PsychCentral: 9 Tips to Clear Your Mind
Unwanted and intrusive thoughts and brain fog can make it hard to sleep, focus, and enjoy life. Clearing your mind can reduce stress and increase your well-being.
A clear mind may:
- bring you into the present
- reduce anxiety
- decrease a sense of uncertainty
- release the past
- sharpen focus
- improve mood
If unwanted thoughts keep you up at night, using these methods to clear your mind may help.
Try positive visualization
Visualization is seeing things in your mind and trying to connect to how that scene feels.
“You can listen to any music that’s calming for you, or visualize any place that feels calming to you,” she says. “It might be a palace, orbiting another planet, or getting a hug from someone.”
Try to close your eyes and think about a place or situation that brings you peace and makes you smile. Try to focus on it for a while, going through all the details of the scene and connecting with the emotions it brings.
Consider a bedtime routine
A regular bedtime routine may help your brain associate certain activities with sleep, which may help you wind down quicker, says Noelle Benach, LCPD, a psychotherapist in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Turn off or silence your phone. Make a cup of tea or hot chocolate,” she suggests. “If your mind feels very busy, try writing your thoughts down. It may offer some catharsis in the moment and take the pressure off you to remember whatever you’re thinking about.”
Try binaural tones
To learn how to clear your mind before bed, you may find it helpful to listen to binaural tones, a set of two tones at slightly different pitches played at the same time in each ear.
A 2019 study found that binaural tones combined with autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) sounds can lull you into sleep and improve your quality of rest.
“It may not be an instant remedy, so give it 10 minutes or so before deciding whether it works for you or not,” says Dr. Kyle Zrenchik, a therapist in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
This popular track on YouTube may be a good place to start.
Rumination is when unwanted, irrational, or intrusive thoughts play on repeat in your mind.
Ruminating can happen sporadically or it can be a symptom of certain conditions, including:
- anxiety
- depression
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Try to tune into your senses
“Start with pleasant experiences that you want to be there for, like savoring a good meal or playtime with a pet, then move toward using your senses to help you be present for experiences that are less pleasant,” she explains.
If you feel overwhelmed by unwanted thoughts, you can clear your mind by focusing on what your senses are perceiving at the moment. If possible, try to train your brain to focus where you direct it, called “focused attention.”
He recommends a grounding exercise with colors. “Take a look in the room around you and notice one thing of every color,” he says. “Focus on each item before going to the next. Notice it in relation to other items, like how far your red mug is from your orange pillow.”
Some other grounding activities include:
- active meditation
- deep breathing
- forest bathing
- meditation
Consider puzzle games
Some other visuospatial tasks include:
- assembling or rearranging furniture
- completing a puzzle
- making a photo collage
- making your bed
- rearranging items on a shelf
- playing with Lego
Try to shift your perspective
In order to clear your mind from unwanted thoughts, you may find it helpful to see your situation with a zoomed-out lens.
Try to ask yourself:
- Will this matter tomorrow?
- 1 week from now?
- 1 month from now?
- 1 year from now?
Brain fog can make it feel like you can’t focus or process information.
Some causes may include:
- anxiety
- chronic stress
- depression
- excess computer time
- side effects of medication
- sleep deprivation
- other medical conditions (diabetes or autoimmune disorders)
Try to “play” for awhile
Brain fog can be a sign that it’s time to engage in some self-care, says Daramus.
“If you’re sure it’s not medical, you may be working too hard, so try to get some mental rest,” she says. “Try to either just relax and don’t do anything mentally challenging for a while, or do something that feels like mental playtime.”
Consider your basic needs
If possible, try to make sure you’re meeting your basic needs, says Benach. “If these things aren’t happening, it makes sense that you’re feeling foggy.”
Some easy-to-overlook tasks include:
- eating a nutrient-dense diet
- connecting with loved ones
- getting enough sleep
- regular activity
- relaxation activities
- unplugging from screen time
Working with a therapist can help
@comfortableNight4463
Another really helpful article, thankyou for bringing these to the community, Night! 😊
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou You're most welcome! I hope it reaches those who need it.