How do you cope with your mind going round in circles?

[malificent7]

Prob should be on mh but posted here on traffic. I'm on my final clinical placement and it's pretty intense to the point where it's hard to switch off.
I'm actually really enjoying this placement but I go over things in my head again and again...funny things, sad things, colleagues etc. I even dream about work !
How do i switch off? My tombola brain normally wakes me up in the middle of the night. Tips welcome!

Not nearly as bad as you but this is something I'm working on at the minute.

I've started to meditate each day (The 28 Day Mindfulness Challenge on YouTube is good). I'm also going out for a walk each day in the woods and across fields when I can. I'm decluttering and cleaning. I'm also cooking much more from scratch which gives me a great sense of achievement.

I'm an introvert so get really overloaded if I spend too much time with other people though. Currently at home and not seeing anyone except DH and the cat which is bliss!

I love the term 'tombola brain' by the way!

You could give yourself a set ‘worry time’ each evening, say for 15 minutes , where you write down all your worries and concerns in a journal and then put it away at the end of the allotted time. When you wake in the night it can help to think ‘I can think about that during my worry time tomorrow’. So you’re not avoiding it completely, just deferring it.

Alternatively you can use some defusion techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), such as noticing and labelling your thoughts. Russ Harris’s book ‘The Happiness Trap’ is great for this.

Also , I saw a post by the author Liz Gilbert last week which talked about ‘horizontal thinking’ vs ‘vertical thinking’: or put more simply, if you notice your mind looping in circles when you are lying down in bed, the best way of cutting into the cycle is to stand up and move around. Then only return to lying in bed once your mind has calmed.

I'm an introvert at heart too alrhough i have to say my colleagues are lovely!
I am going to try meditation and mindfullness but just no time atm...

Even on my days off i have academic work...!

Exercise. The harder the better!

Online dance classes can work nicely too (zumba etc..)

I think being introverted means you do tend to replay and attempt to process interactions. It's possibly just a consequence of putting yourself out there in a way you normally wouldn't.

If you find it's happening when you're trying to sleep or driving etc then I would highly recommend podcasts to give your brain a focus and drown out the tombola.

You need types:

1. things you find really gripping . I love true crime or interviews with interesting people. Comedy shows etc are good.

1. Things that are mildly interesting but not exciting. I like A Good Read and In Our Time on Radio 4. Nothing that will provoke an emotional response like politics etc or anything related to your work/ other sources of stress.

I have to write stuff down to get it out of my head.
Or go for a run

I get this when I'm stressed, over working and under exercising.

So I find the best things to do are exercise outdoors to destress and take up some of the energy so I sleep properly for 6-7 hours at night.

I've been doing my job for so long I know when I'm getting to that stage (usually by Wed/Thurs) and have to make a real effort to find 1-2 hours before work to get outside for the sunrise at this time of year.

The long dark evenings don't help, as in the summer I can potter in my garden to unwind after work.

I use thought labelling- it can help a bit. You label the thoughts with the topic such as 'money' 'health' 'family' 'news' or whatever. It creates a space and is used in mindfulness I think.

Also distractions such as the calm app, music or reading can help a bit. i m rubbish at all of this atm however, struggle with anxiety, but it does help when I remember

Also doing physical things such as walking or yoga can help too

"Alternatively you can use some defusion techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), such as noticing and labelling your thoughts."

Ah just seen this, yes this is what I meant as well.

I've recently found singing along at the top of my voice to music helps and dancing around crazily too

Listen to audio books

Work out your coping style. Are you problem, appraisal or emotional focussed? I'm problem focussed so I have to get things done to stop me ruminating, so staying up and filing off a few emails etc is more therapeutic than a session of mindfulness