Do your thoughts come like train compartments, one after another? Things occur in the mind related to any segment of life, from your mistakes to your achievements, from gossip to introspection. There is no limit to churning their mind with many significant and insignificant thoughts. These racing thoughts cause disturbances, fatigue, and overwhelming feelings. Your constant overthinking might make you disabled internally, because thoughts race with the force that often feels like no pause, break. What type of thoughts are considered, and how should we manage them? These types of questions are explored. What Are Racing Thoughts?
What Are Racing Thoughts?
Thinking about too many subjects rapidly, which goes out of hand. Sometimes the flow of overthinking makes no sense, no meaningful link in between. They simply crash into our minds and start racing with each other like one after another. Some people compare them to a shuffled playlist, while others compare them to having 10 windows open in your mind at once.
Racing thoughts are the signs of other mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). These can be stirred up by other less severe conditions, for example, mental burden, inadequate sleep, trauma, and overconsumption of coffee.
What Racing Thoughts Feel Like
People might feel like they are stuck in an uncontrollable machine which is bringing thoughts to the forefront. Thinking a lot on many topics at once or back to back, then it can be anything about office, household chores or neighbourhood concerns, guilt, deadlines, or bills. Such overwhelming topics are interfering with your mind without any productive solution. You must have observed some statements related to this chaotic nature of the mind:
- “Concentrating on one thing for a few minutes can be difficult.”
- “I am trying to take a breath of peace, but my mind is not stopping thinking.”
- “I get tired sometimes, still there is no finish line in displaying thoughts in my brain.”
It can harm the efficiency of your daily life tasks, sleep quality, and overall focus. Racing thoughts can intervene in those moments where you are about to get calmness, relaxation, and happiness. But, at one point, you might be left with zero energy to perform normal functions because of an emotional void.
How to stop the forceful racing thoughts?
Apart from its uncontrollability, people do not give up; they use every tactic to reduce its effect on their lives. People try to take charge of those thoughts and reduce their intensity.
1. Grounding Techniques
This technique can make you aware. One of the most effective is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique:
- 5 things that you can see
- Touch 4 things
- 3 things that you can hear clearly from your surroundings
- 2 things that you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
2. Write It Down
Writing in your journal is useful to get rid of thoughts. It can give a fresh mind to restart by even scribbling on paper. Journaling is used to leave behind unimportant things and move ahead with novel thoughts with a calmer attitude. Take it as an exercise for once: Write down all those racing thoughts in the book. Writing down every thought, even if you think they are meaningless. This activity is not for nurturing those thoughts, but to let go of unnecessary thoughts. It can be done in free time in the evening, especially after work hours. So, sleep quality might improve.
3. Breathing Techniques
Getting control over your breathing and mind influences our overall life experiences. People who are practising breathing exercises can regulate the responses regarding “fight or flight” or other parasympathetic responses. Take a deep breath for 4 seconds and count 4 seconds for holding it, then exhale for 4 seconds. This technique is known as square breathing or Sama Vrutti Pranayam. It can be used in repetitive loops to reduce stress, and brings mindfulness into your daily life.
4. Cut down the usage of caffeine and digital devices
Sometimes our brain needs rest. It is not the same energy, for a while, it needs to shut down from all outside world chaos. However, caffeine and mobile screens do not send signals to the body and brain to rest. They can even provoke you to dig deep into the unlimited thoughts. One should limit the consumption of both stimulants to see the positive effect that might be liberating.
5. Get an update on your circadian rhythm and routines
Practice daily mindful activities before going to sleep. Organising a lifestyle must include activities like nurturing your body and mind. Especially at bedtime, you slowly come to the point that you realise yourself only which is other than an employee. So it helps you to calm down your brain by giving hints to take a rest. Turn on your lamps, put aside your mobile phones and do a favourite activity.
6. Therapeutic support
If these continuous thoughts are disturbing your daily life functioning and you feel like you are going crazy, then you must seek support from professionals. Therapists can offer cognitive-behavioural techniques to control how one thinks and help with recognising root causes. Some people also require pharmacological approaches to address this problem (Beck, 2021).
Conclusion
Overthinking, negative thinking, and then racing thoughts are part of a mental mess. Its disturbing nature can spoil your peace of mind. People feel restless and helpless, but under its control, we can lose our power and autonomy over our lives. One can utilise appropriate hacks, mental health services, routines and many more mechanisms at least, slowing the pace and frequency of those thoughts. Embracing peace can be an achievable thing through the right efforts. This is not about learning to keep quiet our inner talk, but it gives us control and clarity. To become a productive individual, one should calm down and train their mind to use every ability and cognition consciously without being lost in thoughts.
FAQs
1. Why do I have racing thoughts in my head?
There are multiple reasons for racing thoughts. Mental disorders can be a cause of this condition, such as Anxiety disorder, Depression, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and Bipolar disorder. But poor stress management, consumption of caffeine might be the reasons. If you are a workaholic, then this might be a reason that stops you from going on and on.
2. How to train your brain to stop worrying?
- Mindfulness
- Cognitive reframing
- Meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Lifestyle changes
- Practice self-love
3. When to Seek Help
Everyone experiences racing thoughts in their busy lives, especially during stressful times. But, if it is affecting their sleep regularity, daily life functioning then they should seek help. It’s important to reach out for professional help. Mental health is as real and treatable as physical health.
References +
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR).
Beck, J. S. (2021). Cognitive behaviour therapy: Basics and beyond (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press.
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