How To Get Out Of Your Head

Worrying, ruminating, overthinking. Some of us are more prone to it than others, but we all do it sometimes and it never really gets us anywhere. It’s hard to take necessary action when you’re stuck inside your head, completely consumed by thoughts. I dare say I’m a bit of an expert in this field: worry is my middle name and I have spent quite a few hours of my life lost in thought. If you feel like it all gets a bit too much, the first thing you should do is try to get out of your head. I have a few tips for you today on how you can do that, and hopefully get a fresh perspective on things that’ll set you off to continue the day with a more level head.

Work Out

Yes, I’m going there. Starting with the one point you were probably expecting already, but can’t be skipped: in my opinion it’s the most effective one. The best way to get out of your head is to get inside your body instead. Nothing like a nice intense work out to shift your focus. So go ahead, put those trainers on and head to the gym, take a run through the park, cycle to the other side of town. Just make sure to get that heart rate up and work up a sweat. It might help to clear some frustration as well. Exercise boosts dopamine levels, so it’s bound to make you feel better afterwards.

Change of Scenery

Another good way to break a cycle of negative thinking is to get a change of scenery. A new place and the journey there will provide your brain with lots of stimuli to distract from what it’s been caught up with. It might help you get new insights or see things from another perspective. Plus, it’s really nice to feel that you’re physically in another place now, after you’ve felt stuck mentally for a while.

Mindfulness or Guided Meditation

I know how hard this can be in the moment, but mindfulness is pretty much made for times like these. Practicing it will remind you that you are not your thoughts, that thoughts are just thoughts and the only thing that matters is how you act on them. Your thoughts aren’t necessarily true and you don’t have to believe them, especially when they’re about things that don’t exist like the future, the past or the potential feelings of others. The only thing that’s real right now is the present moment, so try to get back to it. Notice how your body feels, where you are, the sounds you can hear. Take a bit of time to calm down, get some distance between you and your thoughts, and then separate out the useful ones (that help you or that you can act on) from the useless ones that just make you feel bad. Try to let go of unwanted thoughts by observing them with curiosity, naming them and telling them good bye. It might seem silly at first, but just give it a try.

Talk To Someone

Whatever it is you’re thinking about, saying it out loud can really help lift the weight off your shoulders. A problem shared is a problem halved! Putting your thoughts into words and just spilling it all out not only helps lighten the burden, it can also make you look at the thoughts in a different way. Ever heard someone say “Now that I hear it like that, it does sound kind of silly”? Try it. Even if it doesn’t make the thoughts less unsettling, the other person can offer advice, help or just a shoulder to lean on.

Another take on talking to someone: try having a chat about something unrelated with a person who’s in another mindset. Smalltalk with a cheerful store clerk can put you in a completely different mood straight away and put your feet back on the ground, so to speak.

Photo by Malou von Baumhauer

Write It Down

If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with anyone, try writing them down on paper. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar or your handwriting, just get it all out as it comes to you. Even when you know no one’s ever going to read it, getting everything off your chest can really make you feel better. It can also help you get a more visual representation of what’s on your mind, and again make you see things from a different perspective. Once it’s all out, put the paper away and try one of the techniques above. You can come back to the paper afterwards, re-read what you’ve written down, see how you feel about it now and whether there’s any action you can/should take in regards to what you’ve been worrying about. Alternatively, destroy the paper and let it be a symbol of letting go of the thoughts.

Clean the House

One of my personal favourites: vigorously cleaning the house. It combines manual labour (a type of work out, really) with a change of scenery and a wonderful sense of accomplishment after it’s done. Cleaning my space always makes me feel like I’m cleaning up inside my mind as well, which often feels a lot clearer afterwards. It helps get rid of that sense of overwhelm you experience when you’re stuck inside your head and makes you feel much more organised and “on track”. Also, if you accomplish nothing else that day, at least you’ve done one useful thing you can be satisfied with.

You can’t control your thoughts, but you can control your relationship with them and your reaction to them. Hopefully these tips help you to get out of your head next time you feel stuck inside.