How often do you find yourself in a looping of spinning and swirling thoughts? ADHD and anxiety can combine to create a mind that feels constantly under siege. Sometimes I feel like I can’t think in coherent sentences.
When this happens, I know I need to shut down my mind and exit the loops. Of course the mind has no off switch.
One way that helps me get out of the trap of the spinning thoughts is by writing poetry, especially haiku. Haiku provide a structure that contains my ideas. I am forced to count the syllables. And counting syllables, like counting breaths, is a meditative process in itself.
This is a group of haiku I wrote to stop my own spinning thoughts.
Each one of these haiku is a prescription for getting out of your spinning thoughts. You can take them together or individually, as needed.
Prescriptions for Stopping Spinning Thoughts
put aside your thoughts
allow your mind to settle
let the swirling stop
anchor through your feet
feel the ground beneath your soles
connect to the earth
take a deep inhale
fill your vessel with fresh air
feel yourself expand
take in all of life
create space in your body
let yourself feel full
close your eyes and rest
feel breath move through your body
connect to what’s real
find presence right now
the only time that matters
come home to yourself