I read somewhere performance athletes have 5,000 or so fewer thoughts per day.

I think I am the opposite my brain seems to be on overdrive most of the time, I can't seem to stop thinking about things or going over things in my head.

I end up causing myself a bit of stress over it which I'm sure isn't helping.

Does anyone else do thing or am I just wierd.

Any suggestions on calming my mind down?

do you tend to think about the things that you then worry about?

In my experience, think about the things you have some control over. those are the ones that count. thinking about things you can't control is not worth the time and causes undue stress.

If you then spend more time not worrying about those things you have no control over, this frees you up with time to really concentrate and improve upon what you can control.

just my 2c

I have a similar problem. I tend to over analyse everything. I end up making assumptions about things that are not based on fact and may indeed be false, (most of the time they are). I build senarios in my mind about everything and drive myself mad with worry.

I have found meditation really helps but you have to do it regularly, at least once a day. Training works for me too. My mind becomes still and focused when I train and I love that.

Hope it helps.

Recognition is the most valuable part for me. If I can see that I'm going into an anxiety cycle then I can choose to think about what's bothering me or else distract myself until I start to feel better.

Oh, dude, I am totally in the same boat. My brain won't shut up. It's like that annoying girlfriend that just blabbers constantly. Doesn't make me anxious, just annoys me, keeps me from getting to sleep.

Music helps me a lot. I always have music on when I lift.

Another important thing is making a conscious effort to direct your mind to what you what to think about. Find yourself over analyzing the last thing that cute girl said to you? Just fuhgedaboudit, and change your thoughts to something you like, perhaps what your next lift is going to look like, what healthy meal you could make yourself, something you could do to improve yourself. Stayin positive really helps!

Hope that works for ya, bud.

Any suggestions on calming my mind down?

Stop worrying about it.

If you end up with a lot of conscious thoughts, what it means to me is that you actively subvocalize them a lot. This is a facility that some people have and other people don't. I don't think it really affects the quality of thought one way or another, it's just like having closed captioning turned on your television - OK you have the same television but with words now.

You can get a lot of advice based on how to turn off various parts of your conscioius experience during athletics or workout, where the presumption is that you are negatively affected by having them on. Sometimes people call this the "paralysis of analysis".

If your analysis can paralyze you, then you aren't good at analysis, and you are too easy to paralyze. Walking and chewing gum at the same time might take work, but it's not superhuman. So if you find you have an intrusive stream of consciousness, it's usually easier to train it to be fluent and accurate than it is to stifle it. After all, if it is naturally turned on, then you have to do work to turn it off. Concentration does not have to be the same experience for everybody.

So if your brain wants to provide play by play and color commentary while you are active? Let it. Just work on the quality.

I like what Zenpharaohs said so eloquently. It has been said that the function of the mind is to "Reconcile cognitive dissonance". Remember - that which you resist most - you get. Just let go.

ADD dude.

My mind races all day and I can't conentrate on things for large amounts of time. Something in conversations tends to spark something in my mind and send me off to a different universe. I usually am not aware of what I am doing if my mind is elsewhere, this causes me to leave stuff all over the place because I usually don't even I had something in my mind. I forget things people tell me easily.

But my mind works well with visuals. I think mostly in pictures and I usually have inner monologues with myself or I relate problems I have in my head in the form of a story. The only time this really doesn't happen is when I play video games, which I have not done in a long time, read, or watch TV. I guess because of the scences that are created in my mind by the story. It drives my wife crazy because I can't read and talk to her while she's watching TV. I have to filter out the TV noise wich causes me to filter her out. If she says something I do hear it but it's like some vague voice off in the distance, I usually break out my concentration but not soon enough. I can't multitask real well. I'm super disorganized.

I tried the Dominic System to help me remember stuff and it works pretty well...when I remember to use it.

3600 seconds/hour. Less than 5000 thoughts in a DAY? I doubt anybody is that focused OR simple-minded, regardless of how you're defining a single thought.

I understand where you're coming from, and I'm sure everybody has trouble focusing at least sometimes, but I feel like I have to doubt that figure :confused:

Edit: I know this isn't that important, it's more just the idea that you're talking about, but your post made me curious about the numbers. I was reading about this quickly just now, and unsurprisingly, opinions seem to vary on this subject as to the actual numbers. As I suspected, it's difficult to define OR measure thought(s).

3600 seconds/hour. Less than 5000 thoughts in a DAY? I doubt anybody is that focused OR simple-minded, regardless of how you're defining a single thought.

I understand where you're coming from, and I'm sure everybody has trouble focusing at least sometimes, but I feel like I have to doubt that figure :confused:

Edit: I know this isn't that important, it's more just the idea that you're talking about, but your post made me curious about the numbers. I was reading about this quickly just now, and unsurprisingly, opinions seem to vary on this subject as to the actual numbers. As I suspected, it's difficult to define OR measure thought(s).
He said "5000 fewer" not "less then". As in 5000 less then the average person, not less then 5000 period. :tu:

I wish I had time for more thoughts and pondering.

My thought process is usually

1. list of things I need/want to do
2. pick the top 3, forget about the rest
3. decide the most efficient way of getting those done
4. do them (or at least get as far as I can)
5. repeat.

or something like that.

I think it is part personality, but a lot had to do with my job and having 3 young kids. Although that doesn't seem to stop my wife from thinking about all sorts of stuff that is not urgent. Important, maybe, but not urgent. Separating those two I think is a bit step to organizing and prioritizing - both your mind and actions.

ADD dude.

My mind races all day and I can't conentrate on things for large amounts of time. Something in conversations tends to spark something in my mind and send me off to a different universe. I usually am not aware of what I am doing if my mind is elsewhere, this causes me to leave stuff all over the place because I usually don't even I had something in my mind. I forget things people tell me easily.

But my mind works well with visuals. I think mostly in pictures and I usually have inner monologues with myself or I relate problems I have in my head in the form of a story. The only time this really doesn't happen is when I play video games, which I have not done in a long time, read, or watch TV. I guess because of the scences that are created in my mind by the story. It drives my wife crazy because I can't read and talk to her while she's watching TV. I have to filter out the TV noise wich causes me to filter her out. If she says something I do hear it but it's like some vague voice off in the distance, I usually break out my concentration but not soon enough. I can't multitask real well. I'm super disorganized.

duuuuude... that is soooo me :nod: it's probably why I like to read so much... I used to read a LOT when I was younger too.. and my memory SUCKS

I tried the Dominic System to help me remember stuff and it works pretty well...when I remember to use it.[/QUOTE]

I'm going to have to look that up.. if I remember to :p

duuuuude... that is soooo me :nod: it's probably why I like to read so much... I used to read a LOT when I was younger too.. and my memory SUCKS

I tried the Dominic System to help me remember stuff and it works pretty well...when I remember to use it.

I'm going to have to look that up.. if I remember to :p[/QUOTE]

are you mocking me:(

The Dominic System is pretty cool, since it relies on pictures in the brain, I do well with it when I use it to remember stuff.