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May 01, 2025, 10:01 AM
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Member Since: Aug 2013
Posts: 913
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Guidepost 8: Cultivating Calm and Stillness and Letting Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle
Techniques from thebreatheffect.com
How to Quiet Your Mind: Understanding Your Inner Monologue and Finding Stillness by Emma Ferris
Learning how to quiet your mind isn’t about shutting down thoughts—it’s about regulating your nervous system, shifting mental patterns, and creating space between thoughts and reactions.
In this blog, we’ll explore:.
● Breathwork techniques to slow down mental chatter.
● Somatic tools to reconnect with the body and quiet the mind.
Work with your body first.
Your nervous system controls the speed and intensity of your thoughts. If your body is stressed, overwhelmed, or dysregulated, your mind will be noisy and restless.
Here’s how to shift from overthinking to inner calm:
1. Breathwork: The Fastest Way to Quiet Your Mind
Your breath controls your state. If your breathing is fast and shallow, your brain will stay busy.
Try This: The Exhale Pause for Mental Stillness
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.
Exhale slowly through your nose for 6 counts.
After your exhale, pause for 2 seconds before your next inhale.
Repeat for 2 minutes, feeling the stillness grow.
Why it works: The exhale pause signals to your nervous system that it’s safe to slow down. Over time, this practice rewires your brain to calm down more easily.
2. Somatic Movement: Releasing Tension from the Body
If your body is tense, tight, or in a stress response, your thoughts will follow suit.
Try This: Shoulder Release to Quiet the Mind
Shrug your shoulders up to your ears, inhaling through your nose.
Exhale as you let them drop down.
Repeat 5 times, shaking out any tension.
Why it works: Physical tension feeds mental tension. Releasing the body creates space for the mind to slow down.
3. Creating Mental Space Through Stillness Practices
Slowing down isn’t about stopping thoughts—it’s about creating space between them.
Journaling for Mental Clarity
Set a 5-minute timer and free-write whatever comes to mind.
Don’t censor yourself—let thoughts spill onto the page.
Once done, notice how your mind feels.
Journaling helps clear mental clutter, allowing you to detach from racing thoughts.
4. Reduce Overthinking by Getting Present
Overthinking happens when we’re stuck in the past or future. The solution? Bring yourself back to the present.
Try This: The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
5 things you can see.
4 things you can touch.
3 things you can hear.
2 things you can smell.
1 thing you can taste.
This reconnects you with the present moment, stopping anxious loops in their tracks.
A Quiet Mind Begins with the Body
If you want to quiet your mind, start with your nervous system.
Breathe slower
Move with awareness.
Create space between thoughts.
Over time, you’ll retrain your brain to let go of the mental noise and shift into calm, present awareness.
Find space in your life for calm and stillness. This is time for emotional processing and self-regulation. To feel what’s going on in your life, question, dream, and explore possibilities.
Start practicing:
Start a daily meditation practice. Even as little as 2 minutes every day makes a big difference.
Create space for introspection via solitude and journaling. Give yourself the opportunity to understand yourself more deeply. What patterns of behavior are serving you in life? Which ones aren’t?
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