How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body
Updated: 3 days ago
Quick answer: To get out of your head and ease overthinking, bring your attention back to your body and senses. Try feeling your feet on the floor, gently lengthening your exhale if comfortable, naming things you can see and hear, moving for a minute, or giving one everyday task your full attention. These practices can help you reconnect with the present moment. Start with small, regular moments of practice and notice which ones work best for you.
Thinking, planning, replaying. Thinking some more.
A lot of us live from the neck up. The body becomes something that carries the head from one meeting to the next. Then we wonder why it's so hard to relax, feel joy, or be present with the people we love.
Getting out of your head comes down to giving your attention somewhere else to land: your body and your senses.
Signs you're living in your head
Replaying conversations long after they're over
Planning the next thing while doing this one
Struggling to fall asleep because your mind won't stop
Feeling more like you're watching your life than living it
Rarely noticing hunger, tiredness or tension until it's intense
Finding it hard to enjoy things, even good ones
Why it happens
Thinking feels safe. If life once felt unpredictable, staying a step ahead in your head became a way to cope.
Busy lives reward it. Planning, analyzing and multitasking get praised at work and at home.
Feelings live in the body. If some feelings are uncomfortable, staying in your head keeps them at a distance.
All of these made sense at some point. They also leave very little room to rest.
Why "just stop thinking" rarely works
Trying to force your mind to go quiet can sometimes create even more mental effort. Overthinking can show up in the body too: tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, or shallow breathing. Notice those sensations, feel your feet on the floor, or name a few things you can see and hear. You don't need to make the thoughts disappear. The aim is to give your attention somewhere concrete to land and create a little more room for the present. Here are six simple ways to begin.
Six ways to get out of your head
1. Feel your feet
Wherever you are, notice your feet on the ground. Press them down a little. Feel the floor holding you. It takes five seconds and you can do it in any meeting.
2. Lengthen your exhale
Breathe in gently for four counts and out for six, if that feels comfortable. Repeat three times without forcing your breath. A slow, comfortable exhale may help you settle. For more simple tools like this, download our free Self-Regulation Tool Kit.
3. Name what you notice
Name five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can feel, two you can smell and one you can taste. It's a simple way to come back to the room you're in.
4. Move
Shake out your hands, then your arms, then your whole body for a minute. Or put on one song and dance in the kitchen. Movement can help you reconnect with your body and may shift your attention away from repetitive thoughts.
5. Do one thing fully
Pick one daily moment, like your first sip of coffee or washing your hands, and give it your full attention. Notice the taste, temperature and texture. Even one fully attentive minute a day gives you a simple way to practice being present.
6. Set reminders to check in with your body
Try setting three phone reminders throughout the day. When one goes off, pause and ask: "What am I feeling in my body right now?" Name the sensation. No need to change it.
Make it a habit
Presence grows with practice. Brief moments of awareness throughout the day can be easier to sustain than one long session each week. Pair these practices with things you already do: feel your feet at red lights, take an easy breath before opening email, or give your morning coffee your full attention.
For more on this, read our post Mindfulness & Mindlessness: The Sacred Dance of Presence, or see how body-based work helps in Embodiment Coach in Boulder: What Somatic Healing Unlocks.
If you'd like support bringing these practices into everyday life, our private sessions offer one-to-one guidance in Colorado and online.
Start with Pathways to Presence
Our free guide, Pathways to Presence: A Guide to Coming Home to Yourself, gives you a simple path for practicing presence in everyday life.
With love, Ben & Larinda
Frequently asked questions about getting out of your head
Why can't I get out of my head?
Often because thinking has become a way to feel safe or in control. Pushing thoughts away rarely works. Giving your attention a place to land, like your breath, your feet or your senses, works much better.
How do I stop overthinking?
One way to begin is to bring your attention to something you can notice right now. Feel your feet on the floor, take an easy breath, or name a few things you can see. You don't need to fight every thought or force your mind to go quiet. If overthinking is persistent or affecting daily life, speaking with a qualified mental health professional may help.
What does it mean to be embodied?
Being embodied means living with awareness of your body: noticing sensations, emotions and needs as they happen, and letting that awareness inform how you live.
How long does it take to feel more present?
Many people notice a small shift during a single practice. With regular practice, returning to the present becomes easier and more familiar.
Is overthinking a sign of anxiety?
It can be connected. If overthinking comes with ongoing worry, panic or trouble functioning, talk with a doctor or licensed therapist.
About the authors
Ben & Larinda are the founders of Authentic Essence, a tantra and embodiment school based in Boulder, Colorado. Together they've run more than 50 workshops, led retreats, and taught thousands of students in the United States, online, the UK and Bali.
Larinda has been teaching for five years. She completed the Tantra Practitioner Training with Embodied Awakening Academy and has studied with scholar and teacher Christopher Hareesh Wallis for two years.
Ben has worked with Embodied Awakening Academy for four years and has studied classical tantra with Christopher Hareesh Wallis for ten years.
Both have trained in somatics, yoga and breathwork, and they keep learning through daily practice, ongoing study with Hareesh and other teachers, and trainings around the world.
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