Racing Thoughts At Night And How To Stop Them
After a long stressful day of overworking myself and getting all the things done that I needed, all I want to do is lay in bed and get the rest that my mind and body desperately need, but I can’t get these racing thoughts out of my mind. I try reading a book and even counting sheep, but nothing seems to work.
If you also struggle with your mind racing at night, you may be wondering - where are these thoughts even coming from? I thought the same thing myself for a very long time before I figured it out.
What I learned is that I have anxiety, but not just a general anxiety disorder, I struggle with high functioning anxiety (HFA), and you may, too.
People with HFA have anxiety but they’re still able to function despite how severe it is. In fact, they usually overwork themselves because they have too high of expectations for themselves and are constantly striving for perfection. Sound familiar?
Dealing with my own anxious late night thoughts can seem like an impossible task sometimes. With the right tools, it’s possible to quiet your internal monologue that keeps you awake at night.
What Causes Racing Thoughts at Night?
You feel restless at night because your mind is thinking about all the other things you still need to do, things you didn’t complete, or how you didn’t do something right based on your own standards. You may even replay conversations in your mind trying to figure out how you could have handled the situation better.
As over-functioners, we’re always focused on the next task because we base our value on how “successful” we are at getting things done. This can lead us towards incessant thoughts that keep us up in the middle of the night.
It’s a vicious cycle that leads us to overwork ourselves which, in turn, makes us exhausted or burned out. So even while we’re lying in our beds at night trying to get the rest that we so desperately need, we still can’t get our minds to turn off.
The root cause of racing thoughts at night isn’t that you woke up in the middle of the night—it’s that you’re struggling to accept these thoughts as irrational. If you give yourself the grace and compassion you give others, you’re likely to realize that most of these thoughts aren’t true and your worth as a human being isn’t tied to these values.
How To Stop Racing Thoughts At Night
I know how easy it is for people with HFA to ignore their anxiety and emotions and pretend like everything is fine, but doing this will actually just make things worse. Ignoring our feelings makes them pent up inside of us and explode over time.
We should be taking the time to recognize what we’re feeling and accept all of our emotions when they arise, including when we wake up in the middle of the night. Of course this can be more easily said than done!
Instead of pushing an emotion away like you normally would, just remember that the emotion is harmless; it’s our action in response to the emotion that can cause harm. So when you feel your anxiety building, don’t be afraid to feel - accepting the emotions you’re feeling allows you to get more comfortable with them over time and learn how to deal with them in a healthy and productive way.
When you allow yourself to feel your emotions, you can start reflecting on what may have caused them in the first place. Our anxiety is often linked to something or someone so when that trigger gets brought up, we start feeling our anxiety spiral.
Once we identify those triggers we can start making a plan to work through them so they don’t bother us as much anymore. This won’t happen overnight. I’ll admit it takes time to work through your anxiety and triggers and find something that works for you.
One thing I encourage myself and my clients to try are mindfulness hacks, similar to meditations. Now, I know the idea of sitting with your thoughts can be anxiety-inducing which is why I took the time to develop some simple but effective hacks for those that suffer with anxiety and over-functioning like me. Some of these can be done during the night when you’re experiencing racing thoughts or throughout the day to help relax pent up emotions before you go to sleep.
Take three deep breaths. Inhale to a 4 count, hold for 7, exhale to a count of 8, and repeat 4 times
Go for a slow walk and coordinate your breath with your steps. You can do this anywhere, even from the comfort of your own home
Take a breath and analyze your 5 senses to bring you immediately back to the present moment
Anxiety is proven to cause physical problems so doing something as simple as stretching throughout the day can relieve some stress and tension you might not have even known about
Repeat a mantra in your head whenever your mind starts to wander throughout the day
You can try these hacks out for yourself and the great thing about them? You don’t have to spend forever on these hacks to get the benefits, sometimes even just a few seconds will do the trick.
Stop Your Racing Thoughts With Help From An Anxiety Coach
You don’t have to experience racing thoughts forever. There are some great actionable steps you can take on your own to try and stop your anxiety from clouding your mind at night. I’ve found that most of the issues behind racing thoughts during the night actually stem from our waking hours.
My one-on-one coaching services offer a more personable approach so we can work together and make a plan tailored for you and your anxiety. I also offer a self-guided course that lets you learn more about HFA from the comfort of your home and at your own pace.
Schedule a free consultation with me to learn more about how you can work through your anxiety and deal with racing thoughts at night.