How Stressed-Out People Can Use What’s On Their Minds To Help Them Get Out Of Their Heads

Taking a walk won’t clear your mind.

Okay, sometimes — if you’re somewhere beautiful or new.

But if you’re stressed out, you’ll still need a doable strategy to shift your attention away from what’s bugging you.

Here’s a contender that gets more effective with practice. Try it for a few minutes and gradually work up to an entire walk.

Come back to your senses

Stay in contact with your surroundings and body sensations.

See and hear the world around you. Feel your body walking.

This sounds easy, but it’s not — especially when you’ve got a lot on your mind.

Instead of trying to push your thoughts and feelings away, let them remind you to gently redirect your attention.

Let mental images remind you to see

Illustration of this atomic essay by Laura Evans-Hill

When you realize you’re thinking in pictures, slide your vision out to what’s in front of you.

Let past conversations, future plans, and possible worst-case scenarios remind you to steer your eyes to the present.

Let internal chatter remind you to hear

When you realize you’re thinking in words, slide your listening out to sounds and silence around you.

Get fascinated by where your attention seems to be when you’re talking to yourself, listening to something close by, or tuning into distant sounds.

Let emotional sensations remind you to feel

When you realize your attention is fixed on a strong emotion in your stomach, face, or chest, decide whether to feel it closely for a few seconds or find a neutral body sensation to observe instead.

Try this technique during a variety of activities such as gardening, lifting weights, or making dinner.