3 Quick Ways to Settle a Busy Mind

Life is ever-busy. Or is it? The way we choose to fill or not fill our lives can be interpreted as spending our time either busy or free. Busy-ness is reflected in our rushing, checklists, our mental chatter, and other “space-filling” activities. Slowing down and “freeing” ourselves up could look like a conscious choice of connection vs. attachment, engaging in mind-releasing activities, such as meditation.

One way to understand how we relate to the mind in meditation is to distinguish “settling down” from “settling in.” When we’re told to “settle down,” it’s more an instruction to suppress or control our experience of the present moment.

On the other hand, when we “settle in,” we’re not forcing anything - instead, we’re getting comfortable with our mind, just as it is. When we “drop in” on what the mind is doing, we drop our resistance; the mental chatter starts to silence.

In stillness, we get the choice to nourish the thoughts that help us move forward.

1. Recharge your body.

When our bodies are stiff, or strained, the mind is likely to feel the same. Any mindful movement practice can help you feel more physically and mentally at ease.

Mindful movement can help you tap into that space beyond your busy mind where you are already calm and clear. By focusing on the breath while doing some simple movements you can synchronise your mind and body with breath and rhythm.

What happens when you do that, even after just a few minutes, is you begin to pause and start to focus. Try some of my yoga videos on YouTube or go outside for a walk or a bike ride.

2. Dissolve busy thoughts.

Of meditation, Deepak Chopra says it’s not a way to make your mind quiet. it’s about connecting to the quiet that is already there, buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day.

Dissolving busy thoughts is always about taking the time and creating the space to go within. Try one of these simple methods for learning to settle your busy mind (you may sit on a cushion or chair, and choose to have your eyes either open or closed).

Anchoring Technique (1 minute)

For one minute, bring gentle attention to the breath, or any sensory object that affords the mind some measure of attentional stability. If attention wanders away, gently bring it back.

Resting Technique (1 minute)

For the next minute, rest the mind. If you like, you may imagine the mind resting gently in the clouds. Or say to yourself, “There is nowhere I need to be, and nothing I need to do, except resting in this present moment.”

Being Technique (1 minute)

For the next minute, shift from doing to being. Sitting without agenda. Just sit and experience the present moment.

Freestyle Technique (2 minutes)

For the next two minutes, you may practice any one of the three methods above, the one you gravitate towards the most. Don’t worry about making a “wrong” choice—there is no wrong choice, and you can change your mind at any time.

3. Shift out of “doing” mode.

Notice when constant “doing” may send you into a mental spin. Allow yourself to be, rest in the present moment, perhaps lie down, read a book, enjoy a cup of tea. The chores can wait. You are more important right now.