MSS #089: Master Your Mind: Seven Scientifically-Backed Techniques to Manage Overwhelming Thoughts

MSS #089: Master Your Mind: Seven Scientifically-Backed Techniques to Manage Overwhelming Thoughts.

21 Sept, 2024

🕒Read time: 5 minutes

🚀In a hurry? Cut straight to the heading “Summary” - reduced read time 0.6 minutes

Overwhelming thoughts can feel like an endless storm in your mind.

Whether it’s stress from work, anxiety about the future, or a constant loop of negative thinking, these thoughts can drain your energy and focus.

But with the right techniques, you can regain control.

This week, I’ll share seven scientifically-backed, practical strategies that will help you manage and reduce overwhelming thoughts effectively.

Just choose one or two that fit with your thinking style and make them your new habits.

7 techniques to combat overwhelm – choose one or two.

Let’s crack on and get straight into it.

1. The Power of Writing it Down

When your mind is cluttered with too many thoughts, writing them down can be a powerful way to gain clarity and perspective.

• Why it works: Writing helps externalise your thoughts, making them more manageable. It allows you to evaluate them objectively, separating what’s truly important from what’s just noise.

It reduces the impact, as writing them down makes them feel less real, compared to having them roaming in the theatre of your mind.

• How to do it: Start by writing down every thought that’s causing you stress. Don’t hold back, let it all out.

Once you have it on paper, review your list and identify which issues are actionable.

Focus on what you can change and let go of the rest.

In fact screw up the piece of paper you wrote them on and toss it into the recycling bin (or hit delete if an electronic list). This tells your mind to let go of them as well.

2. Practice Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing is a potent tool to calm both the mind and body and it works on a physiological level.

Breathing is connected with our built in calming nervous system, the PNS.

The technique involves controlling your breath to regulate your heart rate and activate your body’s natural relaxation response.

• Why it works: When you inhale, your diaphragm moves down, creating more space for your heart, which leads to a temporary increase in heart rate.

However, when you exhale, the diaphragm moves up, reducing the space around your heart. This triggers the sinoatrial (SA) node—your heart’s natural pacemaker—to send signals via the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), telling your heart rate to slow down.

The key is to make your exhales slightly longer than your inhales. This activates the PNS in real-time, helping you calm down almost instantly.

• How to do it: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a slow, deep breath in through your nose for a count of four.

Hold it for a count of four, then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six.

Repeat this cycle a few times and feel your heart rate decrease and your mind settle.

If you have any medical concerns related to this, avoid this.

3. Break the Loop with Physical Activity

Physical movement can be a game-changer when you’re overwhelmed by thoughts. It shifts your focus and releases endorphins, which naturally reduce stress.

• Why it works: Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to your brain, which helps to clear your mind.

Endorphins, released during physical activity, act as natural painkillers and mood elevators, giving you an instant mental boost.

• How to do it: You don’t need a full workout to feel the benefits. A brisk walk, some light stretching, or even a few jumping jacks can help. The goal is to get your body moving, which in turn will help move your mind out of its overwhelmed state.

Make sure any exercise is in line with your physical abilities, seek medical advice if not sure.

4. Use Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a simple yet effective way to release tension that often accompanies overwhelming thoughts. By systematically tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups, you can promote a sense of calm in both your body and mind.

• Why it works: PMR reduces muscle tension, which is closely linked to mental stress. As you relax your muscles, your mind also begins to relax, reducing the intensity of your overwhelming thoughts.

• How to do it: Start by finding a quiet, safe space where you can sit or lie down comfortably.

Begin at your toes and work your way up to your head, tensing each muscle group for five seconds, then slowly releasing the tension as you exhale.

Pay attention to the sensation of relaxation that follows.

Repeat this process for each major muscle group.

I do this with a very simple audio script running in my head that says

“Now I notice as the muscles in my XXX relax, as I feel the tension melt away leaving me feel fully relaxed and calm”

5. Acknowledge Worry with a Mindful Dialogue

Instead of letting worry consume you throughout the day, acknowledge it with a mindful dialogue. This approach not only helps you manage your thoughts but also allows your brain to know that the message has been received, which can reduce the intensity of your worries.

• Why it works: Acknowledging worry gives your mind the reassurance that its concerns are noted and will be addressed. This can reduce the need for constant worrying throughout the day.

This might seem strange or over simplistic but think of it this way. When you get stressed, on a electro chemical level, your mind has been triggered by something to protect you from a perceived threat, getting you in a stressed state.

Simply by acknowledging this, tells your brain, you got the message and you are pulling the “override” to go back to a calm state as you are happy no fight and flight is required.

• How to do it: When you notice worry creeping in, pause for a moment and have an internal dialogue. Say something like,

“Hi there, I noticed there is quite a bit of worrying going on. Let's set some time aside later tonight, say 8 p.m., to worry properly. Thanks for looking out for me, but for now, let’s crack on and focus on what we’re doing.”

This technique tells your brain that the worry is acknowledged and that it can be set aside for now.

If 8 p.m. arrives and you no longer feel worried, simply let the worry time pass without engaging in it.

If you are still troubled, take out a notebook and write down all the worries that are on your mind. Go through each worry and assess whether it is something you can take action on or if it’s beyond your control.

For the worries you can address, make a plan to tackle them.

For worries beyond your control, consciously decide to let them go. This process helps you gain perspective and reduces the impact of those worries on your overall mental state.

6. Apply the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

Grounding techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 method are highly effective for staying present and managing overwhelming thoughts.

• Why it works: This technique helps you anchor your mind in the present moment by engaging all your senses. It’s a simple way to disrupt the cycle of overwhelming thoughts and bring your focus back to the here and now.

• How to do it: Identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Focus on each sense one at a time, and by the time you’re done, your mind will be much calmer.

I prefer to do this outside in nature.

7. Visualise a Safe Space

Visualisation can be a powerful tool to calm an overwhelmed mind. By imagining a safe and peaceful place, you can create a mental refuge that helps you manage stress and anxiety. *If visualisation is difficult for you, just create the sense of a safe space in your mind.

• Why it works: When you visualise a place where you feel safe and relaxed, your brain responds by reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol.

This mental escape can help you regain control over your emotions and reduce the intensity of overwhelming thoughts.

• How to do it: Close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel completely at ease. It could be a real location you love, like a quiet beach, a cosy room, or a serene forest, or it could be a place you’ve created in your mind.

Focus on the details—what do you see, hear, and feel in this space?

Spend a few minutes in this mental refuge whenever you feel overwhelmed. This practice can help you reset your mind and return to your day with a greater sense of calm.

Summary

Overwhelming thoughts don’t have to dictate your mental state.

By using these seven scientifically-backed techniques—writing down your thoughts, mindful breathing, physical activity, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, acknowledging worry with a mindful dialogue, the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method, and visualising a safe space—you can regain control over your mind.

Start with one technique and notice how it shifts your mental landscape. With practice, these methods can become your go-to strategies for managing stress and achieving mental clarity.

• Writing down your thoughts externalises them, making them easier to manage.

• Mindful breathing reduces your heart rate by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you to calm down in real time.

• Physical activity shifts your focus and releases stress-reducing endorphins.

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation reduces tension in your body, helping to alleviate mental stress.

• Acknowledging your worries with a mindful dialogue helps your brain know you’ve got the message, reducing the need to worry throughout the day. If needed, engage in worry time by writing down and addressing your concerns.

• The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique brings your mind back to the present moment, reducing overwhelm.

• Visualising a safe space provides a mental escape, reducing stress and calming your mind.

See you next week. One more thought 👇

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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, really hope this helped. Contact me if you think I can help you further at [email protected].

Happy thinking.