Overactive Minds: Why Does My Brain Never Shut Off Unless I'm Doing This One Thing? by Jessica Lawrence

Mindfulness
5 years ago

Overactive Minds: Why Does My Brain Never Shut Off Unless I'm Doing This One Thing?

If you are anything like me, you likely notice your brain never stops working. From the moment I wake until the (fleeting) moments of sleep, I feel like it's constantly going – over, and over and over.

My morning routine usually involves a run. I wake up, get ready, take my daughter to school and spend 25 to 30 minutes running. Most of the time, I am unable to stop my brain – even when I'm running. 

"Did I pack a note in her lunch?" 

"What activities do we have tonight?" 

"My pace is so off." 

These are the types of things going on in my brain, even when I'm running. I have tried to run while listening to podcasts, with marginal success. I try to run while listening to music, but that usually makes me think of a lyric in a song, which makes me think of this guy I know … and, well, you see where that is going.

Oddly enough, the only time I do not think is when I likely should do the most thinking: on the ice. I am so focused when I am skating, that all I think of is the steps I take and what step comes next. Simply put, it is relaxing and calming.

What do you do to shut your brain off?

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Elisa Schmitz
How wonderful that you have an outlet like skating that lets you turn everything else off. That's a gift, Jessica Lawrence . I'm still a work in progress. I meditate, do yoga and deep breathing. It helps. I also take meditative walks, which always clears my mind. I think many of us can relate to your struggle!

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