How can I stop thinking and shut my brain off?

Well I wouldn't want to shut your brain off, but listening to calm music can change the way your brain functions and, being in a quiet area with minimal distractions. Moments of extended silence leads to over thinking, so fill up your free time with something.

The harder you try to stop thinking, the more you will be annoyed by your thoughts. Therefore, stop resisting the thoughts. Accept that they're there. Poof! Once you accept your thoughts you'll be surprised at how fast they go away.

There are two types of meditation: concentrative and non-directive. Concentrative meditation works by placing your conscious focus on a single object (i.e. your breath, a candle, a still image in your mind). By focusing on a single object, by becoming engrossed on a single object, the mind should become quieter.

One cannot shut our brain off, it's not how the brain works. However we can calm the mental chatter that we experience on a constant basis by meditation. A non religious meditation designed specifically to reduce stress and calm the mind would be a perfect aid to calming the thoughts.

I feel that breathing exercises help with any situation of overthinking/overworry. Try this gif below! http://33.media.tumblr.com/6c5ad329d49d3b20dcf47db25d11234d/tumblr_ntnb2crEfK1r7zaydo1_500.gif

There is a breathing exercise you can practice while you're in bed trying to fall asleep. 1-Breathe IN for 4 seconds. (pull deeply from your diaphragm)| 2-Hold that breath for 7 seconds. 3-Exhale slowly for 8 seconds. (it's recommended to exhale through your mouth, but do what's most comfortable). You will find this will quiet your mind and relax your body. You will notice your heart rate slowing down.

Meditation is really helpful for quieting the mind. Listening to one of the mindfulness exercises on 7 cups can help with that.

Your brain never shuts off. It is constantly on even though your asleep so you are still going.

In order to empty your mind, you need to have a pacific attitude toward your thoughts and keep calm and collected. If you try to fight against "having thoughts" you might happen to only stress yourself and lose energy. First of all, find the room you most enjoy to stay at, play a relaxing music or stay silent (the key is to choose what you prefer) and relax (sit, lay on your bed etc.), feel your whole body relaxing, close your eyes, smile... Once you are relaxed enough, start to dissipate your thoughts. They'll try to come over your mind and when you notice you are having them, interrupt them! Start paying attention only at your breath and keep going. When thoughts strike again, interrupt them again, watch them freeze and reinforce your attention only at your breath. By concentrating in nothing, you'll empty your mind and allow new things to come! Silent and relax~

Distracting yourself Is the best way to shut your brain off because if you are not doing anything, your brain will get bored and start to make you think about thoughts, mainly negative

Read! Write a journal, do some housecleaning! Do everything you can other than sitting in bed and watching movies!

Thinking is not the issue, it is the stuff you are thinking about. so switch the thoughts. think happy thoughts. Name things that make you happy and make you smile.

It's a bit of a paradox isn't it? The more you try to stop thinking the harder it is. If you're preoccupied with something, preoccupy constructively. Separate what is in your control and what isn’t. Focus on the items that are, and the initial steps needed to achieve them. Then write them down. Writing out your thoughts will help to stop them from recycling in your mind. You'll know you've captured them to revisit at another time. And remember, worrying is either too early or too late.

Sometimes it helps to play little games in your mind, like making anagrams of words or trying to remember how to get to your friend's house by memory.

I can let go of thoughts if I do breathing exercises. If I focus on the inhale and release the thoughts on the exhale. Soon they are hard to hold onto. Then physically the breathing has relaxed me. The thoughts may come back but for the time I am meditating and breathing, they clear.

Have you tried any of the mindful exercises that 7 Cups of Tea offers? These might help you. They are in the self help category

you never can as long as you have a brain, so take advantage of it, don't stop thinking, think think think!

Get active! Meet with a friend, do sports, listen to music, cook a nice meal or do something else whichis fun. Sometimes it is hard to stop doing something but easier to start doing something else.

Do something simple that makes you think so you can't focus on other things. For example, count backwards from 100. Try listening to guided meditations. Write. Pray.

You can try distattion, try doing things that make you happier and feel alive and your brain will just stop throwing thoughts at you if you don't pay attention to the thoughts.