Ways to Quiet the Mind

Eckhart Tolle, in A New Earth, discusses that whether we are aware of it or not there is a constant flow of thoughts streaming through our mind. These thoughts projected out into the world on a speaker would sound insane. A jumble of words that may or may not make sense filling our brain. We may be unaware of these thoughts or not bothered by them. Sometimes they aren’t a problem. Sometimes they are. When my head feels full I use these 5 ways to quiet the mind.

Brain Dump

I take out a pencil and write down every thought that pops into my head. Careful not to overthink it, I just write it down. I do this for about five minutes. Somedays I use this list to help me decide if I need to take action on any of these thoughts. But somedays I take this list, throw it away.

Move My Body

Going for a walk, doing a pushup, doing a couple of downward dogs. Moving my body is an effective way to quiet the mind when it starts to feel stuck in a pattern of negative thinking and needs to be reset.

Hear Them, Accept them and Move on

Often we have negative thoughts and immediately push them to the back of the brain because they are uncomfortable. Self-doubt, self fear, self-criticism, often fall into this category of thoughts we don’t want to hear. I find when I finally hear the thought, accept it for what it is (most likely false) I am finally able to let it go.

The Rocking Chair Test

I give the thought the rocking chair test as a way to quiet the mind. You are old. At the end of your life. You are sitting on a front porch in a rocking chair. What are you going to wish you would have done more of. Will, what I’m worried about actually matter?

Meditation

Meditation is preventative health care for the mind. This is the number one way I quiet the mind.

These are five ways I use to quiet the mind. What are some things you do?