In this day and age, it’s hard to be in control of overthinking and racing thoughts. It can feel like there’s always something to worry about, especially as many of us are still feeling the effects of the pandemic, cost of living and climate crisis.
From meditation to journaling , there are many ways to try and switch your mind off. But you’re not alone if you feel these methods are too difficult or time-consuming. Plus, you might not be able to do them when you need to; say, for example, you’re at work and are overthinking – you can’t whip out your journal and write down your thoughts to help you calm down and stop.
But now people have discovered a new way to slow down their thoughts , and it’s all thanks to TikTok page The Mental Level . One particular video shows a ‘Jedi mind trick’, in which you ‘ask yourself right now what my next thought is going to be and just watch.’
It’s similar to meditation, but basically if a thought pops into your mind, you’re supposed to acknowledge it and then gently let it go. By pre-empting your next thought, it helps to slow down the spiral and allow you some separation from those worries.
You repeat the sequence, so ask yourself again what your next thought will be. ‘Just acknowledge it if something came up,’ the expert explains. ‘Let it go and gently take a deep breath, relax your muscles and once again ask yourself from this really relaxed place what your next thought will be.’
Continue to do this until your mind slows down and eventually, the racing thoughts should stop.
The expert finishes: ‘Notice how your brain is in a rhythm of letting go of the thoughts that arise, that it is now aware of. Notice the clarity and relaxation you can release into now and go about your day being present.’
The clever mind trick to help stop overthinking was a hit with viewers.
‘What. How. My head had never been this quiet. Felt like weight came off of me,’ one wrote.
Another commented: ‘As someone who over thinks and constantly has noise going on up there this was extremely calming.. I was shocked how silent my head was.’
‘I have ADHD,’ one fan said. ‘I cannot believe how quickly this worked. I’m stunned.’
We think this is well worth a try!
