I imagine I'm not alone in having an over active mind and a tendency to over-think everything. Unfortunately having a constant stream of thoughts is actually a stimulus on the body that can actually be a source of stress on the body and be quite draining.
Unfortunately, if you are an over-thinker then trying to stop can be very difficult. Meditation is great as is yoga but one of the most useful tools I've found is this simple exercise from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle:
The objective is to only do/think about one thing at a time. So for example when you're brushing your teeth just think about brushing your teeth and exactly what you are doing at that moment, rather than what you're going to do next or what happened yesterday; if you're walking to the tube don't listen to music or start thinking about your to do list, just focus on walking and observing your surroundings; if you want to do some reading, or even thinking, wait til you can sit down and just dedicate your attention to that particular task, rather than trying to read whilst walking to the bus-stop or whilst eating your lunch.
In a city that prizes the multi-tasker this can be a difficult habit to get into, and not one that can easily be maintained the whole time. However giving yourself an occasional break from multi-tasking will help calm your nervous system and make you feel more relaxed and less harried.
If it's a struggle start with 10minutes a day and then build up. Once you've had some practice you'll find it easier to switch off when you need a break from your thoughts!
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