How to quiet the noise in your head, and feel happier at work and in life

going to be okay?

My patients often describe a never-ending flow of troublesome thoughts that flood their minds, often with a negative tone and overwhelming presence, Dr. Nina Vasan, psychiatrist and director at Brainstorm: The Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation, points out.

As your thoughts keep competing for mental space, they can feel overwhelming, making it a challenging game to manage them successfully.

What is going on in my brain that always keeps me thinking?

It's when the brain is overly excited, frequently taking it too far.

It's even more pronounced for women and individuals from racial and ethnic minorities who have had to overcome obstacles and break into institutions that have traditionally excluded and marginalized people who share their background, identity or experiences.

"The brain is essentially hardwired to seek answers, always actively trying to figure things out, often getting bogged down in overthinking patterns in the process," Kuburic notes.

People with anxiety often have brains that are constantly on the lookout for potential problems and worries about the future. "For some, repetitive thoughts can be so familiar that their brain gets stuck on them, even if they're not happy or comforting thoughts," Kuburic notes.

in 2016.

When you're feeling overwhelmed by distracting thoughts, it's possible to find inner calm in almost any setting. Here are some strategies for silencing mental chatter wherever you are.

Take a moment to reflect: Are my thoughts centered around taking action or am I being driven by fear?

If you're finding it tough to stay focused on what's happening right now, take a few moments to evaluate if the thoughts you're having include a clear next step you can take.

Thinking about a difficult conversation with a friend over and over could indicate that you still have unresolved emotions and need to have a follow-up conversation to tie things up.

When reminded of an approaching project deadline and feeling anxious about what to prioritize, it may be helpful to divide the project into manageable smaller tasks and then take specific actions towards completing each one.

Thoughts that really matter often bring a sense of relief once you take the time to think them through and come up with a clear plan of action, according to Bjelland. Typically, these thoughts are centered around events that are currently unfolding or on the near horizon.

Think about it like this: if the thoughts in your mind are focused on a far-fetched uncertainty or something utterly impossible, it can be hard to move forward. You might find it helpful to remind yourself that when there's no action you can take, let the thoughts about it drift away. It's a good idea to separate what's realistic from what's driven by your fears. Just imagine your worries as a passing cloud.

Constantly concerning yourself with how others perceive you or dwelling on hypothetical future situations (like, 'What if nobody likes me at the party?') is fruitless, as it doesn't provide any clear direction for immediate action. Such thoughts can become stuck in a cycle with no resolution.

It's also a good idea to ask yourself whether the thought is guiding you towards something genuine.

Take a moment to reflect on whether this thought is contributing to a more authentic and fulfilling life," says Kuburic. "If your thoughts are mainly driven by a desire to avoid things, it's probably rooted in anxiety rather than genuine care. Think about whether this thought brings you closer to or further away from the life you truly want to live.

Practice mindfulness

Let's try a simple breathing exercise. For 60 seconds, inhale slowly for four counts, pause for four counts, and exhale slowly for four counts. Another way to practice mindfulness is through a body scan. Close your eyes, and methodically focus on each part of your body, engaging and relaxing your various muscles in a slow and intentional way.

"When you mentally focus on each part of your body from head to toe, it can help calm your mind and bring you back into a physical connection, which reduces mental chatter," Kuburic advises. Even if immediate mental relief isn't achieved, making mindfulness and breathing a daily practice can help train the brain to manage the nervous system, just like regular exercise builds strength in a muscle.

Limit stimuli

We're surrounded by an incredible amount of stimulation. The endless flow of information available at our fingertips can amplify mental clutter.

Believe it or not, even in relaxing settings, stress can trigger it. Social media and other sources of stress can worsen internal noise, so minimizing distractions might give you more mental room, says Kuburic. Try setting daily social media limits on your phone and refrain from checking notifications at specific hours.

Her self-awareness, developed through open interactions, builds internal fortitude against life's challenges. This clarity of mind enables her to process thoughts more effectively, potentially preventing overwhelming distress.

Do a quick

When she feels stressed or fearful, she has a cope with anxiety, where she takes a five-second pause to calm down, focusing on inhaling, exhaling and getting distracted by a different activity, counting down silently from five before redirecting her attention away from the anxiety-provoking stimulus.

If counting down doesn't work for you, try devoting 10 to 15 minutes to journaling, catching up with a friend, taking a walk, or simply taking note of the things around you.

"Bring your attention to something in the present moment that gives you joy, whether it's a stunning tree, the sweet song of a bird, or the charming face of your beloved pet," Bjelland suggests.

Accept uncertainty with self-compassion

Huffington suggests treating our internal voice as we would a close friend. "Our fiercest critics wouldn't speak to us the way we speak to ourselves," she noted earlier. "I'd like to see a device that could capture our internal dialogue, allowing us to grasp the significance of halting those hurtful self-critics."

Practicing self-compassion and acceptance can help you handle your thoughts in a kinder way, recommends Bjelland.

First, acknowledge the thoughts.

"It's totally normal to be feeling anxious about this," Bjelland recommends telling yourself.

She takes a step back by questioning her own fear. "What am I really scared of?" she asks herself. "Is this fear based on reality or just a hypothetical situation?" She recognizes that being overly critical of herself tends to perpetuate mental turmoil, making it even harder to shake off worrisome thoughts. By practicing self-care and treating herself with kindness, she learns to mitigate the impact of overwhelming thoughts.

According to Kuburic, the goal of ruminating thoughts isn't the same as winning a game of whack-a-mole. Just as plugging one hole in a game of whack-a-mole only makes another mole pop up, unwanted thoughts may never completely disappear.

Recognize the unpredictability of life and that you can't control everything. When you feel overwhelmed, remind yourself that it's an inherent part of life, and the freedom lies in how you decide to handle it ... Finding silence, in an existential sense, may not be the ultimate goal of life.

Support hotlines like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which can be reached by dialing 988, may provide a temporary solution for individuals struggling with persistent harmful thoughts. However, long-term assistance from a trained mental health professional may be necessary to fully address ongoing issues. For immediate support, consider reaching out to these available resources or a professional counselor for guidance and treatment. here .

This passage was originally presented in another context on