Exercise To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts

Try this exercise the next time you feel like your mind just won’t shut off.

There’s an activity I invite my clients to do, sometimes even during session, where the common reaction to it tends to sound something like, “Well I’m already feeling like I can think better.”

If you’ve been struggling with feelings of stress, overwhelm, and anxiety, chances are you’re feeling tired. Tired of feeling like your mind weighs 100 tons; like there’s tension living right behind your face, and maybe even through your chest, arms, and legs. If you’re reading this and thinking, “oh my gosh, yes that’s me,” here’s what I’m inviting you to do…

Grab a pen and a sheet of paper (real paper, not your phone) and make a list of all the things that are on your mind, including but not limited to the thoughts, feelings, problems waiting to be solved, etc. That’s right…you’re making a good ol’ classic brain dump.

You might be thinking that this sounds overly simple. But, honestly it IS that simple. Chances are that as you create this major brain dump, you may notice the tension in your body lessen. Rather than walking around with a heavy mind trying to hold all of those things inside (leading to you feeling irritable, anxious, and forgetful), you’re creating space for those areas to be acknowledged. Now that you’ve put them on paper, you can get to work on taking baby steps toward organizing and problem-solving.

Bonus tip: If you struggle with falling asleep at night because you feel like your mind “just won’t stop,” try completing this exercise as a part of your night routine, and notice if it’s a little easier for your mind to enter into rest.

If this exercise was helpful for you, share this post with a friend who could use it to calm their own anxious thoughts!