Got worrisome thoughts that just won’t go away? Wondering how to calm your mind and relax a little?

Worrying all the time can be a real struggle. When you find yourself worrying all the time, it can be difficult to relax and just enjoy the moment. As much as you want to feel calm, these intrusive thoughts cause you to overthink and imagine the worst possible scenarios.

Not only does worrying cause you to overthink, it can also really hold you back. It can paralyze you and make you feel too anxious to take action, even if you want to.

I’ve definitely been there before- when my brain just starts makes up all of these stories and reasons I should be nervous. While in some cases, worrying can serve you (like in a case where there is real danger or risk) most of the time, all worrying does is cause you to feel stressed out and awful.

So let’s dig a little deeper – here are some of the ways you can calm your mind if you’ve been worrying about everything.

Acknowledge it and Practice Non-Judgemental Awareness

The first step to healing any part of your life is always to first acknowledge what’s happening. This might surprise you because your first instinct may be to try and shut down the negative thoughts. A lot of people preach about positive thinking, which can be great but it can also be problematic. The problem is that by shutting your worried thoughts down, you’re only suppressing your feelings. Pushing your feelings down doesn’t get rid of them.

So if you want to really stop your negative thoughts for good, stop ignoring them and start by acknowledging them. Simply observe them without judgement. What are the thoughts you’ve been thinking? What are they trying to tell you?Are there situations or people that trigger them the most? How do you feel as you’re thinking worried thoughts?

Simply observe, but don’t beat yourself up about it. Which bring me to my next point!

Be Kind and Compassionate to Yourself

It can be easy to start feeling angry at yourself like, “Why can’t I stop worrying about everything? It’s so annoying and I’m so mad at myself.” Sound familiar? It’s definitely frustrating when you want to calm your mind but can’t.

But it’s so important here to be gentle with yourself. If you’re not, you’re only going to continue to feel badly. It always helps me to remember that I’m doing the best I can. Even when I’m struggling with something, I know I will get through it and be even stronger when I do!

To be more kind and compassionate with yourself, be aware of your self-talk, practice regular self care, and love yourself fully- through all of your mistakes and flaws.

Affirmations

Affirmations are powerful sentences and reminders you can repeat anytime you find yourself worrying. Here are a few examples of ones you might find helpful. Take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t.

• I am safe. I am protected. I am supported.
• I have overcome every obstacle in my life and I will continue to overcome.
• The thoughts in my head can’t control my life.
• Any time something goes wrong, I have the skills to figure it out.
• I am a problem solver.
• I am confident, calm, and composed.

You can repeat affirmations in the morning when you wake up, before bed, or anytime you find worrisome thoughts come up. These sentences can be powerful reminders that help get you into a better mindset.

Mindfulness

Another helpful way to calm your mind when your worried is through mindfulness techniques. Mindfulness is basically the act of being right here, right now, in the present moment. It involves bringing your awareness to your five senses and truly experiencing what’s happening in front of you.

Many of us get caught up in our heads, myself included, and we start to overthink things. Mindfulness is so powerful because it takes you “out of your head” and back into your body. It gives you mind a chance to relax and simply just be.

A few mindfulness techniques you might find helpful are deep breathing, mindful nature walks, listening to music, journaling, exercising, and any other activity where you can be fully present and aware.

If you’re new to mindfulness, start by listening to guided meditations on Youtube. There are a ton of great ones out there that can help you practice calming your mind down.

Dig a Little Deeper

The reason you’ve been worrying might not be clear to you, and it probably lies in your subconscious brain. Do a little self exploration and ask yourself things like:

• Why am I worrying so much?
• Could it be related to pain or anxiety from my past?
• Are my worries based on something that’s happened to me before?
• How realistic are my worried thoughts?
• Is there a lesson my worried thoughts are trying to tell me?

This can be really difficult and uncomfortable work. Having a trained therapist to talk through this process can be really helpful, especially if you’re worrisome thoughts are interfering with your daily life.

*I’m not a licensed mental health therapist. To find a professional, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit Betterhelp to get matched with an online therapist you can skype with or text at any time. This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Build or Strengthen Your Spirituality

Having a spiritual or religious practice can be really helpful in calming your thoughts. Of course, it’s not for everyone and only you know what’s best for you.

To me, spirituality is recognizing that there is a force in the universe that connects us all. Feeling connected and supported by God or the Universe (or whatever it is you believe in) can be really powerful. It can help you let go of worry, trust in the universe, and go with the flow.

If you want more information on how to develop a more spiritual side, I highly recommend the book, The Four Levels of Healing: A Guide to Balancing the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical Aspects of Life. It’s one of my favorite books and can really help you find balance in life if you’re ever feeling a little stuck or out of whack.

In conclusion, when you’re struggling with worrisome thoughts, acknowledge them with non-judgemental awareness, practice kindness and compassion towards yourself, and dig a little deeper by asking yourself the harder questions. You can also try out affirmations, mindfulness techniques, and developing a spiritual practice. I hope this was helpful!