How You Can Calm Your Mind With These 7 Techniques

It’s no secret that our minds are often constantly racing. You may be asking yourself “how can I calm my mind?”. When looking at many of our thoughts, they’re usually worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. It can be difficult to quiet our minds and focus on the present. But with a little practice, you can learn to be mindful and live more in the moment, providing you with a sense of peace. Here are seven valuable techniques you can try to help you calm your mind.

The 7 Techniques To Help You Calm Your Mind

1. Mindful Walking

One great way to calm the mind is by simply taking a walk. When you’re walking, you’re more easily able to focus on the present moment and take in your surroundings. You can feel the wind blowing, listen to the birds singing, and on the right day feel the sun on your skin. Noticing all of these sensations can help to calm and soothe the mind. Also, even the simple act of moving your body can help to release some of the tension that might have been building up.

If you feel any ruminating thoughts coming up while you’re walking, simply notice them and let them pass. Gently bring your attention back to noticing the sights and sounds in your surroundings. This simple practice is actually a form of mindfulness, which we will talk more about shortly.

2. Writing Exercise

Another great way to calm the mind is by writing. When you sit down and put your thoughts onto paper, it can be a great way to process them and get them out of your head. It can also be helpful to read over what you’ve written later on, as it can give you some insights into how you’re feeling and thinking. Writing can also be a great way to calm and focus the mind before bed, as it can help you to clear your head and relax.

One effective writing exercise is this “brain-dump focus finder”:

You set a timer for 30 minutes. Then you just write down any thoughts that are filling up your mind. Try not to filter what is important, simply write down everything big or small. If you run out of things to write, try reviewing what you’ve already written. This will usually spur new thoughts.

By emptying your mind this way, you are essentially allowing your mind to relax. The reason is, that when the mind feels certain you’ve captured all these thoughts on paper, it no longer has to try to remember them. You can refer back to this list in the future, to see if there’s anything you should act upon. But, often you’ll find that most of the things on the list are not actually that important.

3. Mindfulness Practice

Mindfulness is a practice that can help you to focus on the present moment and be more in tune with your thoughts and feelings. When you’re mindful, you’re not judging or criticizing yourself, you’re simply observing what’s going on without reacting emotionally. It can be helpful to do mindfulness exercises when your mind is racing, as it can help you to calm down and focus on what is happening in the here and now.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. For the purpose of calming your mind we suggest this exercise:

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight.
2. Ideally, close your eyes. Then, take a few deep breaths, in and out through your nose.
3. Allow your thoughts to come and go without judgment or attachment.
4. Consciously focus on relaxing each body part, starting with your feet and moving slowly up to your head.
5. Remind yourself that you are safe and that the thoughts passing through your mind are just that – thoughts.
6. When you notice that your mind has wandered, simply bring your attention back to your breath and relaxing your body.
7. Continue doing this for 5-10 minutes.

This is a form of mindfulness meditation. But, when you get the hang of it, you can also use this as a quick relaxation technique whenever you feel you need it. Simply taking a couple of minutes to focus on relaxing your body one part after the other will calm your mind.

Many people find it somewhat difficult to remember the steps when sitting down to practice mindfulness. In this regard, guided audio programs can be a great help. We really like Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn. In this audio program, you can explore five guided meditations, and learn the seven key factors which are the essence of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Discover how you can improve your life by becoming more mindful of your breathing and paying attention on purpose.

4. Meditation

A very effective way to calm the mind is through meditation. When you meditate, you’re training your ability to allow your thoughts to pass by without following them. This can be a great way to clear your mind and learn to focus on the present. If you’re new to meditation, it might take some time to get used to it. But over time, you will often experience that you’re able to meditate for longer periods of time. Many people report that meditation helps their mind generally feel calmer and at ease.

Like with mindfulness there are many ways to practice meditation, and they can overlap each other. The following mantra meditation is good for calming the mind:

1. Find somewhere you can sit undisturbed for at least 10 minutes.
2. Sit in a comfortable posture but with a straight back. E.g. on a chair, or on the floor using a mat or cushion.
3. Close your eyes, take deep relaxed breaths, and allow your body to become still.
4. Repeat one or more words, i.e. a mantra, out loud or in your mind. Traditionally the mantra “Om” is often used. This is to be pronounced as a drawn-out “aum” and should sound like “aa-uu-eemm”.
5. If you notice thoughts appear in your mind, gently let them pass, and bring your focus back to the sound of the mantra.
6. Aim to stay relaxed and calm while you keep repeating the mantra out loud or in your mind.
7. Ideally, meditate for at least 10 minutes.

Different research has been done to study the effects of meditation. For instance, this study found that mantra meditation is effective at reducing the thought process and provides a calming effect.

Over time, you might find that you’re able to meditate for longer periods of time and achieve a more peaceful state of mind. Also, many find it helpful to meditate using guided meditation. We like the gentle guided step-by-step introduction to meditation, which is Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield. This audio program goes through everything from the ground up, including how to get started and how to deal with distractions. It helps you develop a deep inner sense of calm, and a long-lasting ability to be happy.

5. Mindful Breathing

One of the simplest ways to calm your mind is by focusing on your breath. This could of course also be part of a mindfulness or meditation practice. But a benefit of doing a breathing exercise by itself is that you don’t need to have a place to sit undisturbed while doing the exercise. You can even use this at work or a social gathering by just focusing on your breathing.

Whenever your thoughts start racing, try this: Take deep, relaxed breaths, while noticing the sensation of air passing through your nose and lungs. Continue this until you feel more calm in body and mind.

A study found that slow breathing techniques resulted in increased comfort, relaxation, pleasantness, and vigor. And it reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger, and confusion. So, essentially this simple exercise will help you to calm down and be more aware in the present moment.

6. Nature Engagement

When you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, spending time in nature can be a great way to calm the mind. Being surrounded by trees, plants, and animals can help to soothe and relax the mind. A study found that being engaged in nature daily for two weeks increased the participant’s sense of well-being. It has also been shown that being in nature can boost creativity and help you to come up with new ideas. So if you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, going out into nature can be a great way to get some relief.

We sometimes forget that we as humans used to live very close to nature in earlier times. Essentially, we lived directly connected and dependent on nature every day. This tie to nature seems to have a direct connection to a core part of our being. Though it may lie somewhat dormant for many of us living in modern times and cities. Luckily it doesn’t take a great effort to awaken this connection. Simply getting into nature allows us to feel this calming and positive effect on our well-being.

7. Exercising

Exercise is a great way to release tension and stress, as well as to calm the mind. When you’re working out, your body releases endorphins which can help to make you feel happier and more relaxed. Exercise can also help to focus the mind and keep it from wandering off.

More relaxed types of exercise can also be beneficial. For Instance, Yoga can be a great way to calm the mind. Yoga is a practice that combines physical poses with deep breathing and meditation. When you do yoga, you’re not only getting physical exercise, but you’re also training your mind to focus and be in the present moment.

Additionally, exercise could easily be combined with some of the other tips, like walking and being in nature. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, going for a brisk walk or doing some other form of exercise can be a great way to calm down.

Conclusion – How You Can Calm Your Mind

So these are seven different ways that you can calm your mind. When your mind is racing, it can be difficult to calm down and focus on the present. But by using some of these techniques, you can learn how to bring peace and stillness to your mind. Just don’t try to incorporate all of them at once, that could stress you out more. Instead, you might try out one of them each day for a week, and see which works best for you.

With a little experimentation and practice, you’ll be able to find a way to calm your mind that works for you, and helps you to live a more peaceful and relaxed life.

If you found this article helpful, make sure to bookmark it, so you can refer back whenever you need a reminder on these techniques. And please consider sharing this with friends or family who might benefit from it. Thanks for reading.