One moment, you’re recalling an awkward conversation from yesterday; the next, you’re worrying about tomorrow’s to-do list. Before you know it, your day has passed under a fog of constant mental chatter.

Many of us live on autopilot, identified with our thoughts and emotions without even realizing it. Dennis Davis, author of Beyond the Mind: Awakening to Your True Self, explains that true freedom comes when we learn to step back from the constant stream of thoughts and discover the quiet awareness that lies beneath.

Here are three simple practices Dennis recommends to help you break free from overthinking and return to the present moment:

𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞

Spend five minutes sitting comfortably with your eyes closed. As thoughts come, simply notice them without following them or trying to change them.

You might notice thoughts like, “I need to reply to that email,” or “I shouldn’t be thinking so much.” Instead of engaging, imagine each thought as a cloud drifting across the sky. You are the sky, spacious and still, allowing thoughts to pass without resistance.

The more you practice watching your thoughts, the more you begin to see that you are not your thoughts but the awareness that notices them.

𝟐. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬

Many people think mindfulness requires long meditation sessions. In truth, you can integrate mindfulness into the simplest parts of your day.

The next time you wash your hands, slow down and feel the water on your skin, the temperature, and the texture of the soap. Notice the sensation of your feet on the floor and the sound of the water running.

This simple shift from autopilot to presence can instantly quiet mental noise and ground you in the now.

𝟑. 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭

When emotions like frustration or anxiety arise, we often react automatically, saying things we later regret or spiraling into more negative thoughts.

The next time you feel a strong emotion, pause and take one conscious breath. Feel the breath entering and leaving your body, and notice the emotion as a physical sensation—tightness in the chest, heat in the face—without labeling it as “bad” or trying to push it away.

This pause creates a space where you can respond consciously rather than react automatically, helping you break habitual patterns of thought and behavior.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲

Breaking free from overthinking doesn’t mean stopping thoughts entirely. It means learning to relate to them differently—seeing them as passing clouds rather than absolute truths.

𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀:

“𝐷𝘰𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝘦𝑒𝘬 𝘺𝑜𝘶𝑟𝘴𝑒𝘭𝑓 𝑖𝘯 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘮𝑖𝘯𝑑. 𝘉𝑒 𝑝𝘳𝑒𝘴𝑒𝘯𝑡. 𝘉𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝘳𝑒 𝑎𝘴 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘰𝑏𝘴𝑒𝘳𝑣𝘦𝑟 𝑜𝘧 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘮𝑖𝘯𝑑.”

When you practice watching your thoughts, bringing mindfulness into everyday tasks, and pausing before reacting, you create openings in the constant stream of thinking. In these openings, you discover quiet clarity, a spaciousness where peace and insight naturally arise.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your journey toward inner freedom, Dennis’s book, Beyond the Mind: Awakening to Your True Self, offers clear, compassionate guidance to help you live with greater presence and peace.

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: Dennis Davis on Amazon