How to clear your head of thoughts - 8 ways to find peace of mind after work

Thinking is a continuous process, and not thinking about anything at all is almost impossible. However, sympaty.net will try to help with advice on how to relieve your head of bad, obsessive and unproductive thoughts.

The question is how to unload your head and find peace of mind,

visits both experienced “enlightened people” and the most ordinary people. The answer in the form of a variety of spiritual practices, meditations and other activities of varying degrees of effectiveness is offered by many gurus and coaches. However, “Beautiful and Successful” will not offer its readers recommendations that require a specific worldview, but will advise how to arrange mental rest for yourself in accessible everyday ways.

Ability to relax

What is relaxation? Many modern people are constantly under stress. Stress is experienced everywhere: at work, on the way home, at home, while watching TV, going to the store. Therefore, it is important to be able to relax and rest. But it is difficult for a tired body to do this.

With constant tension, the ability to relax is lost. The result is headaches, indigestion, heart problems, and fatigue. Relaxation is an escape from reality for a while. This is a state of calm. A person forgets about stress for a short time.

Trance states

If you are not a shaman or a tenth generation hypnologist, then it is better not to practice this method on your own. Entering a trance is quite difficult, and not always necessary. Trance states are suitable for those who are already so “burnt out” at work that they had to seek help from a psychotherapist. Of course, you can try to experience the trance state on your own, but the likelihood that you will succeed is not that high. But who knows. The main thing is to warn your relatives about this, otherwise they will call an exorcist.

Quick ways

How to relax your brain quickly?

Be aware of the tension. During times of tension, stress hormones are produced, which prevent you from calming down. It is necessary to understand the reason.
Physical release. You can hit a punching bag, do pull-ups on the bar, do a few squats, and swing your arms. Activity is necessary to suppress the stress hormone.
You need to raise your hands up with a sigh, stretch higher, then lower your hands with an exhalation.
You need to sit down, hug your knees, pressing your head against them. Sit in this position for 10 seconds, then relax.
There is a breathing exercise for relaxation. You should inhale, filling and protruding your stomach, then your chest. Exhalation is performed and air is released from the chest.

These are effective methods that not only relieve stress, but also improve your mood and well-being. Therefore, they should be used regularly.

Writing letters

This is the first way to unload your brain. And it doesn’t matter to whom the message is addressed. The advantage of this method is that all negative emotions can be transferred to paper. Psychologists recommend expressing problems in writing. For example, letters are used in personal growth and development techniques. This is an excellent method for coming to terms with the past, building the present and preparing for the future.

This method helps eliminate unnecessary thoughts in a few minutes. You need to prepare a sheet of paper and describe everything that worries you. Don't focus on the meaning. There is no need to evaluate this. It is important not to pay attention to style and literature, since the main goal of this exercise is to normalize thoughts.

When the sheet is written, you need to move the letter away from you and close your eyes, normalize your breathing. Then you should open your eyes and, without re-reading what you have written, throw the sheet into the trash bin to eliminate bad feelings. After this exercise you usually feel light.

Ancient technology

There are quite a significant number of ascetics in the world who are completely devoted to self-knowledge, studying from their own experience hidden human capabilities, as well as searching for answers to such serious questions as “What is the meaning of life?” and “What is real happiness?”

These devotees developed the technology of meditation - a sequence of actions that help to find a source of happiness independent of external factors. Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not just a Buddhist practice. Indian yogis, Taoists and even (didn’t you know?!) Christians have various meditation techniques. Hesychasm is an ancient Christian practice of continuous prayer, which is aimed at stopping the internal dialogue (turning off all, all, all thoughts) and the implementation of true heartfelt prayer.

Meditation

How to relax your brain after hard work? If stress does not allow you to relax even on weekends, then meditation will be the best help. If performed correctly, it will not only allow you to abstract from problems, clear your head of thoughts, but also provide protection against future stressful situations that overtake you everywhere.

Thanks to meditation, it will be easier to bear stress, as well as those things that led to strong anxiety and created tension. Small troubles will not seem like a disaster. Just 1 procedure already has a positive effect on the nervous system: you feel strong relaxation, problems are forgotten.

Relaxation tips

To begin with, here are a few more examples of effective relaxation exercises related to breathing and muscle function.

Simple exercises for relaxation

As we have already said, when the human body is in a stressful and tense state, its pulse and breathing increase. This mechanism is necessary for intensive saturation of cells with oxygen, but this does not always have a positive effect on the physical and mental state. It will be much better if you learn to breathe deeply and calmly. And here are some exercises for this:

Slowly inhale air through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Inhalation should be done in four counts, and exhalation in two counts. You need to do 10 repetitions.
Do the previous exercise, but concentrate not only on the count, but also try to relax the muscles of the chest and shoulder girdle. Due to the fact that the diaphragm is used in breathing, it will become deeper. For one approach, 10 repetitions are enough.
Lie down on a bed or sofa and place one hand on your stomach. Inhale air so that your hand is pushed up through your stomach. Keep in mind that you need to breathe through your mouth. Do 10 reps.

When it comes to muscle relaxation specifically, learning to do it on your own will help you rest and recover quickly. A few exercises on this topic:

Lie on your back on a bed or sofa with your legs straight. Slowly raise your arms up, and then spread them to the sides and lower them. Try to relax as much as possible for 15-20 seconds. Breathe as deeply as possible. The exercise must be repeated 5 times.
Take the same body position. Lying on your back, slowly pull your knees bent to your chest one by one. Then stretch them out and try to relax as much as possible for 15-20 seconds. The exercise must be repeated 5 times.
Lie on your stomach. Extend your arms along your body. Slowly raise your shoulders and head and stretch forward a little. Then return to your original body position and try to relax as much as possible for 15-20 seconds. Repeat the exercise 5 times.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Clench your fists and raise your arms up. Tighten your entire body, and then suddenly relax, allowing your arms to fall down. Stay in a relaxed state for 15-20 seconds. Repeat the exercise 5 times.

Now let’s move a little away from techniques and exercises, and let’s talk a little about proper nutrition, or rather about foods, the use of which helps relieve tension.

Stress Relief Products

Nutrition is one of the main components of human life, because together with food, all the necessary vitamins, nutrients and microelements enter the body. And if a person eats right (by the way, we have good material on the topic of proper nutrition), then it is much easier for his body to cope with tension and stress, and it is much easier for the person himself to relax and rest faster. To increase your body's resistance to negative external influences, try to follow these simple nutrition tips:

Make sure you have fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. This is “live” food that has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the body as a whole.
Include fish in your diet. It contains iodine and phosphorus. The first promotes muscle relaxation, and the second helps maintain normal hormonal levels.
Eat more millet and buckwheat porridge, nuts and legumes. All of these products contain magnesium, a natural antidepressant.
Eat apricots, rye bread, dairy and offal. They contain large quantities of B vitamins, which increase resistance to stress and stabilize the activity of the central nervous system.
Don't forget to eat potatoes, sweet fruits and honey. They are a source of glucose, the deficiency of which causes nervousness and tension.
Drink green and herbal teas. They are rich in antioxidants that remove harmful substances and toxins from the body. The cleaner the body, the easier it is to endure stress and restore strength.

Also, take note of this small list of products that help calm your nerves, relieve tension and increase your body’s resistance to stress:

strawberries, raspberries and blueberries (contain natural antioxidants and vitamin C);
cereals and grains (help the body produce serotonin);
Brazil nuts (contain selenium, which has sedative properties);
spinach (contains vitamin K, which synthesizes hormones that are responsible for stress resistance and good mood);
apples (rich in vitamin C, iron and fiber);
dark chocolate (contains anandamine, which causes a feeling of calm and relaxation);
bananas (contain vitamin B, potassium and magnesium).

And in addition to all of the above, here are a few more life tips that will help you strengthen your nerves and help you cope better with stress.

How to calm down easily

These simple steps should be performed any time you feel nervous, physically or emotionally tired, exhausted, or under stress:

Change your activity . If, for example, you sat at the computer for a long time or wrote a report, do some physical activity: walk, go to the store, do a warm-up, etc. This will help you take your mind off the monotonous and routine work.
Go out into the fresh air and breathe a little . Your blood will become more oxygenated, which in turn will make you calmer.
Drink some water . Remember that even mild dehydration can cause irritability, confusion, and mood swings.
Listen to calm music . It has a wonderful effect on the psyche: it calms the nerves, promotes inner harmony and relaxation.
Light the aroma lamp . Essential oils of jasmine, chamomile or bergamot mixed with water and heated with a candle will easily calm the nerves and restore vitality.
Look at the nice images . If you look at a photo or video of space, mountains or the ocean for at least 5 minutes, you can quickly relax and calm your racing thoughts.
Get out into nature . The beauty of Mother Earth and fresh air are one of the best means for relaxation, relieving stress and putting your inner world in order.
Go to the bath, shower, pool or sauna . Water relieves fatigue better than other remedies and takes away negative energy. It is especially useful to swim in a river or sea, i.e. where the water is not stagnant, but constantly renewed.
Go for a massage . A specialist will help your muscles relax and your body to produce serotonin, which in itself will weaken the effect of emotional stress. By the way, you can ask someone at home to give you a massage, or you can do it yourself - massage those areas of the body where your hands can reach.
Get creative . By creating something with your own hands, you create the perfect environment to reduce anxiety and stress. You can just as easily go to the cinema or theater, visit a museum or art gallery.
Start meditating daily for at least half an hour a day . This activity is great for calming thoughts and achieving inner harmony, with long-term effects. We have a guide to meditation and relaxation on our website.
Limit your consumption of coffee and alcohol, as well as smoking cigarettes . All this not only dehydrates the body, but also increases fatigue and susceptibility to stress (and this is not counting the well-known facts about the dangers of coffee, alcohol and nicotine).

We also advise you to always consider any events that occur objectively, i.e. not only from my point of view, but in general. All problems can be resolved. What seems difficult or unfair now may well lead to better consequences in the future. Therefore, you need to look at everything from different sides, and also not take anything to heart.

As you can see, learning to relax and rest quickly is not that difficult. Remember that there are two fundamental factors here - your desire and knowledge of certain techniques. If you decide to read this article, then you already have the desire, and if you have finished reading it, then the techniques are now at your disposal.

And in conclusion, we bring to your attention another video on the topic of relaxation. Save it to your playlist or browser bookmarks and watch and listen (preferably with headphones) when you want to relax and calm your inner world.

We wish you a good mood and a positive attitude every day!

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We also recommend reading:

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How to learn to meditate: in accessible language about the most important things
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10 Popular Exercises to Relieve Stress
Rebirthing: being reborn through breathing

Key words:_D1036, 1Psychoregulation, 4Psychoregulation

Cold and hot shower

What are the benefits of hardening with ice water? It gives the feeling that comes with endorphins. These are hormones of happiness, but this is not their main function. They have pain relief - the body releases them in extreme situations. A similar effect occurs when the body cools down, as it is stressful for the body.

How to relax your brain before bed so you can get enough sleep? A contrast shower is considered a softer and more accessible method of hardening than jumping into an ice hole. It not only eliminates stress and improves mood, but also protects against colds and venous diseases. Any water procedures have a positive effect on a person, including a warm bath and swimming in a pool.

The object of attention is the breath

Today we will look at the simplest version of meditation: focusing on breathing.

It's simple: for a long time we direct our attention to the flow of breathing, to the sequence of inhalations and exhalations, and as soon as we notice that we are distracted, we calmly return our mind to focusing on breathing. As we continue our practice, our attention becomes deeper and more sustained, and our mind becomes less distracted and wandering. By persistently bringing our attention back to our breath, we can feel our previously scattered energies coming together. This experience of unity of mind brings exceptional peace of mind: we feel increasingly serene, relaxed, and our mind becomes clearer.

Article on the topic

Yoga can change your life, or How to learn to talk to your body

It seems that nothing prevents us from concentrating our mind on any other subject: after all, breathing is only one of thousands of possible objects of concentration of the mind. For example, you can focus on a small material object - a matchbox, a black dot, or an orange. The trouble is that people who are not accustomed to the techniques of meditation can easily become irritated by this practice or plunge into a kind of hypnotic trance. The breath is particularly well suited as a subject of concentration because it can hold our interest for a long time, while at the same time allowing us to maintain some mobility, flexibility of the mind. This mobility of the mind is quite important: after all, if you allow your attention to become rigid and frozen, you can lose energy and inspiration. Breathing as a natural internal process is very interesting. It gives very clear sensations, has a certain rhythm and by its very nature is capable of captivating us with its soft, pleasant movement. In addition, breathing is a rather mysterious thing: it is the breath of life, something on which all beings depend at every moment of their lives.

Perhaps precisely because breathing is a necessary condition of life, its character is closely related to our physical and mental state. When we are emotionally aroused, breathing speeds up. As our body relaxes, our breathing slows down, and when our breathing calms down, the mind correspondingly becomes collected, focused and harmonious.

Music

Relaxation music helps, you have to like it. A person receives positive emotions after listening to his favorite tracks. It relieves stress and eliminates unnecessary thoughts. Favorite relaxation music always leads to a feeling of happiness and euphoria. Even sad melodies lift your spirits if they are pleasant.

Music that relaxes the brain can be of different types. For some it's classic, for others it's modern pop. There are people who like to include sounds of nature. Silence is also music. If your head is tired of various sounds, you can simply stay in silence for a while, and then the tension will disappear.

Effective Relaxation Techniques

There are practical tips that will tell you how to learn to rest and relax:

one hour rule. When you spend time with your family, allow each family member to decide how everyone will relax for an hour. For example, the son will offer to play badminton, and the wife will offer to bake cupcakes together. So everyone will relax in their favorite way and try others;
think about childhood. Remember what you loved to do most as a child. Try to adapt these activities and repeat them as an adult. You will learn a lot of new and interesting things about yourself;
go to nature. This is a win-win for almost anyone. Most researchers believe that such a pastime promotes relaxation;
change your view of the world. Try to look at familiar things differently. Walk home along a different street, cook a new dish and read a book of an unusual genre!

Walks

How to relax your brain after hard work? This requires leisurely walking, which perfectly clears your head of parasitic thoughts. Moreover, not only a walk, but also contemplation of what is happening has a positive effect. With the help of monotonous eye movements, the work of the brain hemispheres is synchronized, nerve clamps that appear during emotional shock, negative thoughts, and obsessions are eliminated.

Walking restores the functioning of the nervous system. It is enough to allocate 20 minutes for this. You need to walk calmly, just like you need to breathe. After some time, you will find that unnecessary thoughts disappear from your head.

Woe from mind

Any sane person is forced to admit: the mind helps solve pressing problems. For example, you need to hammer a nail. With the help of mental efforts we find a nail, a hammer, a wall, the right place in the wall - and now we can hang a picture. But the mind has another function: good/bad analysis. “Is this nail driven in the right place? Maybe I shouldn’t have hammered it in - I ruined the wall... Is the picture on it stupid... or beautiful? What will the wife say? And if you close the hole, then with what?..”

And this monologue can last indefinitely. Of course, this is an exaggerated version. As a rule, we are overwhelmed (and often prevented from falling asleep) by thoughts of a more global order. Moreover, within a few seconds, these thoughts can change direction 180 degrees: “I hate this job! How long can you go there?! I'll quit! What will I do? At work I feel needed. They need me! They love me there... It’s great there!” Common situation? There is a popular wisdom “the morning is wiser than the evening” - it is better to make a serious choice after sleep, when the brain is calm and the internal monologue (dialogue, trialogue - depending on who you are) has not gained momentum. Meditation allows you to “shut up” this internal chatter (instead of sleep), and over time, train your mind not to enter into lengthy debates with yourself, so as not to provoke unnecessary stress.

Physical exercise

How to relax and turn off your brain? Psychology advises doing physical exercises:

several bends forward;
stretching;
turns the body to the right and left;
raising your arms up, tilting to the right, then to the left, stretching your arms;
dancing to rhythmic music.

Belly breathing exercises are effective. Swimming relieves stress. Aromatherapy helps. For this purpose, special aroma lamps with oils, sticks or candles are used. It is enough to add aromatic oils to a warm bath: before use, mix them with salt, otherwise they will remain in the upper layer of water and can cause a burn.

Relaxing tea

When it is difficult to relax with your usual tea, you can choose tonic types, for example, milk, light, dark oolong and Tie Guan. Drinking tea can be a meditation, but in this case, stress must be approached responsibly, paying attention to the choice of every detail. You should choose a beautiful teapot and cup, sit in a cozy place in a comfortable position.

For relaxation, it is better to choose herbal infusions. Chamomile, mint, lemon balm, St. John's wort, and valerian root have a calming effect. These plants can be used either separately or as a collection:

Chamomile and mint leaves should be mixed in equal quantities.
St. John's wort (1 tsp) and viburnum berries (3-4 pcs.) are added to boiling water (1 glass). You need to brew the drink and let it steep for 5-10 minutes.
Mix mint, chamomile, and valerian root in equal parts. Infusion lasts 10 minutes.

This drink should always be consumed when you feel tired. Relaxation comes very quickly, tea gives a great mood to all people.

Yoga

Various yoga poses relax, calm the mind, eliminate stress and chronic fatigue. If you perform asanas regularly, you will be able to get rid of insomnia. Yoga gives peace and allows you to find harmony. The following poses are used for relaxation:

Shavasana. You need to lie on your back and close your eyes. Legs and arms are spread apart. Palms should be facing up. The body needs to be relaxed. You should breathe evenly, eliminating all thoughts. Then there is a feeling of heaviness and warmth that spreads throughout the body. You must remain in this position until your body and mind relax.
Bhunjangasana. You need to sit on your stomach and place your palms on the floor so that they are at shoulder level. Slowly straighten your arms, lifting your chest off the floor and arching your back. When your arms are straight, tilt your head back, looking up. Shoulders need to be pulled back. The pelvis should not be lifted off the floor. While in this position, you need to breathe evenly.

With regular yoga practice you will be able to normalize your condition. The exercises can be done at home.

How to relax your brain and let go of thoughts

To do this, you need to allow yourself to take your time. We get most stressed when we feel like we don't have enough time for anything. The ability to plan everything and then responsibly follow the plan will add hours of peace and relaxation. Of course, you shouldn’t go to extremes; sometimes you can cancel meetings and sleep an hour longer than planned.

When we are going on vacation, we should be realistic with ourselves. When planning a trip to another country, you need to understand that you won’t be able to see everything. We just run too fast and get tired, and these are not at all the emotions for which it’s worth going somewhere.

Mental work is more draining than physical work. When we “move our brains,” we use a huge number of nerve cells. If you don't give yourself a break, excess stress will eventually lead to illness. You can’t overload yourself every day and then not give yourself a rest. To learn to “rest your head” without losing concentration, you can use the following techniques:

work on your thinking a little every day. This will help get rid of constant negative attitudes, thinking errors and excessive demands on yourself;
surround yourself with pleasant smells and colors, learn to meditate, exercise regularly;
remember that your opinion is primary, what other people think should not globally influence your decisions.

These actions will help relieve stress and relax.

Useful ways to relax

How to relax your brain without alcohol? To reduce tension, you need to change your lifestyle a little. Typically, fatigue appears when a person’s natural needs are not satisfied for a long time: resources are not restored, and the load increases. To restore, you must use the following recommendations:

Healthy sleep. It is necessary for a strong nervous system. Without it, the body's resources will not be restored, and there will be no release from tension and fatigue. Therefore, you need to get enough sleep. Everyone's daily need for rest is different, but adults are usually recommended to sleep at least 8 hours.
Massage. It can be therapeutic and relaxing. The latter is great for eliminating tension. After the procedure, fatigue disappears and harmony appears instead. It is enough to perform the procedure at least once a week.
Shopping. This method is more suitable for women. Choosing and purchasing clothes is a method of relieving accumulated stress. In addition, shopping is a physical activity that can also relax you. It is only important to purchase what is really necessary, otherwise there will be a feeling of guilt and anxiety.
Cultural event. Humans are spiritual beings. Compared to animals, they have many needs, including a desire for aesthetics and self-development. Concerts and theater performances are great for relaxing the brain.
Delicious food. Sometimes eating your favorite food is enough to relax. But often you need to cook, which leads to fatigue. Therefore, you can visit a store or go to a restaurant.
Loneliness. It is important for a person to remain alone with himself. Therefore, to eliminate fatigue, you need to set aside time for solitude.
Interesting film. It will help you relax, because while watching a story a person gets rid of his own negative thoughts. Reading a book has a similar effect.
Hobby. A favorite activity allows you to eliminate negative thoughts and improve your mood. Everyone's hobby may be different.

These are all methods to relax your brain. They help after hard work. With regular use of such methods, you can quickly get rid of fatigue and restore your well-being.

How to learn to relax?

After prolonged exercise, a person’s body’s defense mechanisms turn on, and an irresistible desire to relax arises. Today, a huge number of ways have been found to relax the nervous system and muscles, so as not to have to deal with more serious consequences associated with overwork. The most popular techniques include meditation, breathing techniques, exercises, relaxing baths, massage and so on.

How to relax your muscles?

Physical work, intense sports and other similar activities cause muscle tension. Even office workers feel pain in the back and neck area. Muscle relaxation can be achieved through therapeutic exercises, a warm bath and massage, which is best done after water procedures. There are special drugs that relax muscles, but they must be prescribed by a doctor. Examples include Diazepam and Diclofenac ointments, and Tolperisone and Baclofen tablets.

How to learn to relax psychologically?

Frequent stress, hard work, worries and many other emotions affect a person’s psychological state. As a result, depression and its attendant negative consequences may occur. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to discharge every day:

A change of activity helps to distract and relax. It is important that you enjoy the hobby.
Look for a way to relax, then a good book or movie will come in handy. While reading or watching, a person becomes distracted and begins to live the life of the main character, and not his own problems.
You can forget about troubles by cleaning the house. By getting rid of old things and garbage, you can “clean” your head.

To forget about a bad mood, it is recommended to use relaxing psychological techniques every day, for example, visualization helps. Scientists have conducted experiments and found that the subconscious cannot distinguish between real events and visualized ones. To apply this technique, use these instructions:

Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and take a few slow breaths. It is important that nothing distracts you at this moment.
Imagine that you are in a quiet and peaceful place that is associated with positive emotions.
Concentrate on this image, imagining yourself as a happy and joyful person. It is recommended to describe the picture in great detail.
The instructions for how to relax through visualization indicate that when you feel comfortable and calm, slowly exit the visualization and return to reality.