In a 2015 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers looked at how the brain achieves “optimal inattention” by changing the synchronization of brainwaves between different regions in the brain.

Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more.

Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She’s also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do," and the host of The Verywell Mind Podcast.

Many find that the stress can compound with thoughts of not only the present stress but about events or issues that occurred in the past or even events that may occur in the future.

If you’ve experienced this kind of stress, you may have noticed that the same thoughts replay over and over again in your mind creating an endless loop and increased worry. This thought pattern not only does nothing to help solve the problems at hand, and but can also interfere with healthy practices that can help create inner peace—like restful sleep.

While you may have been told in the past to "clear your mind" to let go of stress, this strategy isn’t actually about letting go of all the thoughts and worries in your mind. Instead, it is about learning how to be more mindful and observing your thoughts without judgment.

This article discusses some of the benefits of becoming more aware of your own thoughts. It also covers some strategies you can use to give yourself a break from these recurring, compounding stressors.

Mindfulness

“Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain.”

With mindfulness, we suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching the experience with warmth and kindness to others and ourselves.

Rather than try to run and hide from your problems or whatever it is that is plaguing your brain at that moment, dig into it and pay attention to how your body feels and what your brain is doing.

What I learned changed my life forever. By developing a daily habit of mindfulness, I started to let go of the things that were weighing me down and live more fully in the moment.

Just to be clear: I’m not a Buddhist. I have no spiritual inclinations at all. I’m just a regular guy who turned to eastern philosophy because I was at rock bottom.

How to Be Mindful of Your Thoughts

Learning how to be mindful and observe your thoughts non-judgementally can help combat rumination and may lead to better sleep, more effective downtime after work, greater focus, and increased creativity. The practice may even be good for your relationships. So investing some time in mindfulness strategies is well worth it.

If your thoughts about a stressful situation become "stuck" and thinking about an event no longer leads to positive change, it’s time to take steps to change your thinking.

Meditation

Research shows that meditation can be helpful in facilitating forgiveness, letting go of rumination, and reducing negative emotions. Meditation provides many other benefits, as well.

To start a meditation practice, simply find a place where you can sit and relax. Then observe your thoughts without becoming attached to them. Once you’ve noticed them, let them go and bring your focus back to the present moment.

Cultivate Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of becoming fully immersed in an activity, rather than in your thoughts about other things. Mindfulness is a great option for busy people. While it involves slowing down and focusing on one thing, it doesn’t involve stopping all activity the way traditional meditation does.

Completing one activity with mindfulness can be a restorative way to observe your thoughts and get things done. Try cleaning a room, clearing out a closet, or cooking a healthy meal.

Engage in Expressive Writing

If your mind is filled with stressful thoughts and feelings, it may be helpful to give in to the thoughts and express them through writing. Journaling allows you to delve deeper into the topics that plague your thoughts.

Fully experiencing and examining your emotions can help you brainstorm solutions and give you different ways of looking at your problems (a technique known as cognitive restructuring).

When you first begin, set a time limit so you don’t get stuck in rumination. Multiple studies have found that 20 minutes is an effective amount of time for positive mental and emotional change without sliding into rumination.  

How to Clear Your Mind

Now that you’ve acknowledged where you are and how you feel, you can take action and learn ways to clear your mind. You can take a few moments away from your desk or to-do list, and practice something to ground yourself back into the present moment.

1. Take a Walk

Grounding yourself can be as simple as taking a walk and admiring the changing of the leaves. This practice is also known as “forest bathing,” and it doesn’t necessarily need to take place in a forest. It can be in your favorite park or even walking around your town or neighborhood.

Bring your attention to the senses as you enjoy your walk. Can you tune in to the sounds of your footsteps on the earth? Can you notice the smells and take in the sights around you while staying present in the moment? Can you touch a leaf or the bark of a tree and allow the texture to teach you something new?

2. Box Breathing

As you’re learning how to clear your mind, a mind-clearing practice may look like sitting down and going through a nourishing meditation or breath practice. Breathing is, honestly, the easiest and best way to clear your mind. Even taking a few deep breaths in and out and feeling and noticing the breath will bring you right back to the present moment. [3]

In yoga, we call this breath Same Vrti, meaning a 1:1 breath ratio. It can also be translated as “box breathing.” The idea is to make the length of your inhales and exhales the same, as this allows you to take in more oxygen and slow down the chatter of the monkey mind. It also kicks on the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digestion, offering many health benefits in the long run.

This will allow your heart rate to slow down so that you can reduce any anxiety you may be feeling. It also aids in digestion, as the metabolism is back on track, and helps you physically process food and drink properly.

3. Add Meditation

how to meditate and clear your mind is also helpful when you want to clear negative thoughts and relieve stress. In fact, following your breath is a meditation in itself. Adding a visual, like imagining gentle ripples on a lake or clouds passing along a beautiful blue sky, can give the mind something to attach to without running through the train of your thoughts.

How to overcome anxiety at work

Do you want to be happy? Do you want to feel at peace with yourself and the world? Of course, you do. Finding fulfillment is the ultimate human goal – the thing that all our actions try to move us toward, whether we know it or not.

In today’s busy world, it can seem impossible to get a quiet minute – but you must prioritize it. Learning how to clear your mind decreases stress, improves your concentration and is vital to your mental health.

1. Unplug

Wondering how to clear your mind ? The first step is to unplug. You won’t be able to focus if you have text messages or email notifications setting your phone off. And if you’re constantly scrolling through social media, you’re seeing a lot of information that can clutter up your thoughts – and even be bad for you . Taking some time to consider your thoughts can make it easier to let them go. Go for a walk or a hike for an added benefit, as connecting with nature has tons of benefits, including reduced stress.

2. Exercise

Going for a walk is a time-tested technique for a clear mind . But if you want to be consistently relaxed and content, you need to make lasting changes to your brain. Aerobic exercise is the way to do it. Studies suggest that exercise is associated with control over your thoughts – the prefrontal cortex, which controls thinking, is larger in people who exercise. Exercise can also help you sleep, so it’s an essential step if you’re wondering how to clear your mind to help with insomnia.

3. Write about it

References:

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-can-i-clear-my-mind-3144602#:~:text=How%20to%20Clear%20Your%20Mind%201%20Meditation.%20Research,revisiting%20and%20talking%20about%20problems%20with%20friends.
https://hackspirit.com/how-to-clear-your-mind/
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-can-i-clear-my-mind-3144602
https://www.lifehack.org/888431/how-to-clear-your-mind
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/how-to-focus/how-to-clear-your-mind/