Racing thoughts?

I love the two National Treasure movies with Nicholas Cage, probably because they are both about solving gigantic puzzles. Our minds are that way, always looking for solutions even at the subconscious level. When anxiety kicks in, we can experience racing thoughts, and it feels like our mental switch just won't shut off. So, what is the brain trying to do?

It's searching for the solution to a puzzle, and that puzzle is uncertainty. Maybe the uncertainty is money, relationships, or getting older. The 'what ifs' can pile up while our wonderful brains are simply looking for some security and assurance. So, what do we do?

In the 1983 movie WarGames, a computer threatens to destroy the world with thermonuclear war as it strategizes all the possible moves countries could make in a global conflict. In the end, they get the computer to play tic-tac-toe, and it learns 'sometimes the only winning move is not to play.' That is the strategy for dealing with a racing mind. We need to teach our brains: 1. This doesn't need to be solved. 2. Our mental resources can be saved by not figuring this out. 3. Not playing the game is a winning move.

Anxiety can cause racing thoughts, and you can calm that chaos by teaching your brain that not all puzzles need to be solved.