Racing Thoughts: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How to Slow Them Down

We’ve all experienced racing thoughts. Those times when the brain moves from thought to thought, ruminating about what is happening or from the future-focused, anxious predictions of what might be, but what happens when those thoughts are always in overdrive? Thoughts that intrude into your day, derailing your plans, your confidence, and creating mental overwhelm and feeling no sense of control over your own life. Racing thoughts are common in times of stress, but for those with anxiety, trauma, OCD, and panic disorder, they are often a daily struggle to control the mental noise in your mind. The good news is, while you explore the underlying triggers of racing thoughts there are simple things anyone can do to help quiet the mind and take back your day.

The very first step to reclaiming your control is to understand why you’re struggling to take command of your brain when the thoughts set in. There are, of course, many variables to each individual’s thought patterns, but the following are common triggers of racing thoughts.

Racing Thoughts and Anxiety:

These are typically the most common culprit for racing thoughts. Anxiety creates an almost continuous “fight-or-flight” environment in the brain. The anxious brain is often preparing for every “what if” which inevitably leads to racing thoughts as it tries to identify all the potential risks, perceived failures, and catastrophic consequences (commonly referred to as catastrophizing), even when they may not be a likely outcome to an outside observer.

Racing Thoughts and ADHD:

The ADHD brain often experiences intensity in the speed of thoughts, especially when under pressure to address multiple things at once or when there are unfinished tasks to complete. The ADHD brain tends to struggle with focusing on one task or one detail at a time leading to an onslaught of ideas, mental clutter, and task overload.

Racing Thoughts and Trauma:

Trauma frequently leaves the brain in a state of hyperarousal feeling like it always needs to be scanning for dangers, even when none are present. In an attempt to both identify potential dangers and avoid unwanted memories, the mind gets flooded with unnecessary information.

Racing Thoughts and Stress:

When we’re stressed or overloaded, the brain gets hijacked by all the information it’s trying to sort through. In an effort to cope, it becomes flooded by the sheer amount it needs to process, leading to rapid‑fire thoughts, cognitive overload, and rumination.

The good news is there are things that can help take back control of your thoughts and in turn, your day regardless of the underlying cause of the racing thoughts.

1. Pull your focus back to the present with grounding techniques. The future can only be changed from the present and the past is unchangeable, so there is little we can do in either place. How do you know if your thoughts are stuck outside of the present? Thoughts that are “what if” thinking are functioning in the future and “I wish I had” is in the past. If your thoughts have words like “what will” or “I wish” you are not in the present. I CAN is present. What can I do right now? Even if it is count to 50, or sing a song. Even better, make a list of: “3 Things to Do When My Mind Races”. Have them ready and use them.

2. Thought reframing is possibly the singular most powerful tool we have once we learn how to do it. “My professor gave me a funny look, what if I failed the test”? (notice the future thinking, what if, here as well). Maybe your professor has too many papers to grade. Maybe he has a gas bubble. When you feel those thoughts headed into “what if” territory, ask yourself, what is the very worst case scenario if I failed the test? How can we change the internal language? “I certainly hope I did not fail the test, but I took good notes today, so if I failed this test, I can do really well on the next one”.

3. Create a mantra or coping statement for positive self-talk. When the thoughts race, what is a simple phrase to start repeating? You may need to actually do this out loud in the beginning. Pick something short, calming and positive. “I can get through this” or “I am as smart as everyone else”. Something very easy, but repeated serves 2 purposes: 1. If you are repeating your phrase, the brain is too busy to keep the thoughts going and 2. The idea of “fake it til you make it” is very real. The brain 100% believes what we tell it. The racing thoughts are telling your brain catastrophic things. The subconscious brain does NOT know the real from the imagined so, racing thoughts about catastrophe ensue. The same thing will happen when you repeat a positive mantra. Try it.

4. Like podcasts or music? A great sensory grounding, distraction technique is listening to a podcast, video, or music, but picturing the words in your mind as, well, words. You can picture the individual letters that spell out the words you are hearing or a creative picture in your mind of what you hear. This, again, turns off those parts of the brain creating the racing thoughts.

If you have tried grounding techniques and persistent racing thoughts continue to interfere with your daily life, relationships, are experiencing sleep disruption, or you feel unable to manage, it may be helpful to consult with a doctor or therapist. Please seek immediate help by dialing 988 or 911 if you have thoughts of self harm, suicide, or hurting others. There are clinical interventions including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) that are very effective in treating racing thoughts. You may also want to explore medications to manage underlying conditions like anxiety, panic, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Racing thoughts can make even simple tasks feel scattered, urgent, or impossible to start. Executive function coaching helps by giving people structure, tools, daily routines, and support that slow the mental pace and make daily life feel more manageable. Coaching doesn’t treat the cause of racing thoughts, but it does make the day‑to‑day impact easier to navigate. A coach helps break down all the mental clutter and cognitive overload trying to prioritize what feels like an endless loop of to-dos, and helps you build a predictable routine and the executive function skills to be more in control of each day.

Racing thoughts can make life feel hard to keep up with, but they’re also incredibly common, especially for people juggling stress, transitions, executive function challenges, and mental health conditions. You’re not supposed to manage all of this in your head without support. With the right tools, routines, and structure, racing thoughts become easier to slow down and navigate. For some simple steps you can start using right away, check out our article 8 Easy Steps You Can Start Today to Manage Anxiety and Panic.