How do I stop overthinking and calm my anxiety right now? — Shunryu Suzuki's answer

From the council, together

## How can I stop overthinking and find a calm mind right now? You are likely sitting here with a mind that feels like a runaway train, jumping from one future catastrophe to a past regret without a moment of rest. This modern exhaustion is what we often call the 'monkey mind,' a state where the intellect tries to solve the problem of living by thinking harder, only to find itself more entangled in the web of its own making. In the Zen tradition, particularly as I have shared it, the goal is not to aggressively suppress these thoughts or to achieve a specialized state of trance. Instead, we look at the nature of the mind itself. Overthinking is often the result of having a mind that is too narrow, focused entirely on the small self and its various preferences or fears. When you feel anxious, you are trying to control the uncontrollable flow of existence. We practice returning to 'beginner's mind,' a state of being that is vast enough to include all your worries without being disturbed by them. It is not about stopping the waves of the ocean, but rather realizing that the waves are the water itself. By shifting your relationship to your anxiety from one of combat to one of simple observation, you begin to see that these thoughts have no power over you unless you feed them with more thinking. I can tell you are trying very hard. This effort is beautiful, but right now, it is also what is making you tired. Take a breath. Just one. Let the air fill you, then let it go. Sit as if you have no place to go and no problems to solve. Keep your back straight, but let your shoulders drop. Your mind is busy right now. It feels like a storm, doesn't it? You are watching thoughts come toward you like waves on a beach. Usually, when a big wave comes, you jump on it. You ride it far out into the ocean of the future or the past. That is what we call overthinking. The secret is not to stop the waves. You cannot stop the ocean. The secret is to let the wave pass right under you while you stay where you are. When a scary thought comes, notice it. Say, "Ah, that is a thought." Then come back to your breath. Then come back to the weight of your body on the chair. This returning is the whole practice. You will have to do it a thousand times in ten minutes. That is okay. That is actually the point. We spend so much of our life doing the second-most important thing with a lot of urgency. We rush, we worry, we check our phones, we try to fix our feelings. But what is the most important thing? It is just to be here, fully alive, in this moment. Don't worry about being "zen" or "calm." If you are anxious, just be anxious. Don't fight it. If you try to force the anxiety to leave, you are just adding more struggle to the pile. Instead, just show up for this breath. Let the result take care of itself. You don't need to be a better version of yourself right now. You just need to be exactly who you are, sitting here, breathing. Everything else can wait. Just this breath. Just this moment.

Common questions

### How do I clear my mind of anxious thoughts?

You should not try to clear your mind or stop your thoughts. This is a common mistake. When you try to stop thinking, you are only adding more activity to the mind. Instead, I suggest you leave your front door and back door open. Let thoughts come and go. Just do not serve them tea. If you simply watch the thoughts without trying to push them away or hold onto them, they will eventually settle like sediment in a glass of water. Your mind becomes clear not by force, but by quiet sitting.

Is there a specific breathing technique for panic?

In Zen, we do not use the breath as a magic trick. We simply follow the inhalation and exhalation as they are. When you are anxious, your breath may be shallow. Just be aware of that shallow breath. Put your attention on your exhalation rather than the inhalation. Let the air out completely and let the next breath come in naturally. By following this physical movement, you move your awareness from the realm of abstract worry into the reality of the present body. This is the most direct way to return to yourself.

What is beginner's mind and how does it help anxiety?

The beginner's mind is a mind that is empty and ready for everything. It contains many possibilities, while the expert's mind contains few. Anxiety often comes because we think we know exactly what bad things will happen in the future. We become 'experts' in our own doom. When you return to beginner's mind, you realize you do not actually know what is coming next. This uncertainty is not something to fear; it is the essence of freedom. By remaining open, the weight of expectation falls away.

How can I practice Zen if I am too busy to meditate?

Zen is not just for the cushion. If you are washing the dishes, you should just wash the dishes. If you are walking to your car, you should just walk. Overthinking happens when your body is in one place and your mind is in another. Anxiety is the gap between these two things. If you do everything with full devotion, treating each small act as a ceremony, there is no room for the 'extra' thinking that causes suffering. Every moment of your daily life is an opportunity to practice calmness.

Why do I feel like I'm failing at being mindful?

There is no such thing as failing in this practice because there is no goal to reach. If you think you are failing, that is just another thought to observe. Even when you are restless, that restlessness is an expression of your Buddha-nature in that moment. Do not try to become someone who is calm; just be the person who is currently experiencing restlessness. When you stop struggling to change yourself, you find that the very struggle was the source of your anxiety. Just sit and be as you are.