Why “Getting Out of Your Head” Works

Anxiety thrives on mental overactivity: ruminating on past regrets, future fears, and imagined catastrophes. This internal focus activates the brain’s default mode network (DMN), which is associated with self-referential thinking and emotional distress (Raichle, 2015). To interrupt this loop, science shows that shifting attention outward or into the body can deactivate the DMN and engage sensory, motor, and executive networks - calming the nervous system and restoring clarity (Farb et al., 2007).

10 Science-Backed Ways to Get Out of Your Head

1. Name What You Notice

Labeling emotions activates the prefrontal cortex and dampens the amygdala’s reactivity, a process known as affect labeling (Lieberman et al., 2007).

Try this: “I notice I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’m thinking about failing.”

2. Move Your Body

Aerobic exercise increases GABA, a calming neurotransmitter, and reduces anxiety symptoms (Ströhle, 2009). Even 10 minutes of walking can shift your mental state.

3. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

This sensory-based method anchors you in the present and reduces anxious rumination (Bourne, 2015).

• 5 things you see
• 4 things you feel
• 3 things you hear
• 2 things you smell
• 1 thing you taste

4. Engage in Creative Flow

Creative activities activate the task-positive network and release dopamine, reducing self-focused rumination (Dietrich, 2004).

5. Practice Mindful Observation

Mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety by increasing cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation (Hölzel et al., 2011).

6. Talk to Someone

Social connection boosts oxytocin and lowers cortisol, buffering stress and anxiety (Heinrichs et al., 2003).

7. Do a Task That Requires Focus

Focused tasks engage executive function and redirect attention from abstract worries to concrete action (McEwen & Gianaros, 2011).

8. Cold Exposure or Breathwork

Cold water on the face activates the parasympathetic nervous system via the mammalian dive reflex, calming the fight-or-flight response (Porges, 2007). Breathwork also regulates vagal tone and reduces anxiety (Zaccaro et al., 2018).

9. Change Your Environment

Nature exposure lowers blood pressure, reduces cortisol, and improves mood (Ulrich et al., 1991; Bratman et al., 2015).

10. Use a Mantra or Affirmation

Repeating a grounding phrase engages cognitive control and reduces limbic system activation (Critchley et al., 2003).

 

Benefits of Getting Out of Your Head

• Reduces cortisol and adrenaline levels
• Improves emotional regulation and resilience
• Enhances focus and decision-making
• Promotes neuroplasticity and adaptive coping
• Strengthens social and sensory integration

 

Getting out of your head is definitely NOT about ignoring your thoughts - it’s about interrupting unhelpful loops and re-engaging with life. These strategies are especially powerful when practiced consistently and tailored to your energy level and personality.

 

References 

• Bourne, E. J. (2015). The anxiety and phobia workbook (6th ed.). New Harbinger Publications.
• Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K. S., Daily, G. C., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567–8572. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112
• Critchley, H. D., Wiens, S., Rotshtein, P., Öhman, A., & Dolan, R. J. (2003). Neural systems supporting interoceptive awareness. Nature Neuroscience, 7(2), 189–195. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1176
• Dietrich, A. (2004). Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the experience of flow. Consciousness and Cognition, 13(4), 746–761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2004.07.002
• Farb, N. A. S., Segal, Z. V., Mayberg, H., Bean, J., McKeon, D., Fatima, Z., & Anderson, A. K. (2007). Attending to the present: Mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2(4), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsm030
• Heinrichs, M., Baumgartner, T., Kirschbaum, C., & Ehlert, U. (2003). Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress. Biological Psychiatry, 54(12), 1389–1398. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(03)00465-7
• Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(6), 537–559. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611419671
• Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x
• McEwen, B. S., & Gianaros, P. J. (2011). Stress- and allostasis-induced brain plasticity. Annual Review of Medicine, 62, 431–445. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-med-052209-100430
• Porges, S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological Psychology, 74(2), 116–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.009
• Raichle, M. E. (2015). The brain’s default mode network. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 38, 433–447. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-071013-014030
• Ströhle, A. (2009). Physical activity, exercise, depression and anxiety disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 32(4), 705–711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.006
• Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80184-7
• Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353