To wonder what it’s like to have a quiet mind?

Apparently DH's brain can do quiet.
He always was weird 🙄😂

Brain currently scanning for Bergerac theme tune, but currently playing Howards Way (because it's the right era) while I sound out the words as I type.

At least the constant chatter and music is a nice distraction from the tinitusy hum and whistle.

Two ND children with noisy brains.

When DS1 started school he was nervous that the teacher would tell him off for talking because his internal monologue was busy while he should be listening. He was relieved to find out it was in his head and no one else could hear it.

Same, love reading, it's like a full immersive experience

@AyrnotAir oh how I want a brain that goes blank! My DH is the same as yours, he just goes to sleep with no thoughts. I never realised this was a real thing 🤣

@blueshoes exactly! And those guided meditations that mention balloons drifting into the sky! 🫣 It's like counting sheep, all the blooming sheep turn around at the fence and won't jump or start eating the grass, and the buggers who start to fly to the moon. They annoy me. 😁

ADHD and ASC here
Very busy mind. Husband said he imagines my mind as a really chaotic ocean filled with so much interesting stuff but just far too much of it to ever get through, whereas his is a little idyllic waterfall corner where the occasional bird flies past 😂

Hahaha I've just seen this after posting and that's exactly what I posted and described it as to my DH years ago. Going to send him this.

I've got adhd, I was absolutely baffled years ago when I asked my DH how he got to sleep so quickly and what did he think of and he said nothing. I said what do you see in your head and he said just blackness. He was equally as shocked when I told him my brain was like a phone with 50 tabs open that constantly would flick from one tab to the next with a tune or song repeating over and over in the background 😂

@ChristmasIsComingVerySoon I agree. Meditation is a joke for me. How does one ever empty their thoughts if there is a party going on in my head.

Most people have constant running dialogues and songs going on

I don't. I'm pretty good at switching off unless I am stressed or worried about something.

I don't mean this to come across condescending or mean, but I am totally giggling about the thought of Buddhism or the Calm app helping my brain to quieten. Honestly, I spend an the time with trying to meditate trying to tell my brain to shut up, it wondering what the stream I'm listening to looks like, where does it go, what colours are the flowers, why are the fish jumping, What's in the sky ... Then that leads me to thinking about the last time I went fishing, my dad was there and my dad is not longer here and what colour socks did he wear and have I washed my socks and oh no I should have done the laundry... Honestly, I need a nap after meditating 😁

I always think this meme sums it up nicely.

I do all that but don't consider myself to have a noisy mind - I actually opened the thread thinking I would be able to give a quiet mind perspective 🤣

About 50% of people have an enthusiastic internal dialogue.
Read books, study for something, it's free revision.

My mind is rarely quiet and often I get stuck in a loop that's hard to get out of. It's usually about the same few issues that are bothering me and it can go round and round for quite some time before I try to force it away from me.

I really don't like it and wish I could be happier in my own company. I like what PP said about their mind eating itself if they're on their own too much, I feel similarly!

Oh for a quiet, content mind. Not an over-active bully.

I'd love to spend a day in someone else's mind, just so I can see what is normal or not.

Noisy mind here too with the Bergerac theme tune as a regular backing track.

This is really interesting, the thought of a quiet mind horrifies me. Maybe it’s because I’ve become so used to going off on interesting tangents that I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.
*though I suppose that proves the point

I was thinking about this recently..dh had a day off work the other week, mid week....he stayed home, relaxed, had an afternoon nap, didn't go shopping, didn't worry about dinner, basically had a nice relaxing day to himself....I don't ever do nothing on my days off and i was jealous he is so content he can relax and do this. If i do nothing I'm fidgety and restless by the afternoon and can't calm my mind.

Its pretty rubbish.

Yes me too. And for years I was under the impression I was just really good at talking to new people and being sociable and it has now just dawned on me that I'm the most irritating person ever and have no social skills at all!

I suspect I have ADHD too. I started attended the Buddhist temple in my area last year and they talk about mind chatter a lot. It's really helped me.
You don't need to become religious, they won't try and recruit you! But the teachings are very enlightening. If you don't want to do that then you could look into the Pema Chodron books or, listen to her speak on Audible.
Another suggestion is the Calm app.

That makes sense. I have a busy mind and cannot bear walking or running for long distances. I would need at least music to tune out the monotony. My worst nightmare would be solitary confinement. I think my brain will eat itself alive.

I feel content when my mind is quiet. I have times where it is fully and intensely focused on one thing and I love that feeling too.

My mind never stops. It is like it's "on" all the time. But even at work I noticed I am a fast worker. And wonder if it's down to my thought process speed! :D

I too think I have ADHD but I can't be bothered going through the rigmarole of a diagnosis

My husband says he can just not have anything going on in his head at all which seems insane to me! I can't even imagine it

@Octavia64 i have cats, I also love to listen to the birds, except it doesn’t stop there, I want to know what bird, what does it look like etc which led me to an app which identifies birds by their tweets, I can recognise over twenty birds from their tweets- it just doesn’t stop!