To ask if your brain ever gets quiet

[thatsalad]

As in, you literally are not thinking any thoughts?

YABU - yes
YANBU - no

That must be incredible, I feel so exhausted and agitated all the time

Some peoples do often apparently. My partner can think of nothing or choose to think only about one thing. He says he can easily shut thoughts out. My mind naturally thinks of many things at any time and jumps around, which is what I can control with meditation as well as exercise and journalling.

Thinking can be peaceful too. I tend to run parallel streams and have places I put part of my thoughts if I need to reduce stress. It's just like daydreaming but I'm in it with others and there's an intent to have some additional calmness to whatever else I'm doing.
I have a big wooden house, beach house and set of cross roads that I go to in the day and often dream about. I also draw imaginary parallel yellow lines around visual spaces. Keeps me happy and I wouldn't like empty thoughts.

I'm not sure if I'd call them thoughts exactly, but what I do have is my own voice talking constantly inside my head. It seems to be having a conversation with somebody, but the other person doesn't get a word in edgeways. It describes past events, what other people did, how I was feeling, etc. It's quite frustrating because it constantly distracts me from real-life conversations/situations, and it makes it very difficult for me to concentrate when I'm listening to the radio (my inner voice does however seem to enjoy watching TV and also scrolling through MN, because both of these make it shut up for a bit!).

The ironic thing is that if you were to meet me IRL, you'd probably think I was very quiet!

It’s a fucking 24/7 party with the radio on the whole time in my head.

im not diagnosed anything but ive had many mention ADHD to me. Ive quietly accepted that but i dont want to go to the bother of being diagnosed, or have help. Ive managed to self help myself in ways i can, and the rest is just a part of me.

TBH I wouldn't know any other way, I don't feel I'm missing out but maybe I am.

My brain's always on the go, I swear that one day I'll drive myself crazy with constant brain chatter. When I was still with my XH, we spoke about this, and he said he often doesn't think about anything at all. He's always been a lights on but nobody's home kinda guy, so that made sense! After that conversation, I decided to embrace the inner noise as I really do believe it's a sign that at least the cogs are turning, which has to be better than absolutely nothing going on up there.

Yes they do...I know right . Some adhd meds can quieten the brain right down

I wish! I will say screens are especially not helping- I gave up looking at my phone after six o clock for two weeks and found I fell asleep quickly and had a better sleep, not overthinking at night, but I went back to them:(

When I can't sleep (due to brain) I count my breathing. As soon as a thought pops in, I have to start again. I haven't reached nirvana or anything, but it seems to help me get to sleep.

Also in yoga (and similar classes) when the instructor gets us to close our eyes and guides us through relaxation and breathing I do feel very peaceful.

I'm pretty highly strung and these pockets of calm help me.

But that's what thoughts are

Have you tried any sort of mindfulness or meditation?

I'm another silent Brainer. I have an inner voice but unless I engage her she is quiet.

It freaks my husband out as his head is constantly going. We sleep with a white noise machine in our room for our baby and it soothes him but drives me mad because it breaks my nice silence. I always thought he was the weird one until we talked about this with friends recently.

There are various ribbons of thought running at any time. Always a music channel (currently on calon lân.) Other things depends on what going on. I can foreground a particular thread if needed (usually) but most of the other stuff is still there in the background, ready to rise up to the surface. I can focus and meditate, but I can't imagine being completely silent. I think it must be sometimes when I sleep, but usually if I'm aware of sleeping, it's because of vivid and active dreams, so not then.

My brain never stops going, relentless thoughts, songs, conversations, planning, reflection etc. I thought it was perfectly normal until my dh told me that his brain is silent a lot of time. I just don't understand how that is possible.
I can't sleep without the tv on as a silent environment makes my brain seem louder. I'm wondering about the possibility that I may have ADHD although I'm generally quiet and calm in demeanour but my brain isn't.

Sometimes during meditation and when I hit that flow state during physical activity or painting or playing music.

I have an ADHd diagnosis. My brain is conducting 7 different hypothetical conversations and composing 3 emails and singing 2 songs at any given time.

My DH, meanwhile (ASD) can spend hours just lying on the sofa looking out the window, and if I ask him what he’s thinking, he gives me a blankly placid smile and says ‘I’m not. I’m just looking.’

I can’t imagine what that’s like. But I am certain there is a correlation between the beatific emptiness of his mind and the heaviness of my mental load 😠

I don't think it's possible for brains to have no thoughts at all, even very simple processing, unless you are asleep or sedated.

For people who can’t switch their brains off when trying to sleep- you need brown noise. It’s like white noise but a slightly lower frequency, and it’s perfect for ADHD brains. I have a white noise machine with all different sounds that goes on with the brown noise setting when I go to bed and it’s the only time all day my brain is still and quiet. It’s literally like someone has flipped the switch off, it’s delicious.

For those saying “nobody has a quiet brain”- yes they do! I am ND, my partner is not, as PP said unthread he often lays in bed for ages in the morning without a single thought- meanwhile I’ve planned our next holiday, mentally repainted the bathroom, put together the food shopping list, and had several imaginary conversations.

Please tell us how 🙏

Last year I was told I probably have ADHD and possibly ASD as well. Am waiting for a formal assessment. Someone said to try this. Think to yourself, "I wonder what my next thought will be". Give it a go!

Nope. I tried meditation and it made me suicidal. It was terrifying. It still scares me, although I'm mentally well now.

I’m so sorry this happened.

Do you know why it made you suicidal? What happened? I’m interested in meditation so just curious. Sorry really personal questions.

Only when I meditate, and that's been and still is a long road.