21 Easy Tips: How to Turn Your Brain Off and Relax More Today
How do I turn my mind off and relax?
How many of us have had one of those nights when we just lie there, looking at the ceiling with thoughts ruminating around our heads and unable to turn them off?
Nearly all of us will have experienced this at some time or another but for many people, this is a common problem that causes them to have night after night of broken sleep.
When you can’t turn your brain off
Poor quality and lack of sleep can lead to numerous health issues, from poor concentration to cardiovascular problems, depression and weight gain. Not being able to switch off your brain and get a good night’s sleep can rank high on concerns for many people.
Whether it’s that your mind is racing with so many thoughts that you have trouble dropping off, or that your overactive mind wakes you from sleep and you can’t drop off again, not being able to turn off your brain is an issue that needs attention before it creates greater problems in your life.
In the UK,
36% of adults struggle to get to sleep on a weekly basis.
Almost 1 in 5 have trouble falling asleep every single night
Nearly half of the UK has trouble falling asleep at least once a month.
*source formulate health blog.These numbers demonstrate the size of the problem that sleep is in the UK and all of these sleepless nights have a detrimental effect on individuals and society as a whole.
Ways to quieten your mind
There’s no doubt that an overactive mind can be a major disruption to a good night’s sleep. Knowing how to avoid it or fix it when it happens is crucial if it is something that you suffer from. There are many reasons why the brain finds it hard to switch off.
During your waking hours, your brain is gathering masses of information, whether related to work, household issues or just general day-to-day concerns, all of the information is being sent to your brain to process.
When you finally get into bed and have some quiet time, this is often when the brain starts to process the information.
Whether it is worries and concerns that you are thinking about or the next day’s to-do list, these ruminating thoughts can keep you awake when you need to be sleeping or can mean that you can’t get back to sleep after you wake.
What to do if you can’t fall asleep
1. Leave the devices outside your bedroom
The damage that mobile devices do to sleep patterns is well-known to people who deal with sleep problems.
Devices such as mobile phones, notebooks and laptops emit a blue light which can upset your circadian rhythm.
Melatonin production is put into disarray by the use of these devices meaning sleep is harder to achieve.
If you are catching up on work emails, you will be thinking about work stress as you try to sleep and even if you are flicking through social media, you can fall into the trap of becoming engaged in the content that is going to overstimulate your mind.
To break the habit of using devices while in bed, try to switch them off a couple of hours before you go to bed. Read a book or listen to some relaxing music instead.
2. Create a good bedtime routine
Make your bedtime routine a priority if you have problems dropping off to sleep. Try a warm bath with relaxing oils. Incorporate a meditation routine to aid sleep, this will help you to still the mind before going to bed.
If you find that you have worries or concerns that are running through your mind, then start writing them down before you get into bed so that you have removed them from your mind. Avoid alcohol and spicy food before bedtime as they act as stimulants to the system, try warm milky drinks instead.
3. Make your bedroom a haven for sleep and relaxation
It is important that your environment is relaxing and soothing to aid sleep. The correct environment should put you in the right frame of mind for sleep.
Make sure that the room temperature is right for you, your bedding is comfortable and you have removed all stimulants that could disrupt your sleep
4. Take time out to address your worries
If you are someone who lays their head down and finds a rush of worries coming flooding to the fore then taking some time to address these worries is a good routine to get into. Keep a journal and jot down concerns and worries that you may have.
Taking time to address your worries and concerns can put a new perspective on matters and can help you to see matters from a new perspective or come up with solutions to your issues.
5. Schedule a period to wind down and journal
Practise writing in a journal a couple of hours before your bedtime as a way of removing negative thoughts and ideas from your mind.
This soothing routine is a fantastic way to appreciate the positives that you have in your life as well.
Writing a gratitude list after you have written down any worries can help to put thoughts into perspective and can help you to appreciate everything that you have in life.
6. Have a warm bath to relax
When you are finding it difficult to relax and unwind and quieten your mind, a warm bath can do wonders to relax you.
Putting in some relaxing essential oils, lighting some candles and sitting soaking for twenty minutes is a wonderful way to wind down and switch off your mind.
Try some mindfulness techniques such as experiencing the fragrances, feeling the temperature of the water and observing how your mind and body are feeling.
This will help your mind to switch off and for your body to relax.
7. Perform some quiet Meditation
If you are finding that an overactive mind is keeping you awake or causing stress then try a simple meditation practice. This is something that you don’t need to be an expert in, a simple routine can help to quieten your mind and relax you.
Sit somewhere you won’t be disturbed. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and either sit or lie down somewhere comfortable. Relax your whole body and start to switch off your mind. When you first start your mind will automatically keep wandering off but just acknowledge that and then bring it back. Over time you will learn to switch off and take control of your mind and thoughts.
8. Read a novel
If you wake up and find that you can’t get back to sleep then pick up a novel and start reading.
There is no point in lying there tossing and turning, getting up and reading will help to distract your mind until you are ready to sleep again. Reading a book can aid in you drifting off to sleep.
It relaxes the mind and stops you from overthinking, just make sure that the book is not too fast-paced or stimulating that will over-excite your mind.
9. Listen to some relaxing music
Listening to relaxing music will also help to distract a racing and over-active mind. Gentle relaxing music can have a very calming soporific effect on the mind and the body and is a wonderful way to switch off your mind from distractions.
10. Enjoy some mindful time
Mindfulness has become very popular in recent times as people have discovered more and more amazing benefits for the mind and body. This is a simple practice that involves focusing fully on something that you are currently experiencing. It could be the sky, your immediate environment, or bird song, the subject doesn’t matter as long as you focus your full attention and experience all of the sights and sounds.
This will switch your mind off from racing thoughts and will bring calm and serenity to your being.
11. Practice some deep breathing exercises
When you are stressed or anxious, one of the physical effects will be that your breathing will be faster which can cause other physical stress-related symptoms in your body.
If you find that this is happening to you then practice some deep breathing exercises.
This is a simple yet very effective technique of slowing not only your breathing and heart rate but also a racing mind. It is something that you can do very easily, wherever you are.
12. Perform some relaxing yoga
Exercise is a great way to take your mind off overactive thoughts, and yoga especially helps to restore calm and balance to the mind and body. You don’t have to be a yoga master to get the benefits either. There are many simple positions that you can use that will relax you.
13. Use a calming visualization technique
Visualisation is a wonderful tool to use if you have a mind that won’t switch off or that is stressing and ruminating on problems.
Visualise something that makes you feel relaxed and happy. It could be a day trip that you loved, a family or friend that always brings you joy or memories of one of your favourite past times. Visualise in as much detail as possible to get as much benefit from it as possible.
If you have difficulties creating your own image then practice with a guided meditation instead, the goal and results are the same.
14. Listen to an audiobook
Do you remember as a child how calming and comforting it was to be read to? To have a parent read you a bedtime story and how it would help you drift off to sleep? Listening to an audiobook can have the same effect when you are older. If you are unable to switch off from the day then try listening to a relaxing audiobook to quiet your mind and help you to relax.
15. Have a light-carb snack
If you are having trouble sleeping try eating a carbohydrate snack.
Carbs can help you to feel sleepy as they release a protein into the brain called tryptophan, which helps build serotonin and melatonin, two hormones that help with sleep.
16. Use relaxing aromatherapy
There are many aromatherapy oils that you can use to help you to relax and unwind. Oils such as lavender, chamomile, rose geranium and clary sage are all good for promoting relaxation and sleep. You can either use them as body massage oils in a base oil, put them into a bath or burn them.
17. Use the progressive muscle relaxation technique
Progressive muscle relaxation technique (PMR) is a deep relaxation technique that is used to aid people who suffer from episodes of stress and anxiety, insomnia or chronic pain. It is designed around the simple practice of tensing and relaxing different muscle groups one at a time followed by a period of relaxation.
This is a simple technique that anyone can learn and takes just a short period of time to practice. The simple steps to follow are;
Inhale and contract a muscle group, such as leg muscles, hold for 5 - 10 seconds and then quickly exhale and release the tension in the muscle group.
Relax for 10 - 20 seconds and then move on to another muscle group.
While you are releasing the tension in the muscle group, imagine any changes you can feel when the muscles are relaxed.
Work your way up your body through your muscle groups following the same procedure.
18. Be consistent with your patterns of sleep
Try to get into regular sleep patterns established so as to develop a good sleeping routine.
Going to bed at the same time every night and rising at the same time every morning helps the body to develop a good circadian rhythm.
This in turn helps to control sleep, weight, depression and other physical and mental issues.
19. Cut down on stimulants like coffee, tea and alcohol
As far as possible cut down or cut out stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol, especially before you retire for the night.
If you do still want to consume drinks that contain caffeine, try to stop after lunchtime so as to give them time to work through your system.
In the evening try decaffeinated tea and coffee or herbal tea instead.
Alcohol can be a major stimulant before bedtime and can disrupt sleep patterns. It can also work as a depressant, so if your mind is full of stress and anxiety, drinking alcohol will only exacerbate the issue.
Look at having warm, milky drinks before bedtime to have a more calming, relaxing effect.
20. Exercise at the right time for you
Exercise of course is great for you and is something that you should be doing in order to have a healthy lifestyle but the time that you exercise can affect your sleep patterns.
Many people find that exercising later on in the evening leaves them overstimulated, making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. If you are affected by this then try exercising early in the morning.
21. Use the expertise of a life coach
If you have tried on your own to turn off your brain and learn to relax and have been unsuccessful, then think about working with a life coach.
Life coaches have the tools and techniques to help you to develop good habits to help you relax and decompress.
Sometimes, it can be something as simple as talking through issues that are on your mind and looking at them with a new perspective.
A life coach is there to support you and offer you accountability, with no judgement. They want you to succeed and will do everything that they can in order for you to get the desired results.
Final Thoughts
We can all have racing nighttime thoughts but if it is something that is seriously impacting your quality of life then talking to a professional may be something that will be helpful to you.
A coach or a counsellor can give you tools and tips on helping you to turn off your brain so you can relax and sleep and make your life more productive.
Not being able to switch off can be detrimental to your emotional and physical health and it is therefore important to deal with this when you find that it is starting to have an impact on your well being.
Following the tips above can help you when you find that you can’t turn your brain off. Many of the reasons for an overactive mind are caused by the long held habits that you can have.
Learning to break these habits and replacing them with new, positive habits can greatly improve your ability in being able to switch off your brain and relax.
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