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Sometimes, you just want to switch off the noise in your head. Maybe you're overthinking at night or are overwhelmed with negative thoughts before a meeting. We've all been there–it's only human, after all. But the truth is that we can all change this. We can learn how to control our thoughts, and science is totally on our side in this regard!

Therefore, if you want to learn how to control your mind, quiet the mental chaos, and sharpen your focus, continue reading! We've included the best strategies–from cutting-edge tools like neurofeedback to time-tested practices like mindfulness and journaling.

Key Takeaways

• Train your brain with neurofeedback. The Mendi headband uses real-time brain monitoring to help you strengthen focus and regulate emotions, literally training your prefrontal cortex to regain control of your thoughts.

• Master your thoughts with mindfulness and self-awareness. These practices can help you observe your mental patterns, break the autopilot loop, and respond rather than react.

• Reframe your inner dialogue through positive thinking and visualization. Identify what triggers your negative thoughts–this will help you restore long-term mental control.

Best Methods on How to Control Your Mind

We hear you want to control your mind. You want to get rid of those unwanted thoughts. And probably you also want to get a good night's sleep that is free of rumination. Well, why not start with the most straightforward and science-backed method that allows you to control your mind, quite literally? The answer is neurofeedback! But rest assured–we've included other methods that really work if you don't think neurofeedback is the best solution for you!

1. Control Your Mind with Neurofeedback

What if you could train your brain to gain control over your racing thoughts, negative emotions, and mental noise and, at the same time, stay grounded in the present moment? That's the promise of Mendi, a neurofeedback tool designed to help you regulate your brain activity and gain better control over your mind.

Mendi is built on science-backed neurofeedback technology that can help strengthen your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for executive functions like decision-making, emotion regulation, and thought control. It is your prefrontal cortex that allows you to stay focused under pressure, perform well at work, and keep your emotions in check when needed.

So, the more you train with Mendi, the more equipped your brain becomes to manage unwanted thoughts, stay calm in stressful situations, disconnect from your responsibilities at the end of the day, and break free from reactive mental loops.

How Mendi Works:

• Advanced sensors incorporated into the Mendi headband track real-time changes in blood flow and oxygen levels in your prefrontal cortex—an indicator of brain activity and focus.

• While wearing the device, you engage in an interactive game through the Mendi app, where you receive real-time feedback. The game is controlled by your brain—the more focused and regulated you are, the better your performance.

• This feedback loop reinforces your brain’s ability to stay present and override distraction, anxiety, and unhelpful thought spirals.

Over time, these workouts put your brain's neuroplasticity to work, which helps create and strengthen healthier neural pathways. As a result, you can enjoy greater mental clarity, improved control over intrusive thoughts, and enhanced self-awareness.

2. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful tool to control your mind and reduce stress. Why? Because similarly to neurofeedback, it helps you be fully present and enhances self-awareness. This provides you with the necessary tools to acknowledge your thoughts and see things from a different perspective.

In fact, a 2023 study has proven that mindfulness may indeed be useful in controlling intrusive thoughts. Further research indicates that mindfulness-based interventions can significantly decrease rumination levels.

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on one thought at a time, calming and centering the mind. You can also try simple techniques like taking deep breaths, engaging your senses during daily activities, or scanning your body in a mindful way. If you get distracted, don’t worry. Just start again without judgment and allow yourself to come back to focus. Most people find these exercises easy and useful.

3. Cultivate Self-awareness

Have you ever caught yourself thinking about something without knowing how you actually ended up thinking about that? This happens because you were likely doing this on autopilot without observing how your thought patterns progressed and how you linked one thought to another.

So, if you are not aware of your own thoughts, how can you take control of your mind? This is why it's extremely important to just take the time to observe how your mind works before actively trying to change your thought patterns. The more self-aware you become, the better you will be at controlling your mind. You will also learn to reflect on your behaviors and open your mind to change.

One way to develop self-awareness is through journaling. This practice promotes honest reflection. It deepens your connection with yourself. Journaling can take many forms, including free-flow writing, which allows for a stream of consciousness that reveals inner thoughts and feelings.

By journaling consistently you can recognize and acknowledge patterns, triggers, and limiting beliefs that hold you back from personal growth. If you accept your intrusive thoughts, you are a step closer to reducing their power and reflecting on yourself without judgment.

4. Use Positive Thinking

Once you become aware of your thoughts, it's time to change their direction. Say you're ruminating over an experience that left you feeling like you weren't good enough. Shifting your point of view doesn't change what happened, but it does help you see things from a different perspective, one that doesn't imply that you failed. And that's where positive thinking comes in.

Positive thinking is a cognitive strategy that can actually change the way your brain functions over time. And the best way to achieve this is through positive self-talk. This implies that you have to consciously replace harsh inner dialogue with supportive, solution-oriented language and positive thoughts.

For example, change I always mess things up to I'm learning from this, and I'm getting better every day. This breaks negative thinking loops, being extremely useful when you feel anxious.

Ultimately, employ some self-compassion! You'll definitely notice a difference, and controlling random thoughts will become much easier over time!

5. Change the Narrative

When we are imbued with so many thoughts or unpleasant feelings, we are not too flexible. It becomes difficult to change our position, gain clarity, and control our minds. In this case, changing the narrative can really help. This means that you have to give up on the I for a bit.

For example, in the future, when you become aware that you are spiraling into negative thoughts, stop for a second and shift your position. So, instead of saying I did not get the job because I was not good enough, say S/he did not get the job this time. S/he had other jobs in the past, and s/he was successful. S/he will try again, and s/he will eventually find a job that will make her/him happy.

What does this accomplish? First, it allows you to change your perspective and be objective about the situation. It feels as if you're observing the circumstances from afar. Secondly, it allows you to be self-compassionate. You're basically giving yourself the piece of advice you'd give to a friend–with no judgment, no harshness, and no critique.

6. Practice Visualization

Visualization is a mental technique used by elite athletes, performers, and therapists to train the brain for success. When you vividly imagine a desired outcome—whether it’s staying calm during a meeting or facing fear without panicking—you activate your subconscious mind and align your thoughts and actions.

Studies show that visualization can enhance performance, reduce anxiety, and improve confidence. Practicing visualization regularly helps you strengthen focus, interrupt negative thought loops, and redirect your mind toward calm, goal-oriented action.

How to try it: each morning, spend 3–5 minutes visualizing yourself responding to challenges with clarity and control. Use all your senses—what you see, feel, hear—and make the scene as real as possible.

7. Identify What Triggers Negative Thoughts

Does this situation sound familiar? You keep scrolling your Instagram feed–someone is on a solo trip across the world, someone has just bought a new house, someone got their dream job–and you notice that your thoughts get a bit out of control, you start overthinking and comparing yourself to others (check this study!), you forget that your own preoccupations matter just as much, and ultimately you feel worse than before picking up your phone.

After all, it has long been confirmed that constant exposure to social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy, so it is part of human nature to feel this way. If this has happened to you, it's probably time to take a break from social media or at least remind yourself that what you see is a carefully curated portrayal of a certain person's life. The truth is that their reality remains unknown to us.

Ultimately, this is only an example. Triggers are unique to everyone, so identifying them goes hand in hand with self-awareness. Once you realize what is prompting your inability to control specific thoughts, you will find your own way to change this.

How to try it: keep a "thought log" for one week. Jot down what you were doing or feeling when the rumination started. Over time, you'll see the patterns.

8. Strengthen Emotion Regulation and Stress Management

If you are always under pressure or suffer from chronic stress, you won't have the energy to control your thoughts. This is why it's of the essence to continuously improve the way you handle day-to-day challenges.

Well-developed emotion regulation and stress management skills help you respond rather than react, even when you're under pressure. This gives you a sense of control.

You can strengthen your emotion regulation skills by keeping a mood journal where you try to label your feelings throughout the day. It seems simple, but trust us–it's more difficult than you think!

When it comes to stress management, it's important to adopt a healthy lifestyle:

• Get enough quality sleep

• Eat healthily

• Exercise

• Adopt a balanced work-life routine

• Spend time in nature

• Stay hydrated

• Meditate

• Laugh more

All of these are known to relieve stress–and you definitely deserve to reap these benefits given all your hard work!

9. Support Your Mental Health Through Therapy

Sometimes, no matter how many tools we use, our thoughts feel tangled, persistent, or rooted in past experiences we haven’t fully processed. That’s why therapy can be life-changing.

A trained therapist has the knowledge and skills to help you recognize subconscious patterns, develop new coping strategies, and navigate deeper issues like trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, or chronic stress.

A therapist's goal is to create a safe space where you can observe your thoughts without judgment and learn how to shift them consciously instead of letting your mind control you.

You may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, which is a talk therapy that can help you become more aware of your thinking patterns and change your response to them.

Control Your Mind with Mendi!

Mendi neurofeedback transforms the abstract idea of controlling your mind into a measurable, trainable skill through advanced technology.

You can now join thousands of users who are already reaping the benefits of neurofeedback from the comfort of their homes!

Plus, you get to train your brain and ultimately control your mind while playing a game on our app, which transforms this activity into an immersive, enjoyable, and engaging experience!

FAQs

What is the best way to control your mind?

The best way to control your mind is by training your brain with neurofeedback. It provides you a glimpse into what happens in your brain, shining light on how you react to different stimuli and helping you take control of your behaviors and thoughts. Other excellent methods to control your mind include mindfulness, self-awareness activities, and reinforcing positive thinking.

How to control your mind to stop worrying?

You can control your mind and stop worrying by practicing self-awareness exercises. They will help you observe and understand your thoughts in a conscious way, which, in turn, can give you the necessary tools to stop worrying.

How to calm your mind?

You can calm your mind through breathing exercises, mindfulness practices, meditation, journaling, or even physical exercise, as it can improve your overall well-being.

When should I get professional support?

You should get professional support when you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or can’t manage life’s challenges on your own.