Do racing thoughts keep you up at night? How to make them stop...

Most of us have experienced racing thoughts from time to time that can interfere with sleep. 

While people with anxiety disorders are more prone, it can happen to anyone, especially during stressful times. There are a few dos and don’ts if you want to stop, or at least interrupt those racing thoughts:

• Don’t just lay there thinking. If you can’t get to sleep you might as well get something accomplished. Tackle a small chore or start a book you’ve been waiting to read.

• Do breathe deep. Get up and sit in a comfortable chair. Take some relaxing deep breaths to slow things down and interrupt the restlessness.

• Don’t try to ignore the nagging thought. If someone told you not to think about giraffes right now, you’d be hard pressed not to think about giraffes.

• Do write your troubling thoughts down. Pen and paper can be the key to draining the whirlpool of thoughts in your head. Setting those giraffes free in writing reassures your brain that it’s okay to let go for now, they’ll still be there in the morning, on paper.