. So if you want to return to them after this practice, You absolutely can. That box is still there. You can open it and look in. And perhaps now there's a little more space, A little more perspective. And you might even be able to access a little more choice. Not every thought requires immediate action. Not every problem needs to be solved. And sometimes just stepping out of that problem-solving mind isn't avoiding or giving up. It actually is a moment to offer the nervous system an experience of safety, Of spaciousness. Of trusting yourself. It might be just what it's calling out for. So just taking one final deep breath. And as you start to continue into the rest of your day, Just remember the possibility. You don't have to figure it out. You can take a moment to pause and choose and remember. You are already safe enough. Thanks for practicing with me today. See you next time.