15 Smart Ways To Get Out Of Your Head

Many people spend a lot of time in their heads, going over the same thoughts again and again, analysing everything, and driving themselves crazy. Sometimes it can feel like you are living in your head rather than enjoying your life and the people in it. However, there are a few techniques you can try to help you to get out of your head. Read on for 15 pointers:

Exercise

Exercise is great because it helps you to get out of your head and into your body instead. When you exercise, you also release feel-good hormones that can have a huge impact on your mood, and this alone can help you to get out of your head. Do some exercise you enjoy and make sure you focus on your body as you do it. Even some yoga with a few simple stretches can help you to get out of your head if you focus on it for 15 minutes. Just experiment and see what works for you. 

Get Outside

Get outside and spend some time in the sunshine. We all need sunshine, and yet many people don’t get out much. Staying cooped up indoors is demotivating and unhealthy. Try to go for a walk, or even sit in the garden. When was the last time you spent some quality time outside? When you go out, try to notice flowers, colors, bugs, smells, sounds – anything that will help you to immerse yourself in the experience and really get out of your head.

Do Something You Find Fun

Everybody is different, so something you might find fun isn’t necessarily what somebody else would find fun. You could play baseball games online, or perhaps you could paint, dance, or play tennis. Do whatever it is you know you have a lot of fun doing. Many people have taken to things like roller skating, as these activities are not only healthy, they will help you to get out of your head and focus on things like your movement and form.

Stop Judging Your Thoughts

When you judge your thoughts, you feel worse about them, and you tend to focus on them more. You also tend to take yourself into a downward spiral of negative thinking. When a thought pops into your head, know that you don’t have to entertain it. You can just let it float by like a cloud. You can observe it if you want, you could even ask yourself where you think it came from, but ultimately, your thoughts are not you. They only feel like you when you identify too closely with them.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness can be tough, but it’s a skill that can be learned just like anything else. You can practice mindfulness by deep breathing, meditating, and practicing body scans. Practice mindfulness at work, while eating, and speaking to friends. Just keep bringing yourself back to the present moment

Start Journaling

Journaling can help you to get some of those troublesome thoughts that are in your head, out of your head. Many people find that when they get their thoughts out on paper they can see far more clearly. When you do this regularly, you can also notice regular patterns and you will understand yourself a lot more. What do you seem to worry about the most? What do you find yourself fretting about although it never really happens? Are you focusing more on others than yourself?

Take A Nap

Many people joke about napping to get rid of their problems, but a nap can actually help to improve focus, lessen anxiety, and help you to feel better for the rest of the day. Sleep is a crucial element of our wellbeing, and if you’re not getting enough of it then you’re going to struggle.

Spend Quality Time With Another Person

See if somebody you love can spend some quality time with you. You could go for a walk, to the park, or just have a coffee and catch up. Sometimes, talking to another person is all you need to do to remind yourself that you’re not alone and that your thoughts and fears are normal.

Do Something That Helps You To Get Into The ‘Flow’ State

‘The flow’ state can be difficult to achieve for some – but this is why you need to figure out what you like, so you can do more of it. Some people find themselves in the flow state when they play an instrument. Other people get into it when they write, dance, or paint. The flow state is a state where you’re not really thinking about anything at all, and you just end up losing track of time. Do you have something that helps you to forget everything? The more time we spend in the flow state, the happier we tend to be! 

Don’t Try Too Hard

If you try too hard to get out of your head, your ego is going to want you to stay in it. Trying hard never really got anybody anywhere when they wanted to rid themselves of anxiety and unhelpful thinking. The best thing to do is just to accept that you feel the way you do. Becoming more accepting of your thoughts and feelings will make them so much easier to handle, and you’ll break the vicious cycle of beating yourself up for having them in the first place. If you find yourself feeling desperate, that means you’re trying too hard. Just take a breath and try to find a feeling of relief somehow. What thoughts can make you feel better about your situation as it is now?

Reduce Your Stress Triggers

Stress is often one of the biggest factors in overthinking. If you’re stressed, then you can overthink every little thing. Your stress trigger may be work, family, or something more specific. If you know what they are then you can put plans in place to manage them and help you to feel better in the long run.

Being stressed a little bit, some of the time isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, some studies suggest that feeling this way can help us to get things done. However, if you’re overwhelmed with it then it is going to hinder you in some way. Once you know your triggers, come up with a solution. Can you ask your partner to chip in more? Can you take more time for self-care so you don’t feel so overwhelmed?

Eat Foods That Are Good For You

The foods we eat can have a big impact on how we feel and how we function. If you’re eating nothing but junk food, then you’re probably going to feel lethargic and groggy all the time, which won’t help your mood or your thoughts/anxiety. You don’t need a perfect diet, but you should aim to eat fruit and vegetables and make smart choices where you can. Make a note of how you feel after eating certain foods. For example, if you eat a fast food takeaway, how do you feel for the next few hours? Most people will feel tired, sluggish, and even bloated/sick!

Make sure the food you choose to eat is going to mostly impact your mood in a good way.

Work On New Habits

Working on new habits can help you to become a happier, more organised person. Perhaps you could drink a pint of water as soon as you get up in the mornings, make sure you take your vitamins immediately after, and exercise before getting ready for the day. These habits can be tough to implement, but it only takes a couple of weeks before they come so naturally to you that you don’t want to stop them. They can have such a great impact on how the rest of your day goes, too. Read a book like James Clear’s Automic Habits and you’ll find so many effective ways of building habits that last and sticking to them, as well as getting rid of bad habits. 

Stop Trying To Analyse Everything

You don’t need to know the answer to everything, so do yourself a favor and stop trying to analyse it all. You don’t need to analyse something that doesn’t directly affect you, and even if it does, you may want to think twice about thinking too hard about all of the why’s and the hows. It’s hardly ever beneficial to think in this way, and it could make you feel even worse.

Spend Less Time On Your Phone

Our phones bombard us with information 24/7. When we have access to all of that information and people can just contact us whenever they want, we tend to feel overwhelmed. We also tend to peek into other people’s lives rather than focusing on our own. Try to give yourself a limit, or set times for checking your phone. It’s wise to stay away from it for the first few hours of the day if you really want to get stuff done, too. Remember, your brain often has a daily capacity for information. If you scroll for hours, you won’t be able to process or focus on much else. 

Challenge Your Mind

Trying to force yourself to stop overthinking can be a struggle, especially when you have nothing else to keep your mind occupied. As much as exercising, talking with a friend or watching TV might help to distract you for a short while, you need to find another activity that is actually going to switch the gears of your brain and challenge you. With an online crossword or another type of word game, you can completely forget about everything else that’s going on and focus solely on the task ahead of you. Whether you prefer word-related games or math puzzles, there are so many different ways in which you can challenge your mind and stay occupied.