20+ Ways to Slow Your Mind & Stop Overthinking

Sharing is caring!

What do you do when your mind just won't stop? It's that moment again… at the most inopportune time your mind decides to race, keeping you awake, preventing you from focusing, or completely distracting you from your mountain of “to-do list” entries. We have personal experience going from overthinking to finding inner peace. In this article, we are sharing 22 ways to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking, so you can live happier, healthier, and more purposeful.

I totally get it… you just want to get enough done today to feel productive and accomplished, and then sleep. But no… you're worried about work, the family, whether or not you sounded stupid in that conversation earlier. You're worried if you filled the dog's water dish enough, and all the sudden are flooded with ideas to advance that project at work. Why do you keep thinking about work???? It's time to sleep! Work can be dealt with tomorrow… but this graphic would look nice in that presentation slide… and should you really submit that video??

So what do you do? Do you distract yourself with Facebook until wee hours of the night? Do you turn on the History Channel or HGTV to “zone out” with until you fall asleep? Why is your spouse snoring when you can't even close your eyes?!?!?!?!!

You're not alone!

how to slow down mind; How do I make my mind slow down; why can't I make my mind slow down; ways to make my mind slow down; how to slow down your mind so you can sleep; how to slow your mind down; slowing down the mind; slowing down your mind; how to slow down mind at night; how to slow down your mind; how to slow your mind down to sleep; how to slow down a racing mind; how to train your mind to slow down; slow down mind; slow your mind down; activities that slow mind down; exercises to slow down mind; how can I stop overthinking; how to stop overthinking; how to stop overthinking everything; how to stop overthinking things; how do I stop overthinking; how to stop overthinking and relax; ways to stop overthinking; how do you stop overthinking; how can I stop overthinking; how to stop overthinking and worrying; how can I stop overthinking everything; how to stop being an over thinker; how to stop overthinking and anxiety; how to stop overthinking in bed; how to stop overthinking with anxiety; how do I stop myself from overthinking; how do you stop overthinking everything; how I stop overthinking; how to stop caring and overthinking; how to stop overthinking the past; get conscious how to stop overthinking and come alive; how to stop overthinking life; stop overthinking things; tips on how to stop overthinking; how do i relax and stop overthinking everything; how to stop from overthinking; how to stop your mind from overthinking; 10 ways to stop overthinking; how do you stop your mind from overthinking; how stop overthinking; how to help stop overthinking; how to stop negative thoughts and overthinking; how to stop overthinking and go to sleep; how to train your brain to stop overthinking; i want to stop overthinking; overthinking how to stop; 8 ways to stop overthinking; how can you stop overthinking things; how do i stop overthinking anxiety;how do i stop overthinking everything; how to stop anxiety and overthinking; how to stop overthinking all the time; how to stop overthinking and be happy; how to stop overthinking and live in the moment; how to stop overthinking and sleep; how to stop overthinking and stressing; how to stop overthinking your life and start living; how to stop worrying and overthinking; i need to stop overthinking; overthinking and how to stop; stop overthinking and start living; tips to stop overthinking; ways to stop overthinking and anxiety; 5 ways to stop overthinking; 6 ways to stop overthinking everything; best way to stop overthinking; best way to stop overthinking things; best ways to stop overthinking; clear your mind stop overthinking; exercises to stop overthinking; help me stop overthinking; how can i stop myself from overthinking; how can i stop myself overthinking; how can i stop overthinking and worrying; how can i stop overthinking and worrying so much; how can i stop overthinking things; how can you stop overthinking; how can you stop yourself from overthinking; how do i stop overthinking and worrying; how do i stop overthinking things; how do you stop overthinking things; how do you stop your brain from overthinking; how do you train your brain to stop overthinking; how to live in the moment and stop overthinking; how to relax and stop overthinking; how to relax your mind and stop overthinking; how to stop an overthinking mind; how to stop anxiety overthinking; how to stop being paranoid and overthinking; how to stop brain from overthinking; how to stop my mind from overthinking; how to stop overthinking about the past; how to stop overthinking and enjoy life; how to stop overthinking and negative thoughts; how to stop overthinking and obsessing; how to stop overthinking and start living; how to stop overthinking and stress; how to stop overthinking and worrying about everything; how to stop overthinking anxiety; how to stop overthinking at night; how to stop overthinking at night when trying to sleep; how to stop overthinking at work; how to stop overthinking before sleep; how to stop overthinking everything and find peace of mind; how to stop overthinking everything in your life; how to stop overthinking everything you do; how to stop overthinking negative thoughts; how to stop overthinking things in life; how to stop overthinking while sleeping; how to stop overthinking while studying; how to stop the mind from overthinking; how to stop the overthinking; how to stop worrying and overthinking things; how to stop your brain from overthinking; how to stop your mind overthinking; how to stop yourself from overthinking; how to train your mind to stop overthinking; i can t stop overthinking; stop being an overthinker; self help books to stop overthinking; stop being an overthinker; stop overthinking and sleep; stop overthinking anxiety; stop overthinking everything; strategies to stop overthinking; techniques to stop overthinking; to stop overthinking;tricks to stop overthinking;ways to stop anxiety and overthinking; ways to stop overthinking at night; ways to stop overthinking everything; 25 ways to stop overthinking; 4 ways to stop overthinking; ooks on how to stop overthinking; books on stopping overthinking; how to stop overthinking book; best books on how to stop overthinking; stop overthinking book; best books to stop overthinking; books to help stop overthinking; how to stop overthinking and start living book; books about how to stop overthinking; essential oils to help your mind slow down; essential oils to stop overthinking; best essential oil to calm the mind; best essential oils for calming the mind; calm mind essential oil; essential oils to help your mind slow down;
Don't forget to pin this to your favorite mental wellness or essential oil Pinterest Board

Here are 20+ ideas to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking

I've separated my ideas into 2 categories: inside and outside. I did this with the midset that sometimes you want something mindless to do inside as you're winding down for the day, and because other times you want something to help lose yourself in out of your home.

  1. Photography
  2. Scrapbooking
  3. Puzzles
  4. Drawing
  5. Coloring
  6. Painting
  7. Needlepoint crafts
  8. Writing your own stories
  9. Sudoku
  10. Crossword Puzzles
  11. Journaling
  12. Blogging
  13. Reading
  14. Baking
  15. Cooking
  16. Yoga
  17. Meditation
  18. Playful activities
  19. Walking
  20. Hiking
  21. Gardening
  22. Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
  23. Tai Chi

Inside Activities to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking:

We all need low-key activities we can do inside. Whether the reasoning is inclimate weather or needing to wind down before going to bed, sometimes being out and active in nature isn't feasible.

Pictures. Whether you're a hobby photographer, love piecing together puzzles, drawing, coloring in coloring books, painting, or have a knack for needle point… focusing on creating pictures helps redirect your mental and emotional energy. Use your creative energy as an outlet for the flood of creative thoughts and worries that drive you mad.

Words. Words fly through our minds all the time, but focusing on one word at a time can help slow our mind and offer therapeutic qualities as we slow our silent rants into word search activities, reading (especially non-work-related novels – OFF SCREEN), Sudoku, crossword puzzles, writing in a journal, writing fiction, or blogging.

Reading. Reading books is one of my favorite past times. Especially books designed to inspire.

Smells. Yes! What you smell directly impacts your mood and your ability to wind down, focus, rest… etc. The aromas you breathe in can have some incredible impacts on your state of emotional and mental well-being. Scroll down to see our favorite essential oils, DIY blends, and non-DIY essential oil blends to help calm your mind and stop overthinking.

Outside & Activities to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking

Yoga (inside or outside), especially combined with meditation, is incredible for resetting your mind. A quick tip: instead of focusing on forcing a clear mind during meditation and yoga, focus on the stretches. Focus on how your body is moving and aligning. Focus on how each stretch makes you feel. When meditating, search for deep reflection and spiritual connection. The key isn't to silence your mind, but to redirect your focus peacefully.

Water. Something about the water really charges you positively. Whether you're canoeing, kayaking, swimming, surfing, fishing, or just sitting. Being in or near water helps with recentering your mind and helping you find balance and clarity.

Get Active and Play! Play with your kids or dogs. If you don't have either, spend some time with a family who does. Kids and dogs both have a knack for simplifying life and bringing about some serious laughter and joy.

Embrace Nature. Take a walk, or hike through some trails. Lay in a hammock. Take a bike ride. Do something physical while surrounded by nature. There is something about hearing nothing aside from the birds chirping and wind blowing through the trees that helps give you a break from the city's hustle and noise and helps you truly simplify your mind.

Garden. Something about playing in the dirt does a wold of wonders for an anxious, depressed, cluttered mind. The dirt, planting, cultivating (and harvesting – if you're planting edibles). Seeing the fruits of your labor (no pub intended) offers some deep accomplishment feelings. You don't even need to have a green thumb if you garden with plants native to your location. Many plants, especially perennials, can survive without constant maintenance and skill… literally put them in the ground and enjoy.

Aromatherapy and Smells to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking

Smells. The way different aromas play with our limbic system is so intriguing. Different smells incite different emotions. They can help balance your mood, relax your mind, help you focus, inspire your creativity, and motivate you to get moving. Exactly what you need to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking.

Baking. When I find myself in a funk, I often find myself with an urge to bake. Whether its cookies, brownies, cakes, or pies, baking reminds me of simpler times when I was young creating delectable items with my mom and grandmother. Now that I have a little one of my own, I cherish those moments when we make messes together in the kitchen, and the splashing fun that comes with cleaning up the mess we made. Time spent in the kitchen has always been special to my family.

11 Essential Oils to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking

  1. Frankincense essential oil – stress relief, hygiene, sleep aid, enhance your spiritual connection
  2. Myrrh essential oil – inspire tranquility and calmness
  3. Cedarwood essential oil – helps to remove obstacles from your mind and stop obsessing over thoughts
  4. Sandalwood essential oil – emotionally healing to help you stop focusing on emotional pain, obsessing about the past, and worrying about the future. Helps you stay in the moment.
  5. Ylang Ylang essential oil – helps you relax your mind, calm inner negativity, and reduces stress symptoms allowing you to calm down physically and mentally
  6. Neroli essential oil – helps you recenter and move forward to face your fears and anxiety triggers
  7. Rose essential oil – helps you regain a sense of self love and self respect, allowing you to appreciate where you are in your life journey
  8. Clary Sage essential oil – neutralizes negative energies within you, allowing you to free yourself from a negative mindset
  9. Vetiver essential oil – helps you focus, relax your mind, and be able to move through making decisions or resting without having a cluttered mind.
  10. Marjoram essential oil – reduces tension through your mind and muscles, allowing you to sleep better and enhance your immune functioning so you're not literally making yourself worried sick.
  11. Bergamot essential oil – helps calm your mind, especially when anxious, to allow you to better focus on what is happening.

DIY Essential Oil Blends to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking

** PLEASE NOTE ** Don't be fooled by clever marketing. Not all essential oils are created equally. Make sure you're not wasting your money on fake or altered essential oils (even if they're labeled as “pure essential oil”). Don't miss our explosive report outlining the dirty little secrets of the essential oil industry to ensure you're not wasting your money on brands of oils that legally mislead you through deceitful marketing practices.

Stop overthinking, slow down your mind, and sleep
  • 3 drops lavender essential oil
  • 3 drops rose essential oil
  • 3 drops ylang ylang essential oil
  • 1 drop marjoram essential oil
Slow your mind and relax
  • 4 drops of bergamot essential oil
  • 4 drops of frankincense essential oil
  • 2 drops of vetiver essential oil

Where to find quality essential oils, and essential oil blends to help your mind slow down and stop overthinking without needing to DIY?

It's no secret on this blog that we love using high quality essential oils. Whether you're the DIY type or appreciate having essential oil blends pre-made and ready to go, there is always an oil or blend to match your current needs. After spending a couple years researching essential oil brands and regulations, we chose to purchase our essential oils from Young Living because of their Seed to Seal guarantee. This program provides complete transparency to how they sustainably grow their own plants free from any harmful chemicals, distill their plants without any chemicals through low heat and low pressure for a longer period of time, and bottle their oils without adding any fillers or diluting with any chemicals. Their products worked the best for me when I was overcoming an intense health crisis followed by an intense identity and mental health crisis.

And of course, sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to DIY. My favorite essential oil brand has a few pre-made essential oil blends that are ideal for helping relax your mind and stop that overwhelming flow of random thoughts. You can find out more about our favorite essential oils on our Membership page.

What do you do to calm your mind, stop overthinking and recenter?

I'd love to read about it in the comments!!

Don't miss our article about how to take your yoga and meditation practice to the next level using essential oils!



If you found this post valuable, be sure to let us know in the comments, and share!

Nicole

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about how you can decrease stress and feeling wound up tight, let me know! I have a wonderful team of coaches who may be able to help you identify reasons you're so tense and help provide natural solutions to help you according to your individual lifestyle and needs.