5 Ways to Calm Racing Thoughts
Whether you call it ruminating, intrusive thoughts, perseverating or just plain “I can’t turn my brain off”, repetitive thoughts that bring discomfort show up quite regularly. In a way, racing thoughts could be considered normal but they can be disruptive at work, in relationship and can even cause distress when you are trying to chill.
When I hear about racing thoughts I can’t help but apply a polyvagal theory lens and connect repetitive thoughts to a sympathetic nervous system state. These thought patterns are meant to be helpful if there is a threat but in our modern world, a sympathetic nervous system state can be activated by everyday American-style stress rather than a threat (though some stress can be associated with a perceived threat).
In order to calm racing thoughts the first thing one needs is awareness that they are happening. This can be challenging since the thoughts take us out of present moment awareness. Cultivating mindful awareness takes time so if you don’t have mindfulness on board yet you might ask special people in your life to give you feedback if they notice different behavior from you, such as: seeming preoccupied, not fully present, a bit jumpy around sounds, or having difficulty making eye contact. These behaviors usually signal engagement in sympathetic nervous system and it is probable that you have racing thoughts occurring.
There are several ways to calm the repetitive, intrusive thought patterns once you have been made aware that they are happening. Once you’ve practiced at least one of the suggestions a few times to help decrease the intensity of rumination it will be easier the more you apply these interventions. If you have racing thoughts when you are trying to sleep, try breathing or journaling as it is not recommended you do anything to increase your heart rate at bedtime.
Five tips to calm racing thoughts
1. Breathe - Since an imbalanced breathing pattern can trigger sympathetic nervous system engagement, such as many short inhales and very few exhales, it makes sense that regulating your breathing pattern into something more balanced and relaxed could bring you into parasympathetic nervous system, which will slow down (and sometimes eliminate) the racing thoughts.
First, you need to work with your elevated heart rate by focusing on equal breathes, in and out with a slight pause in between. When your heart is beating faster than normal, this is NOT the time to hold the inhale. Breathing in for 2 or 3 counts, pausing, and then exhaling for 2 or 3 counts in a repeated cycle will work with your elevated heart rate.
Then, inhale for 3-4 counts, pause, exhale for 3-4 counts for several more cycles. You’ll find after at least 15 total rounds of balanced inhales and exhales your ability to extend your exhale will come on board. If your body can easily produce a long exhale than you have found the sweet spot where calm exists. You’ll feel your shoulders melt, your body relax and repetitive thought patterns will slow down or disappear.
2. Exercise - Multiple studies, including this one, consistently show positive benefits on anxiety from exercising. Exercising regularly can increase blood flood, oxygen intake (i.e. balanced breath), and tryptophan. The increase in tryptophan is interesting since it is the molecular precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin; theoretically, if there is more serotonin, the mood and brain will calm.
3. Get outside - Getting outside of your home, office or car and allowing your senses to connect to the sounds, smells, sights and feels of being outside can ground your nervous, which in turn can calm racing thoughts. When our bodies ‘sense’ safety in the surroundings it can send signals to your nervous system that you are safe and can give your body the signal that it can disengage from sympathetic nervous system. An important piece to remember when outside is you will need to remove headphones/earbuds so your sense of hearing can tune into the sounds around you. Better yet, get outside withOUT your phone to allow yourself to be fully present with what is happening all around you.
4. Journal - So many our people at Flourish! have found that capturing what they are thinking and experiencing in a journal of some kind is helpful to reduce the duration of repetitive cycling thoughts. Whether you choose to write with pen and paper or typing it out on your computer or handheld device, putting words onto something external can help release the thoughts out of your head. Leading mindfulness author and researcher, Dr. Dan Siegel, labels this process ‘name it to tame it’. His research has found that when someone labels / writes what they are experiencing internally it can release the amygdala’s hold on the nervous system and allow the body to engage in parasympathetic nervous system producing a state of calm and openness to the present moment.
5. Investigate the thoughts - Old-school cognitive awareness can be very helpful in slowing down racing thoughts by being in a conversation with the racing thoughts. Try asking yourself questions like “is there evidence to support that thought” or “is this really true” to balance out the the pull the thoughts are having on you. You can also try reframing the thought in a way that is not absolute; for instance, if a repetitive thought has the word ‘always’ or ‘never’ in it, try replacing those words with ‘sometimes’ and make space for moments that are NOT like what is happening to you and within you at that very moment.