How to quiet the noise in your head, and feel happier at work and in life

Get more insights and tips from Well Adjusted by subscribing to the full edition for free. You’ll receive it in your inbox three times a week.

Whether we’re dwelling on the outcome of the election, work performance or a tense exchange with a partner—our minds are constantly buzzing with noise. 

“‘Noise in the brain’ is a phrase I hear my patients use to describe a constant stream of thoughts, most often negative, which become overwhelming and are usually unhelpful,” says Dr. Nina Vasan, psychiatrist and founder and executive director of Brainstorm: The Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation. 

“These thoughts often arise from questions we face about our responsibility, freedom, meaning, isolation, and even mortality,” says Sara Kuburic, an existential psychotherapist, known as the Millennial Therapist on Instagram. Phenomena like impostor syndrome, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and burnout propel overactivity. Those with behavioral and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and ADHD, are also more prone to have overactive brains that scan for problems. 

“It’s hard to quiet the noise because the brain is wired to seek solutions, often trying to ‘fix’ things by overthinking,” Kuburic says.

Here are ways to quiet your mind: 

1. Ask yourself: Are my thoughts actionable or fear-based? 

“When a thought keeps resurfacing and is tied to something important happening in your life right now, it likely deserves your attention,” says Julie Bjelland, LMFT, psychotherapist and host of The HSP and Neurodivergent Podcast.

She adds: “If you’re worried about an approaching project deadline and your thoughts are reminding you to prioritize tasks, you can break the project into smaller tasks and take concrete steps.”

However, if the thoughts are about an intangible fear or a far-fetched possibility and action is not possible, you can become emotionally stuck. It can be helpful to tell yourself that in this case, there is nothing to take action on—and draw a clear distinction between something realistic and something rooted in fear. 

2. Practice mindfulness 

Try a simple breathing exercise to interrupt your thoughts: Inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for four counts. Repeat for 60 seconds. A body scan meditation, where you close your eyes and focus on each part of your body while slowly engaging different muscles, is another powerful mindfulness technique.

3. Limit stimuli

“Reduce exposure to information overload, like excessive screen time, social media, or stressful contexts. External stimuli often amplify internal noise, so limiting distractions can create more mental space,” Kuburic says. For example, put a daily social media limit on your phone and have zero-tolerance hours when you don’t check notifications. 

Read Alexa Mikhail’s full article here.

💡 Aging Well Tip of the Week

Adhering to the Mediterranean diet as one ages appears to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, finds yet another study—one scientists say provides the strongest proof yet of its benefits.

Researchers from the University of Barcelona in Spain followed nearly 850 French citizens over the age of 65 for more than a decade. Participants were split fairly evenly between women and men, and all were dementia-free at the start of the study. They monitored a panel of biomarkers—like healthy omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, found in foods consumed on the diet—every few years and performed five neuropsychological evaluations on each participant during the course of the study.

Here's what is in the Mediterranean diet.

Enjoyed this newsletter?

Get free access to the full edition of Fortune’s health and wellness newsletter, sent to your inbox three times a week.