Why do I Feel Stuck in my Head?

Why do I Feel Stuck in my Head?

by Cindy Zabinski, LMHC, LCMHC, CRC, ACS

Do you ever get that feeling like you can't get out of your head? You may notice that you struggle with connecting with your current environment, missing out on moments with friends and family. You may notice that you struggle with focusing on a task and completing it. You may notice that you feel like you "shut down" during normal daily activities. These are all different versions of getting stuck in you head. In this blog post, I hope to describe things that might attribute to this struggle and provide some tips for how to get unstuck.

Stress & Anxiety

Two of the main contributors to getting stuck in your head are stress and anxiety. Stress tends to increase as the number and intensity of stressors in our lives increase. You may notice yourself thinking of your "to-do" list often, trying to make sure that you don't forget to complete a task. This can keep you hyper-focused on task completion, keeping you from being present in your daily life. I often utilize the metaphor of a web browser to illustrate this phenomenon. When each stressor or task is a different tab open in a web browser, a person can feel like they have upwards of 5, 10, 50, or 100 tabs open at a time. Imagine how overwhelming it would be to see this on your computer screen!
Anxiety can also keep you stuck in your head. Anxiety is often described as excessive worry about the future. Someone who is worried about upcoming events may find themselves thinking about how the event will go and what will happen, often trying to map out every possible scenario so that they can cope ahead with it. Though coping ahead can be a valuable skill, when it takes up all of your headspace it can keep you from being present in your daily life.

Overthinking

Sometimes we can get stuck in our heads when focusing on the past as well. Have you ever had something occur and then found yourself thinking about it repeatedly? You may find yourself rethinking your steps and actions taken in a certain event. This may be accompanied by a lot of self-criticism if you feel that you had made a mistake. It could be for something as simple as making an error in pronouncing a word during a public speaking experience, or calling someone by the wrong name accidentally. It is possible to feel trapped in thoughts about the event, even though there is no way to go back and change it.

Past Trauma

Feeling stuck in your head can also be due to past trauma. When we experience something traumatic, it is jarring to our nervous system. Our brain is likely to struggle with being able to logically understand it. It is difficult to "digest" memories of a traumatic experience for this reason, leaving a person stuck trying to put together the pieces to better process it. 
Flashbacks, or experiences where someone feels that they are reliving a traumatic event, are an example of being stuck in your head. It can be difficult to bring yourself out of your head during a flashback due to the emotional response that often surges with it.

How Can I Get Out of my Head?

Now that you hopefully have some reflection on what might be causing you to feel stuck in your head, let's discuss some tools and resources that might help you to get yourself out of your head! 

Organize your Thoughs

When you are stuck in your head due to stress and anxiety, organization might be helpful. Using a planner or calendar (virtual or paper) can help you to keep track of upcoming events and due dates for tasks. Write down a grocery list or type it into a note in your phone so that you aren't trying to remember everything you need to buy. Write down recipes and keep them all in one place to refer back to. There are many apps that exist that are focused on organization as well, which can assist you with this goal.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves placing your focus on the present moment and noticing everything about it using your senses without judgment. This helps to bring you out of your head by focusing on the world around you. First, try mindfully observing something. For example, when you go for a walk, notice the sounds around you, the things you see, the feeling of your feet touching the ground, and the smells. Then try to mindfully participate in your activities. An example of this would be to let loose and dance around your house as you listen to your favorite music. 
Starting to implement mindfulness into your life can be frustrating, as you might notice your mind wander back into you head at times. People often criticize themselves if this happens, feeling as if they are failing. Keep in mind that each time you notice your mind wandering and return to a state of mindfulness, it strengthens the new healthier pathways you are building in your brain!

Reprocess Your Trauma (Safely)

If you are stuck in your head due to a past traumatic experience, it may be necessary to reprocess that trauma memory in order to get unstuck and out of your head. Though this might seem like a scary process, there are ways to do so safely especially with the help of a mental health professional. Some mental health therapists have specialized training in helping clients to heal from past trauma and there are specific therapy modalities that were created to help with this process (EMDR, TF-CBT, CPT).

Practice Acceptance

Acceptance can help you to get out of your head by letting go of the things that we often overthink. If you find yourself ruminating over a past mistake that you made, having acceptance of it being something that happened in the past and that it cannot be changed can stop the repetitive thoughts. Try using some of these phrases:

• "I can't change it, so I might as well accept it!"
• "I might not like it, but I can accept it!"
• "I am choosing to accept ________."

Engage your Body

A great way to get out of your head is to get into your body! By moving our body, it can help us to bring our focus to other things, such as the exercise we are doing, the feeling of a stretch of a muscle, or our breath. Quick and easy ways to engage your body can include doing a few jumping jacks, doing some simple yoga poses, or going for a quick walk/run. You may have to try a few to find the movement that works best for you.

I hope that this post is helpful to give some possible causes for feeling stuck in your head, as well as to give you some helpful ideas on how you can work towards getting unstuck. Although it can be a process, it is worth it to get out of your head and start connecting with and enjoying life!

About the Author

Cindy Zabinski, LMHC, LCMHC, CRC, ACS is the owner of Healing & Growth Counseling. She has worked with many clients over the years that have felt stuck in their heads for one reason or another. Cindy enjoys teaching clients grounding skills that can help them to get out of their heads and connect with the world around them. She has seen so many clients be able to connect and enjoy life by decreasing anxiety, healing from past traumas, and letting go of the past. Cindy finds it helpful to use a planner to organize her schedule and to-do list. She also enjoys grounding herself by mindfully participating in activities like going for a walk or doing yoga.

Interested in learning more about Cindy? Read her bio here.

Interested in scheduling an appointment to help you get out of your head? Call us at (516) 406-8991 or fill out our Contact Form here.