How to Pull the Mental Emergency Brake on an Overactive Mind
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by James Rick
Slowing the mind down is essential to having a heightened sense of awareness / aliveness. The longer you have let your mind run without the intention of slowing it down – the more likely it is to be running at a speed not conducive to awareness. Practice the art of extreme focus as method for pulling the emergency brake on an overactive mind.
WHEN THE WATER IS ALWAYS MUDDY – YOU CANNOT CONSTRAST IT WITH CLARITY
In the average person’s life, the mind has one opportunity to slow down and recharge and that is through sleep. If a person were to maintain their focus on breath shortly after waking – the residual effects of a quieter mind after sleep would persist. That means sleep is an aid for centeredness – if you can just keep your mind fixed upon your breath and have a very clear intention to maintain centeredness. However if shortly after waking you muddy the water again with thoughts of all the things you must do – a cloudy mind is what you grow used to. When a cloudy mind becomes the norm you cannot contrast it with the peace of a more placid awareness and therefore cannot experience peace directly, but only imagine it will come after some achievement. When this happens peace exists as a mental fantasy or concept instead of a real place you can visit now.
“I’M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON THAT CAN SIT STILL VERY LONG”
All an overactive mind takes is a little effort to slow the mind down. Setup reminders throughout the day to focus on breath for one or two breaths and give yourself an opportunity in the morning or evening to close your eyes and simply breathe, focusing on your breath with no agenda. If your mind has been running at full speed prior to your intention to quiet it – your mind will wander quite often, like a candle flickering in the wind.
“WHAT IF MY MIND WANDERS?”
Even if your mind wanders for a few minutes – it will eventually return to your intention. That’s why it’s very important you clarify your intention to focus.
WHAT IS EXTREME FOCUS?
Then notice what it feels like to half-intend something and then concentrate even more. It can be compared to half committing to pick up a heavy weight versus lifting it with all your might with so much energy that it goes sailing into the air. When you intend to quiet the mind don’t just sit down and go through the motions. Imagine in your mind what it feels like to be intensely here now. Not just sitting down and saying “Okay I’m here now.” But putting all your heart and soul into one breath with such energy that you can only maintain the intensity for a few seconds before you get mentally tired. Then try to maintain this focus for even a few seconds more. The act of this extreme focus is like applying the brakes to an overactive mind. When you’re speeding down the highway you can’t just apply the brakes a little – one good pull on the emergency brake can slow a heavy object with lots of momentum almost immediately. Extreme focus can be a useful tool in the beginning of your meditation.
“HOW WILL I KNOW IF I AM DOING IT RIGHT?”
Here are few signs that will help you know that you’re doing extreme focus right:
1) During intense spurts of concentration you’ll feel the need to ‘relax’ your mind from focusing so hard even after just a few seconds at a time.
2) You might actually feel energy causing chills up and down your body for the few seconds while initiating extreme focus.
3) After you finish even a short meditation you’ll notice the brain has slowed down and your mental space seems much clearer.
DO EXTREME FOCUS NOW
Do a few minutes of extreme focus now (and post your questions or comments here.) Remember – a great place to start is just with your breath. When you breathe in, don’t just focus on breathing in but REALLY focus on breathing in with all your heart and soul. And don’t just focus on breathing out, REALLY focus on breathing out. Maintain this intensity as long as you can – which if you’re just starting should only be for a few seconds. You should notice a major difference in the experience of wanting to focus and REALLY focusing with all your might. It’s the difference between bending down to pick up a weight, and REALLY bending down to pick up a weight with so much energy it flies over your head.
35 Responses to “How to Pull the Mental Emergency Brake on an Overactive Mind”
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April 20th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
This was of great help. My mind is very active and have tried practicing breathing meditation before. This is very similiar to the act of smoking except there are chemicals involved there. I have schizo, but notice all my symptoms seem to go away, at least until I have an overly active mind again. This is a great cure-all for stress, fatigue, and being over anxious. Very well written article! Would like to see more.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Hi Tim,
I’m glad you found this article helpful. The fact that calming the mind would make Schizo symptoms disappear (or subsequently reappear when the mind speeds up again) makes sense. Schizo is a ‘condition’ of your mind – but with focus your awareness rises above your mental condition. You are not your condition. You are not your hardware.
Please keep me updated on your progress as you apply this exercise, I’m very curious if you commit yourself to exercises like this if it could put a permanent hold on Schizo conditions.
Warm Regards,
James
April 20th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
It’s actually not a permanent fix. Schizo is a chemical imbalance in my head. Only I am the one who can really tell what it’s doing at any given moment of time or day. It’s a good quick fix for clearing my head and being able to focus, but if used soley to fix the problem. It would be like chain smoking. I see where you are going with this though. Even though the old adage is too much anything, even a good thing, can be bad. That’s just how it goes.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Keep up the great work on this blog
, Great writing! P.S. I just love your theme, where did you get it.
August 9th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I have been playing an electronic organ for over 30 years and still can’t play one tune without music,I can remember lots of other things so I don’t think it is a matter of poor memory but lack of consentration.
I would like to find out the problem, I thimk is because I have an overactive mind
August 9th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I have been playing an electronic organ for over 30 years and still can’t play one tune without music,I can remember lots of other things so I don’t think it is a matter of poor memory but lack of consentration.
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:49 am
why would i want to slow my mind down? i consider it a gift that i’m able to solve complex problems quickly and incisively
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:55 am
Colin, I think your missing the point on this slightly. There is a big difference between a problem solving mind over activeness and a free roaming detrimental over active mind. If yo dont have issues caused by over tinking why are you on this site?
December 6th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
My mind is overactive to the point of obsessive. I have been trying breathing exercises for a while now. Sometimes it works but most times I don’t feel strong enough. Is it just a matter of mental strength? I abused caffeine for quite a while as well. I haven’t had any in about 7 weeks. But I feel that I altered my mind a bit, maybe sped it up. Any thoughts?
December 6th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Hi Ian,
Without knowing your full history or your current habits its hard to say if your mind has been altered or give you the perfect solution for your overactive mind – but I can give you some general rules to follow that might help your situation:
1) Take inventory of what you’re thinking about. The brain is always trying to serve you in some way- usually out of fear or motivation. If your mind is running on overdrive it might be worried or concerned about something you’re not addressing – you can’t just force it to stop if its something you seriously need to address. So take stock of what’s on your mind and take some steps to resolve it.
2) Write down your worries or concerns and if you can’t do anything about them in that moment – honor your brain by writing it down and then letting it know that you’ll take care of it at an appropriate time. Then tell yourself relax.
3) Lay down on a bed with arms to your side. Commit to staying awake while the rest of your body goes to sleep. Lay there and DO NOT MOVE A MUSCLE. Breathe and count each breath, telling yourself to relax more deeply. Start with each muscle beginning in your toes and working your way up to the head. Each time your mind strays, return to your focus and relax. Feel yourself relaxing more deeply. Eventually your mind will begin to calm down. Even if you fall asleep you will have a better rest. But try to stay conscious while letting the rest of you relax and go to sleep. When you can maintain this state for a while let me know and I can give you some other exercises to do.
December 14th, 2009 at 11:55 am
I am not good at many things, but I will confess that I was born with an unimaginably rare talent for playing music. I know it sounds arrogant, but it’s all I like to credit myself with. I have an overactive mind to the point that it even ruins my playing 99 percent of the time, I can’t get on with people, and my entire life slips through the drains because every time I have the tiniest notion of doing anything, my mind tenses up and sabotages what would be a walk in the park if only I could let go and just do it. This has left me with anxiety and OCD from the age of about 3 and I have learned all these visualisation techniques, relaxation, vedic meditation and hypnosis. But I cannot make and of them work most of the time because my mind won’t let me. how do I tackle this evil, destructive problem if the simple notion of addressing it is all that takes to stop me controlling it effectively??????? I don’t quite know anyone else with my problem. it seems so stupid and vein, but if I could help it and be “normal”, I would. My teachers are qorld class artists and they are baffled by my problem, and don’t grasp why I would be so upset and tense most of the time. In the one or two merciful moments when this problem has temporarily relieved itself, the change is miraculous; because of this I know I’m not just imagining things. I would welcome all comments and advice. Thanks. David
December 14th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Hi David,
It sounds like the logical part of your being is created unwanted interference with your emotional / creative self. You are upset because if the emotional part of you could flow freely and uninterrupted you would be more effective at creating music.
I can almost hear the desperation in your writing. It sounds like you do a great deal of “repressing” this logical part of your being – considering it to be more of an interruption of your gifts than anything else.
What I suggest you do is re-frame how you perceive it. Put on a new “lens” so to speak and look at it in a kinder, more gentler light. Begin by assuming that your logical brain is trying to help you. And the more you try to ignore it, the more it cries out with urgency. So Step 1 is to HONOR your brain by LISTENING to what it’s trying to tell you.
You may do this by sitting quietly with a pad of paper and saying to yourself, okay brain – what are you trying to tell me? How are you trying to serve me? And let the thoughts flow. Don’t set a time limit for this exercise – just listen and write. And for everything you write if it’s not clear – ask your brain – how does this serve me?
You may observe at the end of this exercise that not only will you have some interesting ideas that you may not have been aware of before, but also your brain may have calmed down. Continue to breathe deeply and calmly and promise your brain that you won’t ignore it anymore, that you’ll give it an OUTLET such as this on a regular basis. And honor that promise by doing this listening on a regular basis – ESPECIALLY before an important musical performance.
This might sound silly but if you “make a deal” with your brain that you will give it an outlet and listen to it so long as it doesn’t interrupt your musical performances – this might be all you have to do to solve your problem.
Why does this work? Because usually the thoughts we cannot seem to control stem from repressed thoughts from our past. The recurrent thoughts or dreams (that can sometimes manifest into a disease) are actually trying to wake us up to some truth important to our growth. This is a blessing not a curse. When you give this message an outlet it ceases to dominate your life or control your mind space, letting your gifts realize their full potential.
On a side note, I would like to hear some of your music if you can send me a link I would appreciate it.
December 28th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I there. These past two days have sort of been a living hell in my head. I am a student, and this past semester in particular as been very stressful. A lot of my classes are on line, so I haven’t been getting much social interaction in the past 5 months or so. I quit smoking cigarrettes in october, but had replaced it with a nightly habit of smoking weed, which I’ve tried to kick this past week. I’m trying to better myself by trying to get into a habit of exercise and not letting bad chemicals into my body.
The night before yesterday, I went out drinking with a friend of mind, and when I woke up the next day, I had a slight hangover. Depression began to overwhelm me a bit yesterday, and I thought that maybe it was due to the hangover. My mind started to race around, and I haven’t been able to control the speed of my thoughts. I was up until 6 am, because I couldn’t control the noise in my head. It’s like, I don’t just have one interior monologue, but two or three, along with a song stuck in my head. I feel like the extreme stresses of both school and work last semester, along with the nightly chemical intakes, and the isolation from social situations is really taking its toll. Am I losing it? What is going on with me? It is pretty frightening. My first thoughts were maybe schizophrenia, but I’m not having any hallucinations or anything like that, just an over active mind. Do you have any advice as to what I can do, or if this is something that can be diagnosed? I did some breating exercises last night just to help me go to sleep, but it would be comforting to know that maybe this is just my mind trying to adjust after putting it through a lot these past couple of months…
December 28th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Hi Mark —
It sounds like your primary concern is the speed of your thoughts – with multiple conversations going on. Is this correct?
It’s hard to diagnose what’s going on – but you’ve certainly come up with a good list of potential causes. It sounds like you are looking for a cure of your concerns right now and not so much of an explanation so lets dive in:
I’m going to tell you to do things you already know you need to do:
1) Eliminate (not just reduce) your chemical intake. What can’t help can only hurt.
2) Determine what your stressing yourself out for.. what is the goal of stacking on school and work? Instead of focusing on the school and work focus on the end game. If you’re not sure exactly why you’re doing it – cut back hours or reduce workload totally in one or the other. You didn’t state what kind of work you’re doing – that may also be an issue you’ll want to look at. If you are sure what you’re doing it all for – perhaps you can focus on the end game instead of the workload in between. Remember that overwhelm is simply a thought, not a reality. For example you don’t actually have work stacked on your shoulders – the stress is in your head trying to juggle it all. Remember that “emotions follow thoughts, just as surely as baby ducks follow their mother” – if you can become aware of the root thought that’s causing the emotion you can change the emotion.
You’ll notice the first part of my instruction is to reduce or eliminate the potential causes. That’s because what I’m about to tell you next will help you return to your most natural state – and it’s hard to return to clear water if you keep kicking up mud.
3) Sit down somewhere quietly, close your eyes and tell your over-active analytical mind to LET GO. That’s right – give up control. Just let go and imagine if everything went to hell – what does it matter in the end anyway? Whether the universe is consumed by fire or goes out in a silent whimper who are you? What makes your life so important? Why should you force yourself to carry around this burden that’s not helping anything. Let go and return to your most perfect state – a state of peace, love, energy and resourcefulness. Return to a state of free flow – simply be. Watch – other thoughts will fill the space. Have faith that if you let go and stop generating the thoughts new thoughts will replace them.
4) Monitor how you feel about the new thoughts. You’ll notice that this exercise is interrupting perhaps a very old habit — a thought track that has been running for years. An overactive mind is really just what appears to be an uncontrollable looping process of the same thoughts. It can seem like you are stuck on the wall of a wheel that keeps spinning faster. To slow the wheel down you must purposely return to your center .. watch the wheel spin but don’t get stuck against its wall. That’s what you’re doing when you observe the thoughts and emotions without suffering with them. This is a time for curiosity of what’s going on in your mind without judgment.
5) Begin to introduce new thoughts or ideas that are more empowering, well thought out and add value to your life. When you awake from your meditation you’ll want to continue to introduce new empowering ideas whether they come from your self or in the form of good reading. This serves two purposes – it will continue to interrupt the old patters of looping thought and instead will inject new positive ideas that will become at some point, a sanctuary in the mind that your awareness gets to live in and take with you everywhere you go. In elevating your thoughts you create your heaven or your hell.
Good luck Mark.
March 24th, 2010 at 12:07 am
What an awesome blog! I’m amazed at how much other peoples’ stories sound like mine, and how well James Rick seems to understand this condition.
My overactive mind is a blessing and a curse. When I’m in a positive frame of mind, I really rack up the positive thoughts. When I’m excited about a project I’m working on, I can focus my mind on that project and work out the solution out in my head. I can go over many of the ifs/thens before ever getting to work, which saves me tremendous time in development and often prevents me from having to redo things because my plan is so well-thought.
But when I’m worried about something, I drive myself crazy going through worst-case scenarios and playing the “what if” game. I generally make myself a nervous wreck. And when I get depressed, I tend to get really depressed, though I really don’t get depressed that often. Mostly, I just worry too much.
I’m 33 now, and it may either be my age or the fact that I’ve gone hard most of my adult life up until now and have kind of worn myself out. At any rate, I don’t appreciate my overactive mind as much as I used to. I find that it makes me weary, causes me to lose sleep, and really robs me of just about any kind of peace.
I’ve looked into techniques for controlling my mind and slowing it down, and I’m capable of performing these techniques/excercises for short periods of time. I think I could probably go longer if I really wanted to, but I think deep-down I really don’t want to. It’s become so natural for me to just let my mind run that not doing so feels unnatural. It really feels like my brain is hard-wired to go ninety miles per hour. And I think I get some kind of pleasure out of letting my mind go rampant, almost like a release of endorphines.
I’ve researched bipolar/manic depressive disorder, and OCD. I tend to get very manic when I’m on a mission (i.e, working on a project I’m excited about). I can go on 4 hours of sleep per night for sometimes months at at time. Then I crash, but it’s more like major burnout than serious depression. I feel unable to work or produce… like work and even household chores are absolute torture. I usually end up playing computer games for often times a month or two, and easing my way back into a 4 hour per day work routine, then eventually getting excited about something and going all manic again.
I do find myself sometimes thinking about the same issues, many of which are now years old, somewhat obsessively when I don’t have anything else to focus on (i.e., driving). I almost have an ordered list of issues I obsess about. I don’t think this is OCD for a few reasons:
1. I’m a bit of a slob and require very litle order in my life.
2. I don’t have disturbing thoughts.
3. My obsessing doesn’t interfere with other activities; it is rather something I do when I don’t have anything else to do.
So anyway, I noticed most of the comments are a few months old, but I think it’d be great to hear James Rick’s thoughts on my story, if he has the time.
Once again, great blog!
March 24th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Hi Gregg..
First off thanks for your appreciation of the blog.
Now lets get to work –
1) You mention the positive benefits of having an ACTIVE mind:
“I can focus my mind on that project and work out the solution out in my head. I can go over many of the ifs/thens before ever getting to work, which saves me tremendous time in development and often prevents me from having to redo things because my plan is so well-thought.”
A normal, happy, active mind is not something we want to hit the mental emergency brake on. Thinking is definitely a tool we want to use!
2) Then you mention the side effects of having an OVER-Active mind:
“when I’m worried about something, I drive myself crazy going through worst-case scenarios and playing the “what if” game. I generally make myself a nervous wreck. And when I get depressed, I tend to get really depressed, though I really don’t get depressed that often. Mostly, I just worry too much.”
Its when the thinking drives you that it becomes the definition of OVER-Active. When this happens, the machine begins using you, instead of you using the machine.
3) Then you try to explain the possible reasons for why you have an overactive mind. Your brain wants an explanation for its behavior that it can hang its hat on. Something that it can explain away to itself and others to justify why it is the way that it is. In other words it needs an EXCUSE for its behavior:
“I’m 33 now, and it may either be my age or the fact that I’ve gone hard most of my adult life up until now and have kind of worn myself out.”
You also do this further in your writing: “I’ve researched bipolar/manic depressive disorder, and OCD.” Then you go on to try to diagnose yourself.
I’m not saying that some of these mental “conditions” don’t exist, but I am saying the danger in finding the right excuse or label is that once you (or more specifically your brain) finds this excuse it can become fixed on it like a permanent condition. For example once you determine that “Oh I know why I have an overactive mind, I’m a manic depressive or bi-polar” It’s game over for coming up with a real solution that might otherwise permanently resolve it. The brain can become a victim of its own belief. For obvious reasons, you want to avoid getting locked into a belief about an unhealthy state of mind as being permanent. Which means you should avoid labels that lead to permanent identities about temporary mental conditions. (Example: I’m a manic depressive therefore I _______ .. I’m an OCD therefore I ________ ) – this is the kind of identification with mental states that pharmaceutical companies really cash in on.
4) You observed a routine that triggers your mental conditions:
“I tend to get very manic when I’m on a mission (i.e, working on a project I’m excited about). I can go on 4 hours of sleep per night for sometimes months at at time. Then I crash, but it’s more like major burnout than serious depression. I feel unable to work or produce… like work and even household chores are absolute torture. I usually end up playing computer games for often times a month or two, and easing my way back into a 4 hour per day work routine, then eventually getting excited about something and going all manic again.”
Notice that in observing your routine you’re also using labels like “manic” to describe the behavior – which is okay to explain a behavior but could potentially lead to identification with the behavior “I do this because I’m manic” and is something to be very careful of for reasons stated above.
The good news is that you have a good grasp of the routine that is causing the condition of an OVER-Active mind:
a) Excitement when working on an exciting project
b) Neglecting sleep
c) Crash / burn out
d) Withdrawal into an escape vehicle (video games for a month or two)
e) Obsessing / worrying about thoughts during idle time.
You are aware of a routine that runs itself out in your life over a period of months. This is good because you can step into this routine at any point IF you wanted to and make changes – for example you could get more sleep and probably avoid burn out.
But here’s where it gets interesting – you probably don’t want to. You probably like this routine even though you might complain about it. You like to get so focused on an exciting project you lose sleep. You like getting lost in your thoughts even though sometimes it produces worry and burn out. You might want to control your mind but you do it in a wishful way like you want to fly but you’re not willing to go through the effort of getting a pilot license.
Want proof? You said that when you attempt to control your mind it works for brief periods of time but…
“I think I could probably go longer if I really wanted to, but I think deep-down I really don’t want to. It’s become so natural for me to just let my mind run that not doing so feels unnatural. It really feels like my brain is hard-wired to go ninety miles per hour. And I think I get some kind of pleasure out of letting my mind go rampant, almost like a release of endorphines.”
YOU LIKE AN OVER ACTIVE MIND. And until you get to the point where you actually WANT to control your mind like you want oxygen, its not going to happen. You’ve given free reign to your brain to roam wherever it wants to. For sometimes good result, but also negative consequence that plays itself out in both a creative and destructive routine.
For some people they want to control the mind like they need oxygen, and so because they have the motivation all they need are strategies.
But for you – you have the strategies but you lack the motivation. The only way your mental condition will change is if you see more pain in doing it the way you’re currently doing it and more pleasure in making the change. Once that has clicked – you’ll be able to apply more effort to controlling your mind.
One way to leverage your brain into making the change is to consider the long term consequences if you keep going the way you’ve been going. Imagine the routine you described above playing out over the next 5 or 10 years.. you’re 43 now – do you like what your life looks like? Do you think there’s a better way? Imagine now if you could control your mind at will – let it roam but within a contained area. Any time it wanders off the desirable path, like a horse wandering off the path – you tug on the reigns and bring it back into positive focus. You have the tools and strategies to keep the brain on track and guide it to wherever you want to go – without burn out and without needing to escape. Wouldn’t that be nice?
It’s up to you – if you like the second scenario better than the first, then I suggest the following:
1) Start carrying a notebook with you and write down the worrisome thoughts or concerns that pop up in your head, write them down so your brain can relax knowing they are recorded but then STOP thinking about them.
2) Instead, have some thoughts you actually want to focus on. Have a list of goals, philosophies or questions you’d like to entertain during your idle time – pre-plan these in advance so if you start finding your mind wandering in healthy ways – you can give a tug on the reigns and have a clear track for your brain to run on.
3) It will be hard in the beginning, very hard because your brain has probably carved deep grooves of habits in the mind already. Like water running down a mountain forming a river the size of the grand canyon. Your brain will want to use routes its familiar with – you’ve got to take massive effort to retrain your brain. The only way this is going to happen is if you maintain your vigilance over the mind because you really WANT to. Be committed in your dedication to reshaping your mind and developing a new mental space.
Report back your progress here and we can keep a running dialogue.
To be honest Gregg – it’s going to take a lot of effort to create the change and hopefully I’ve given you some reasons to make that effort – but if deep down you still feel there is a greater pay off in the wandering thoughts – you’ll continue to do it. So be honest with yourself – don’t just say this sounds like a great idea, I’ll give it a shot and slip back into your old mental space. Decide for real if this is a change you are committed to and then give it a REAL go.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Thanks for the great reply James! You really do have a grasp of what a person like me is going through. Just a couple of quick comments…
I agree with you completely about avoiding labels. I don’t believe I’m manic-depressive or OCD, though I recognize that I have some symptoms of each. Even if I believed I was, I wouldn’t resign myself to these conditions and allow them to determine the quality of my life. I ultimately determine the outcome of my life.
At the same time, I have to recognize things about myself, which are probably a result of the way I’m made, and either accept them or make a commitment to change them. As you mentioned, it takes a big commitment to make changes, and as much as a person may like the idea changing, they’re not going to change unless they know the true cost of making a change and are willing to pay that price. And I’m sure you know it’s not a one-time payment; it requires a lifelong effort to avoid reverting back to your natural ways.
I’ve wondered for a long time if there are certain things about myself I should simply accept and be OK with. Not to say I don’t need to make some changes, but to be completely honest, there are things about me that seem so innate and so central to who I am that I may not be able to change them, even if at some point in my life I decide I really want to. And it may be that my lack of desire to make certain changes comes from the deep realization that I realistically can’t.
Being kind of “manic” works for me. I get at least twice as much done as a person working a 40-hour week would. I think most clearly. I’m incredibly focused and efficient. Things come together beautifully for me, and the world just feels right.
The downside is the inevitable crash, which isn’t horrible depression. It’s an intense need to let my mind rest, to not make decisions, and to just “be” for a while.
I’ve tried looking at my business/work like it’s a job, where I need to go each day, put 8 hours in, call it quits, and start again the next day. I know that if I were able to do this I’d avoid this cycle of overdoing it and then burning out. But if I’m not excited about my work, it’s almost painful for me to work. And when I’m excited, it’s almost painful for me not to work. It’s one or the other.
I’ve forced myself to work when I really wasn’t feeling it, and in the majority of cases, I ended up throwing it out when I was in the zone again, because I realized it was crap compared to what I could have done had I been there. And when I’m feeling it, there are few feelings better than just doing it, so why would I want to stop?
This all feels so much like who I am that I’m not sure I can change it. Now on the contrary, I worry now a lot more than I used to. Worrying is not “who I am”. I can remember a time in my life where I had so much more peace than I do now. I had much less to worry about when I was 21 than I do at 33, which could easily be used as an excuse. And by that reasoning, I’ll have much more to worry about another 10 years from now.
It may be that letting my mind run rampant benefits me at some level. It may also be that it’s much easier to let it run than it is to rein it in. I sometimes get the feeling that my mind and my will are two separate entities all together. It’s interesting that we refer to our minds as individual entities separate from ourselves, when our minds essentially create the world we live in, don’t they? Not to start a debate about consciousness… it’s just an interesting thought.
Well, that ended up being more than a couple of quick comments. But I want to tell you that the time I’ve spent at your blog in the last little while has done more to help me than anything I’ve done in a long time.
Thanks very much!
March 24th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Hi Gregg..
Clarity will help you make better decisions.. so if nothing else at least you have more clarity.
The mind is indeed more than one entity:
Brain – constructed of organic matter.
Mind – The thought dimension beyond physical body.
There is another entity:
Awareness – The pure energy of an individual Soul that explores both the mental space and the brain. When you are aware of something you are the Soul observing. A higher state of consciousness is to be aware of awareness. An even higher state of consciousness is to be aware of the source of awareness.
~~
And I hear critics ask the question “how do you know?” And the answer is – either my brain is all there is and has an overactive imagination tricking myself into believing there is something more or there truly is higher dimensions of mind and spirit to be aware of. I like to believe its the latter but I’m also open to the possibility of the former.
April 4th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Currently I’m having a battle with unhelpful thoughts.. the ‘what-ifs’ of boat living can be many, often to do with potential inability to cope physically with the lifestyle.
It seemed useful to share whats happening.. my career of 40 years was in electronics circuit design, thats mostly making real hardware, chips, circuitry etc. So I’m used to using my mind as a project tool to create material solutions to problems, ‘realise’ them in the real world, from inner concepts. And I’m used to speed and accuracy, because the quicker one does the job, the better it it in a workplace sense. And that nade me feel good.
So.. now I’m here on the boat, I can’t just run the computer ot T.V all day, don’t have a garden to tend… my being is coming up with worries on the what-ifs, to do with ordinary life. For instance, this boat is 14 years old, and never sank yet. But I got really worried about that possibility, as if it might sink at any second!
what I discovered is, my mind is generating scenario’s to worry about without ‘my permission’, and I respond to those thoughts almost with aches and pains.. thats my tendency, i’m used to that.. and I get the normal anxieties one could expect.
BUT if i take one of the thoughts that just appeared, rework it, and actively try to think the opposite view, my mind actually accepts this and settles down. Its like magic! However, it may come back with the same worry later on, has it got a poor memory?.
I have been to unusual places in my inner self over the years.. but what on earth is going on here?
In my electronics career, I trained my mind as a helper creatively.. but now its ‘not employed’ (i’m retired mostly) my mind seems to have taken up residence as my bank manager, typically telling me about the negatives.
And typically on some days it’ll spring into action for the first hour or so of the day, thus making life a drag, but on some other days, i wake up without a trace of anxiety.
I could set up new ‘creativities’ to keep occupied, but i think its important to find out why this stuff is going on, and master the situation gently, rather than trying to return back to my career mode habits.
Are these sorts of things typical when peoople change lifestyle, for example, retiring from a career? And how does one deal with it?
April 4th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Hi Paul,
Thanks for elaborating on your situation – lets get to work..
Firstly its important to be aware of the context you’ve already created for your thinking: “The ‘what-ifs’ of boat living can be many, often to do with potential inability to cope physically with the lifestyle.” Your assumption here is that boat living has many challenges and therefore an abundance of “what if” thinking is the result. Throughout your post I find you seeking an explanation for your “what-if” thinking and you’ve settled on two reasons:
1) Living on a boat
2) Retiring
My purpose is pointing this out is to make you aware of an assumption that may or may not be the cause of your overactive mind. Hopefully I can shed some more clarity on this – but ultimately what you are seeking is an EXPLANATION for an overactive mind. You brain is basically saying: – “If I get an EXPLANATION for why my thinking is the way that it is.. I can solve this problem on my own.” This strategy of getting an explanation for things has worked for you in the past and it may just be another symptom of an overactive mind
. Awareness of this is crucial – your brain is trying to get more information to “fix” itself. It’s thinking about ways to upgrade it’s current thinking. Perpetuating the problem.
While this strategy CAN work.. it can be a very long process.
What I suggest instead is you STOP for a moment. Stop thinking my man. Stop seeking an explanation. Relax. Let your mind relax. Know that the “what-if” scenarios are useful so that you address every potential worst case scenario. In survival scenarios “what-if” thinking must be honored. You can honor your brain’s concerns by writing down:
A) All the worst case scenarios you can possibly think of.
B) A contingency plan for each and every one.
And in the end if your boat sinks and you’ve done all you can do – there’s no use worrying about it right? This is the point you need to get to so you can relax – cover all the bases so that the only what-if scenario left is: “What If I sink and DIE?!” To which you can reply – I’ve done all I can do and its out of my hands. When circumstances are out of your hand its easier to relax. You must be convinced that you’ve done all you can do to prepare for the worst and that anything beyond that is out of your hands – then you can let yourself relax.
It’s funny but its that simple – you’ve got to give yourself permission to relax. To stop thinking. To try some of the strategies that have been covered in this post to relax and reach deeper levels of “non-thinking”. When you get to this place you will find a much needed rest from your relentless thinking and hellish scenarios to which you are emotionally reacting to. You will not arrive there through explanations for why you do certain things.
You will only arrive there through preparing for the worst, giving yourself permission to relax and then going through the steps to relax into a state of non-thinking where no explanation is required. After you have gone this far for a few days (lets say one week where you consistently give yourself one hour a day of non-thinking) report back here and let me know what you discover.
Good luck.
Warm Regards,
James Rick
April 5th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Thanks James.. will do..
I better resist digging out that explanatory zen book though ..
April 8th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
hey im 25 years old and i work in two fields “music” and “decoration”.
i really dunno how to explain my symptoms, i feel that my mind is like a ferrari engine “literally” .im always bothered that i cant organize myself due to all the things i start and never finish , its like i have ADHD and an overactive mind at the same time .
recently i quit paxil which ive been taking for 3 years now and im starting to feel very anxious during the day .
can anyone help plz.
i would travel anywhere just to solve my problem
April 9th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Hi Moe..
The drugs may have had some side effects that chemically altered the brain – but I’m willing to bet (especially because you’ve been off of them long enough) that you can solve this through natural means. However its important to know – why did you get on the drugs in the first place? Did the doctors specifically state there is a chemical imbalance of some kind?
Have you ever tried to meditate? Have you tried any of the exercises I’ve suggested? I know you’re willing to travel anywhere – I’m encouraging you to travel inside your own mind through focusing your breath and relaxing your body. I know this might seem impossible but the act of forcing and reinforcing your intention actually strengthens it. So instead of getting frustrated just remind yourself “every time I remember to focus.. I’m actually strengthening it” and go back to focusing on the breathing exercise I outlined here.
Let me know how it goes for you Moe.
James Rick
April 14th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Hi James. I just thought I’d check back, regarding our discussion above.
Your “extreme focus” technique has been coming in pretty handy lately for me. It does really help me to slow my mind down and relax. I’ve been doing this when I go to bed, and I find that I can usually fall asleep in 5 to 10 minutes, which is really nice.
I have to tell you, what really stands out about this technique versus other relaxation techniques is your explanation of the science behind it. I mean, you can find all kinds of relaxation techniques by simply googling. Your technique has worked well for me because it makes sense, and I understand the logic.
I haven’t had the discipline to try it during the day. It just feels like I get so caught up in things… it’s really hard to make myself willing to do that. If I really wanted to do it I suppose I’d just do it. It seems like for some reason I don’t want to during the day.
I’ve been pretty stressed out lately. I make my living in internet marketing, and after seeing a few of the best months I’ve ever had things have dropped off pretty sharply, and are continuing to decline.
What I hate about internet marketing is being at the mercy of so many factors beyond my control. There’s google first of all, who has shown me favor up to now, but recently there were some big changes in algorithms that affected the amount of traffic I’m getting. I’m in affiliate marketing, so then there’s the companies whose affiliate programs I’m enrolled in, who are always changing things, and there’s always the threat of being booted from their affiliate programs, as made apparent by posts at forums by people who have gotten booted.
There are actually any number of things that could cause the wheels to come off completely for me. I hate the fact that I don’t have control over them. My girlfriend says I’m a control freak, and I may well be.
So anyway, I try to ease my anxiety by telling myself it would be no different if I were working for someone else, where I could lose my job. And for that matter, a giant meteor could hit the earth, and there’s not much I could do about that.
But at least if a giant meteor hit the earth my tax problems would be over. Tomorrow is April 15th and I’ve been seriously freaking out about doing my taxes. I’m going to have to pay this year, and then I have to turn around and pay payroll liabilites by the end of the month.
I’m not taking home much money because of how much I’m paying towards IRS debt, including some big fat penalties because I forgot to file a few forms.
It feels like a company store to me, where the more I make the less I get to keep. What makes it the worst is knowing that I have no one but me to blame. I can’t even blame the IRS… they gave me lots of time to get my forms in, and I didn’t. But because of how much I’m having to pay them now (and some other debts) I just can’t get ahead.
Anyway, I didn’t mean to dump all of that on you, and I’m definitely not asking for financial advise. I know I’m not the only person with financial problems. But I’d dare to tell you that there are few people who can blame their financial problems on their own stupidity more than I can. It makes me really angry at myself and the world for being a place where people with good intentions can get themselves into so much trouble. I’m a nice guy… I don’t always get my forms in on time, and I don’t always keep a real close balance on my checking account. Shouldn’t my being a nice guy compensate for me being kind of a space cadet? Nope, it shouldn’t, not here in the real world, which last time I heard is under no threat from meteors.
I imagine I’d be a gold mine for a psychologist. And I’m not asking you to be a psychologist. In fact, I just had a profound thought and wondered why I’m typing all of this here? I originally just planned on commenting on the relaxation technique. But writing is therapeutic for me, so I hope you don’t mind the few extra kilobytes in disk space I’m taking by saying more than I really need to.
Sometimes I fantasize about becoming a Buddhist monk. Which reminds me, I was wondering if some of your beliefs regarding awareness are founded in Taoism?
Well, I better get back to work.
I think it’s great you’re doing this! It really has been beneficial to me.
October 7th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Interesting…
October 8th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Hey Rick,
This is Tim again with the schizo, it’s apparently been goin away slowly over time with proper social environments, proper diet, proper living, and better company. I swear my mother is bi-polar and is always PMS’ing all the time when I ask for something, like for instance, my high school reunion is this weekend and I can’t attend because I can’t find work and I don’t have enough money. Living is very frugal for me being on welfare. I manage to attend church and am currently on 2 medications that I take 2x a day, they seem to calm my mind and thoughts, it seems I’ve have and still have to distinguish trust and what people can spare of their time for me and what it can mean or do for my life. Over the past few months, I’ve had a pastor pray for me, and he believes prayer works, although I’m more of a closet Zen Buddhist, with no master and no place to study, just moved the other day, I believe yesterday and am settled in to a blessing of a place with company that doesn’t know anything about my mental record. I like to keep it that way, there’s no judgement, because as soon as you tell somebody who has no insight such as you Rick, they automatically distance or seperate themselves from you. I’m a normal, great looking kid, just trying to make my way in the world. Just without close friends, and no real ability to make any as I don’t go to school yet, or work, because I can’t find anyone to hire me in this town I am trapped in because I don’t have a car and can’t afford the bills without a job. Money is my savior, I just don’t have enough of it to live a normal, fulfilled life.
Lots of reading, keeping a positive attitude, trying to stay healthy with exercise and nutrition. It’s starts to get old.
I need money, I’m willing to work hard for it. I just can’t seem to find anything legitimate to do.
November 22nd, 2010 at 1:54 am
I found this very helpful. My mind is extremely over active. I would also like to recommend Metta Meditation to anyone suffering from depression; espeically those experiencing self-loathing and hostility towards others as a result of that depression. This is where you focus on the feeling of ‘loving-kindness’ whilst paying attention to your breathing. It simply helps to improve those feelings of oneness and being content. Theres some great videos on youtube or you can even google the steps.
And that Tim guy, if you read this… I feel for you man, i really do. I feel your frustration and your point about money is exactly how I feel. Money doesn’t buy happiness but it certainly helps to move forward. Might sound abit fancy pants, but u could try some teas..? Some calming type ones. I.e ginger and ginseng, Ayurvedic balancing teas. These always work well for me along with meditation and a decent diet, and I just find it helps to make time to just sit, drink and chill out for a while.
:)
November 22nd, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Yeah, I just recently picked up some teas, the English invigorating kind, reminds me of all the British books I’ve read in my past, it’s exactly how it sounds and I’m not a big coffee drinker, it’s great for me!! Also Starbucks is a great place to go and chill and relaxing, get the card, and get the free refills for as long as you stay. It’s the best!!
BTW, I’ve just gotten a job with a high payout rate, and another more stable one in the works for tomorrow.
January 9th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Hi there.
I know this is replying to an older post, but I commend you for the steps and ideas to calm my mind.
I actually having been going through the same motions and mindset of Gregg – around the same age, same concerns, similar job.. it’s tough to calm your brain down when technology is pushing with its persistent, non-stop barrage.
Although I’m not married or having a kid on the way, one of the worries recently was about the fear of raising a child in today’s world. Perhaps it’s too much information from the wrong perspective – usually we hear more about the negatives and negative-reinforcement techniques than positive ones, eh?
I just hope some of these techniques help stop this chaotic, ongoing process. We had a tragedy in the family three months ago, so I’m assuming this might be part of the whole ‘questioning life’ worries mixed with the mourning process.
Again, glad I saw this blog. Cheers.
January 13th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Hi. I’m a student in grade 10, and i do school online right now because i’m moving in a few months, and my parents didn’t want me to lose credits, yada yada.
In the past few months, I’ve been having trouble with an overactive mind. I try to do math and end up reading the same word problem over and over and over again. I feel like there’s just so much stuff going on in my head that my brain just overheats and freezes and I can’t operate at all.
I’m thinking maybe i’m just super-stressed out from lack of social interaction (because i’m doing school online), lack of self-confidence, and the stresses of moving and leaving my whole life behind.
But I don’t know how to fix this, or somehow get the stress outta my system. I tried your breathing exercise, but after a couple deep breaths I felt like I was going to cry; like i was literally coming undone. So I stopped them for a minute, got myself back together, and my mind started racing again, thinking about a million things at once.
I just don’t know what to do. I really don’t.
January 18th, 2011 at 1:52 am
Hi Mimi,
Sorry for the delay in response. Notice what you said here – it’s not that you can’t follow through on the breathing exercise, it’s that you won’t. You are afraid of “coming undone”. What does that mean? You obviously have some issues that you have never confronted before and when you are doing the breathing exercise your awareness has time to slow down and finally “come undone” which might actually be the very thing you need to do!
Move past your fear of confronting your emotions head on. The mind is simply stirring up lots of mud as a form of protection from seeing clearly the thing that you are avoiding. Go forward – breath slowly and let yourself cry.. and cry.. and cry. But stick with it.. maintain focus on your breathing and do this for however long you need to. When you feel like things have finally started to slow down.. write down all of the thoughts that still keep popping in your head. Kind of like playing that “smash the mole” game – wait for the next thought to pop up and then write down. Then clear your head through breathing and wait until another one pops up and write it down.
Please share the result of this exercise after you have done it.
With positive energy,
James Rick
January 19th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Hi, I’ve been struggling A LOT with myself the last few weeks. After my first panic attacks, my mind started to play with me (I think it’s been doing that some time without me really bothering). I realised before the attacks, I’ve never really took the chance to give my mind some rest and was really stressed out. When I wake up I usually think about all the stuff I have to do. Then random stuff pops up my head, fear of illness or of going mad or some random song keeps playing in my head. When I woke up today I was sick of it and seemed to have no desire to carry on anymore, which was kind of depressing and scary. It was 8:00 in the morning and already going nuts! Hate to admit it, but I was crying and eventually took it all out on the door. Why can’t I just think and feel normal for a second?! I asked myself. Fortunately my mom got to me and told me to get a grip and to order my thoughts. Been thinking straight on my way to school and decided to stop thinking about death or suicide, didn’t want to be a victim anymore and wanted to give it all I got. Came home, chilled and tried to think of nothing. Nothing at all. Just me and inner peace. Came across this site too, the breathing helps, also like the full potential thing you have going on. I want to change and live a better life.
It’s just that the stuff that worries me the most is will I ever feel “normal” again? What if I lose control and go insane? Am I sane? Will I ever live a happy, decent life without my own mind turning against me?
It’s strange, but against my will thoughts like these come to torment me somehow.
Greetings, Richard
January 20th, 2011 at 1:33 am
Richard, I know EXACTLY how you feel. And i think alot of people here do too
There is light at the end of the tunnel and although it does feel like you’ll never think straight again, you will.
I’m beginning to feel so much more grounded lately, but i think different things help different people.
A phrase i remembered from a book i was reading is “happiness comes from simplicity”. Easier said then done, but once you realise that stress is just a state of mind and that by keeping your thoughts just simple, its alot easier to relax and go with the flow.
Hope that helps. i’m not an expert but its the little things that turn things around i find
And your not insane. That fear of becoming insane simply stems from anxiety, thats all
Take care
March 30th, 2011 at 11:29 am
Great blog.. i wish i read this years ago…
There’s nothing wrong with my life. i feel like i have an over active brain. Been diagnoised with depression about 5 years ago and I sometimes wish I havent been because the realisation and the stigma of it has brought my life down to a low and I am forever racking my brains to the best quality way of life.. But i believe I DONT have depression…
What I want to know is if you have heard of people getting headaches with an overactive brain because this is the core problem that i have. The headaches are never in one place- temple, side, back near the neck. I get headaches everyday and i am forever trying to battle them- Once i get them, my only solution is to sleep/power nap- reboot my brain. This is the only solution to my problem at this moment.
Doctors keep leading to anti-depressants/seratonin boosters to cure my problems but it has never been the solution… I have tried hypnosis, chircopractors, accupunture, fish oil, asprins, quit smoking/drinking, catscans etc. These headaches have been around for 3 years (to my memory) and i strongly believe once the headaches are gone, I will be able to have more control in life- with motivation, concentration etc.
I finally have decided to do research (why did i not do this earlier) and only decided to search over active brains tonight. I have applied most of the methods above and they do help from time to time. But maybe you may be able to give more light about the knowledge you have about the relationship between the over active brain and headaches.
I work in an creative industry, working on alot of projects at a time (which keeps my mind healthy and active) and I believe the solution to this problem will unleash my full potential.
March 30th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Hi Johnny
First of all you’re right – the diagnosis of depression is BS. Depression is a TEMPORARY STATE. That’s like me diagnosing Las Vegas with rain. No, sometimes it rains and sometimes the sun shines. Nobody has any credentials to diagnose a temporary state, and the worst thing you can do is IDENTIFY with a temporary negative state. In other words when a person says “I am a depressed person” they have identified with a temporary state – making it a permanent fixture in their life. We are free to redefine ourselves in any given moment – as long as we allow ourselves to live in the present instead of the past. Forget your past diagnosis Johnny, it’s not who you really are.
As for your head aches.. I suggest you go through a checklist I have created called “The Top 10 Ways to Instantly Boost Your Mood” .. it will definitely help with your depression and I’m quite confident it will take care of your head aches as well. You can find it on FullPotential.com in about 4 – 5 days from now.. it will be at the very top of the page. I also suggest subscribing to the Full Potential Show that I host every week on the same site. Please check back on FullPotential.com on April 5th, 2011 and find that report. Try out the checklist I recommend for about 7 – 14 days and report back your findings here. If it still persists we can take the next step in resolving it, but I’m confident if you follow through, you’ll be feeling much better.
With positive energy,
James Rick