Racing Thoughts

We've all been there; you're trying to get to sleep but your mind won't shut up, ping ponging from one thing to the next, never slowing down enough to allow you to relax into sleep. The worst part is that the harder you try to clear your mind the more crowded it gets with the flotsam and jetsam of your day, from the task you should've completed to that one weird interaction at work that you can't stop replaying in your head. So how do you stop these racing thoughts and get some rest? Here's some tactics we've found to be useful:

• Breathe | Sometimes the best way to settle your mind is to focus on the simple stuff. To that end, taking measured, deep breaths is one of the best things you can do to get your thoughts to stop racing. From box breathing (deep breath in, hold for four seconds, slow exhale for another four seconds, repeat until you feel re-centered) to alternate nostril breathing (use your thumb to close your right nostril, breathe in with your left nostril, hold it while you switch sides, release your right nostril and use your index finger to close your left while you exhale through the right, pause and repeat as necessary), breathwork has roots in yoga practice and provides more than just a calming effect. The potential health benefits of breathwork include alkalizing your blood pH, anti-inflammatory effects, mood elevation and an overall calming of your central nervous system as your body receives much-needed oxygen that it tends to be deprived of when you're stressed and your breathing becomes more shallow, provoking a fight or flight response.

• Focus | If a million things are bothering you, a million solutions are unlikely to fall from the sky no matter how much you worry over them. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to simply pick one solvable problem and work through what steps you can actively take to resolve it first thing tomorrow. This is a useful practice that will allow you to reset your mind, and go from feeling helpless to feeling empowered.

• Medication | WE ARE NOT MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING ANY MEDICATION. Sometimes even the tactics mentioned above can't overcome anxiety that's disrupting your sleep. If you've tried the methods we've suggested and still can't get your mind to slow down, it might be time to consider a medical solution. Don't take this as a failure or a loss of control; we all need help sometimes, and there's no shame in seeking it out. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional to determine whether that's the case for you and what specific medications can help you get the rest your body and mind need and deserve.