How to Stop Your Overwhelming Racing Thoughts (& Find Peace in Your Mind)

Say goodbye to frustration and overthinking

You grunt in frustration.

You want to rip your hair out.

You want to let out rage screams.

Overthinking has done it again. It’s ruined your mood, your writing, and your life.

You keep coming up with ideas but struggle to execute them.

You’re not alone.

Recently, my draft folder has been getting bigger while my published stories remain stagnant.

It’s a bit of a blow to my ego.

I’m not Charles Dickens or Ralph Emerson Waldo. I’m not going to go live off in the woods, and I’m not likely to write the next Great American Novel.

But I get stuck in my head.

Avoid These Mistakes

You’re going to make mistakes and be unaware you’re making them. Learn from these mistakes and push forward.

1. Don’t suppress your thoughts.

When you push your thoughts down, you guarantee they will pop up ten times stronger when you least expect it.

A simple acknowledgment of your thoughts can be calming. It’s like giving your thoughts a polite nod instead of a cold shoulder.

2. Don’t set unrealistic goals.

Setting unrealistic goals is a recipe for disappointment. Unrealistic goals often lead you back to square one, feeling frustrated and defeated.

Be kind to yourself and set achievable, bite-sized goals. Remember how we talked about being present? Take 1 minute to focus on breathing.

3. Don’t rely on others.

Nobody else can run interference and handle your thoughts and decision-making for you. The real power lies within you.

When you build self-reliance, you empower yourself to find peace within.

How to Break the Cycle

Overthinking can be a damaging cycle if you don’t know how to stop it.

You get stuck on a neverending hamster wheel of thoughts. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Awareness is the first step to change. At first, just acknowledge your thoughts. You don’t have to do anything about them yet.

Start to notice intrusive thoughts when they come up. As they come up, label them as intrusive or not.

Begin to challenge these thoughts. Know that you are not your thoughts; they don’t define you. Challenge your thoughts and ask:

“Is this thought benefitting me?”
“Can I absolutely know it’s true?”
“Who would I be without this thought?”

Finally, you can replace your negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Affirmations will enforce positive thoughts and encourage you to have healthy habits.

Overcome Your Thoughts

I’ve come a long way. I used to let overthinking get the best of me. But then I learned how to manage it. I learned to crush my thoughts.

Here are a few tips that helped me.

1. Break tasks down.

It’s overwhelming when you have so much on your plate. All you can see is the laundry pile and the work folders.

Take a deep breath in. Pause, then exhale. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

The goal is to chunk it off into bite-sized pieces.

Start with one folder, one page if you can manage. Start with putting away one shirt.

It seems small, and that’s because it is. Small actions compound into big results.

2. Practice mindfulness.

Your thoughts are racing with everything that’s going to happen. You’re playing out the worst-case scenarios.

Try not to predict the future. 9 times out of 10, you’re wrong.

Mindfulness will allow you to take back your time and move with intention. If you don’t know where to start, try this.

Practice deep belly breathing
Pick one task to focus on at a time
Use grounding techniques to remain present

Don’t fight your thoughts. I learned to let thoughts in through the front door but not invite them to stay for tea. Kindly let them out the back.

The more you try to control your thoughts, the more resistance you’ll face.

3. Set specific times aside.

If you don’t control how you spend your time, time will do it for you. Instead of wasting countless hours being dragged in and out of your thoughts, set aside specific time for it.

I like to set aside a few minutes every night to reflect on my day. During my reflections, I address several things.

What I’m thankful for
How did I challenge myself
What I can improve tomorrow

Conclusion

Save your head and hair from the drama of overthinking.

Your thoughts don’t have to rule your life. You can take back control. Practice mindfulness and break tasks into smaller components.

You may not be able to get rid of it completely, but you can find peace with it.

Want to feel empowered and take back control of your life? Take my free course here: https://mindfulmillennialbusinesswomen.com/

Maggie Kelly is a ghostwriter for mindfulness & wellbeing coaches. Contact at maggiepkelly@gmail.com.