How do you "turn off" your mind?

dseag2

dseag2

Dallas, TX
Location
Dallas, TX
My mind is constantly racing, either with thoughts or songs. I had a massage today and just wanted to tune out and enjoy it but my mind was either thinking about what was being done to my body or about the chores that I had to do. I tried focusing on breathing but it didn't work. Has anyone been successful in doing this?
 

I breath in/out when I get a tad anxious during medical procedures. Thursday, I had a simple bone density scan and I started to panic because I needed a pillow. And then the scan (machine) was right above me. I started breathing in / out and it helped. I closed my eyes as well. The tech was wonderful too. I did tell her I was not taking off my warm pants/sweatshirt as I was freezing in that place. Anything with metal came off.

My problem is that I am tired of so many medical procedures. Also, I try not thinking about stressful stuff to avoid getting anxious.
 

MMinSoCal said:
@dseag2 Ha! You, too? When you find out the how-to, please share. I've been told that it's my Type A personality to blame. We can't sit still, always gotta be on the go, mind always thinking a mile a minute. Help?
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Yes, I am one of the "shaking legs" people. We can be sitting at a stoplight in the car listening to music and my partner looks at me with the stink eye and says "you are shaking the car". :ROFLMAO:
 
dseag2 said:
Yes, I am one of the "shaking legs" people. We can be sitting at a stoplight in the car listening to music and my partner looks at me with the stink eye and says "you are shaking the car". :ROFLMAO:
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Oh I do that too. I've read somewhere that it's our way of getting rid of excess energy. There's a Korean superstition that states "Leg shaking drives away good fortune".
 
Jan14 said:
That’s when my brain goes full throttle and anxiety sets in ugh.
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Well. I DID discover an avenue that seems to work

And wrote about it;



Toast

Ever notice how long it takes to make toast?
About the same amount of time it takes water to boil.
It can seem a mini eon

'Cause, if that's the only thing you are waiting for, the time shuffles by rather slowly, don't it.

Heh, and if you are in a hurry and you force the lever up, well, that ain't toast.


Making toast

If you are;
stuck (on a project, or problem)
pissed
missing someone or something

make toast

If you are;
down hearted
in a hurry (to screw things up)

make toast

If you are;
absent minded
in a general dither


make toast



Thing is, there's a magical element of elapsed time, not even sure how long that is,
but it's a span very necessary to settle the mind.
This time cannot be used in other busy forms
Most of us are not given to staring blankly into space.
However, for some inexplicable reason, if we fixate on making toast,
we easily fall into Zen like states of mind.

And if you are intent on the toast,
it's impossible to remain in that squirrel cage you were going nowhere in

and,

you end up with

toast.

....this can also work to remedy hunger
 
I have nights when my mind is determined to whirl me around with regrets, should-haves, shouldn't-haves, misdeeds both by me and against me and, in general, the detritus of 74+ plus years on this mortal coil.

I used to take a lowest-dose Valium a half hour before bed and that would send me off for a good night's sleep but that was only throwing a blanket over the problem.

I don't have as many "crazy nights" as I used to, thank goodness, but I do have a lot of nightmares/Cecil B. Deville cast-of-thousands epic dreams.
 
dseag2 said:
My mind is constantly racing, either with thoughts or songs. I had a massage today and just wanted to tune out and enjoy it but my mind was either thinking about what was being done to my body or about the chores that I had to do. I tried focusing on breathing but it didn't work. Has anyone been successful in doing this?
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I'm(everyone) is plagued with frequent Monkey Mind. There is no cure, either in practice or medication, except for maybe Thorazine. You can manage it with mindfulness and manipulating your hormones, neurotransmitters and endorphins with physical exercise such as aerobics & cardio, or Yoga and Taichi.
My former business partner conducted a Nidra Yoga session once a week, she would guide us though focusing not only on breathing, but a kind of mental tour of inside our body and it's image. Very relaxing, like a light sleep state.
 
Nathan said:
I'm(everyone) is plagued with frequent Monkey Mind. There is no cure, either in practice or medication, except for maybe Thorazine. You can manage it with mindfulness and manipulating your hormones, neurotransmitters and endorphins with physical exercise such as aerobics & cardio, or Yoga and Taichi.
My former business partner conducted a Nidra Yoga session once a week, she would guide us though focusing not only on breathing, but a kind of mental tour of inside our body and it's image. Very relaxing, like a light sleep state.
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That’s interesting, it is about getting out of you head and into your body. I had a therapist that would help me with it. Amazing how it relieves tension and pain also. I would love to try that.
 
My biggest problem with turning off my mind is when I'm trying to sleep at night. The best thing I have found is my sound machine that plays different sounds and the sound I like the best is ocean waves and when I listen to that I tend to fall asleep.
 
palides2021 said:
A racing mind reminds me of too much caffeine, like coffee, cola, or chocolate. I would check the physiological reason first before going into psychological. I noticed that caffeine affects me that way. But every person is different. Good luck, dseag2!
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Thank you. I only have one dose of coffee in the morning, with Collagen Peptides included. I am just always nervous and extremely aware.
 
Ruthanne said:
My biggest problem with turning off my mind is when I'm trying to sleep at night. The best thing I have found is my sound machine that plays different sounds and the sound I like the best is ocean waves and when I listen to that I tend to fall asleep.
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I listened to those sometimes on my Calm app. too.
 
Ruthanne said:
My biggest problem with turning off my mind is when I'm trying to sleep at night. The best thing I have found is my sound machine that plays different sounds and the sound I like the best is ocean waves and when I listen to that I tend to fall asleep.
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I can't sleep without white noise. I always have a fan on when I sleep. Makes it really difficult when I travel but that's when I add Xanax to the mix. ;)
 
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