As a person who overthinks and tends to have their brain just go around in circles of itself, I tend to cherish those moments where it finally sits still. It tends to only be for a couple of minutes, but it can almost be like my brain restarting.
Music can be a great way for my brain to restart. For myself it tends to be soft rock or when it’s late at night and my mind is running nonstop, classic jazz can calm it down. Along with this, just laying on my back in the dark can do the trick. I don’t sleep on my back and can’t fall asleep when I’m in the position, but for some reason laying like that can cause my mind to relax.
Running water can weirdly cause my brain to slow down. If I’m stressed turning on a tap and putting my hands in cold water can cause my mind to stop thinking. The combination of standing, closing my eyes, and focusing on the feel of the water can also make me feel more awake. On this same vein, long hot showers can also make me relax, but my brain doesn’t stop thinking when I’m doing this. Like a radio, my brain kicks in and starts playing songs to itself, but my body still relaxes.
Long car rides can do the same as taking a hot shower. I’m one of those people who love to drive. There’s something about the feeling of the sun beat through the windows, the music turned up and nothing but the road to focus on.
Nothing though can beat the pleasure and the pure feeling of laying out in the sun. Now that it’s getting warmer, a walk is always in order. The feeling of the sun hitting your face and the pound of your feet can clear any racing mind and stressful body. For the more exhausted souls, just laying outside and soaking up vitamin D can work sometimes better. Focus on the heat and the feel of the sun. The focus on something other that due dates and life is encouraged and easily done when the sun is beating down on me.
With the end of the semester approaching, my brain has a harder and harder time slowing down. If you’re like me then I hope this list of things that I do can help. The mind can be my worst enemy as I overthink and stress during finals, but sometimes a restart is all it needs even for a minute.