Racing thoughts that won't stop? Let sounds come and go, then thoughts

What is mindfulness of sounds and thoughts?

Mindfulness of sounds and thoughts is one of the practices in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). First you rest your attention on the sounds around you: they arrive and fade by themselves, and you just listen, without naming or judging them. Then you watch the thoughts in your head the same way: a thought arrives, you watch it, and you let it go by itself.

It trains a kind of distance: noticing "this is a thought" instead of being dragged straight along by it. When your thoughts race or the same worry keeps circling, that distance lets you pause before deciding whether the thought needs your attention.

The aim isn't an empty mind. Being pulled away many times is normal; each time you notice and come back is the practice itself. Sitting still, you may notice worries or sadness you've had no time for; if it gets too much, open your eyes, go back to the sounds, or stop at any point.

This practice isn't therapy. If racing thoughts or worry have been affecting your sleep, work or life for a while, working on them with a counsellor will take you further.

Paying attention to sounds and thoughts is one of the practices in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT, developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale), used to learn to see thoughts as events in the mind rather than facts. This is a single practice, not therapy.

About the recording

The recording is in Cantonese and led by TreeholeHK's mindfulness teacher: about 16 minutes of practice, about 19 minutes in all. The practice ends with bells; after that the teacher talks about it, which you can skip.

All nine guided recordings can also be streamed or downloaded free from Guided Mindfulness Recordings.

How it works

1. 1Rate by feel how noisy your head is right now (0 to 10), and say where you'll listen.
2. 2Read a short how-to card (posture, headphones, what to do when a thought drags you off), then tap play.
3. 3Follow the recording: notice sounds come and go, then watch thoughts come and go the same way.
4. 4Rate how noisy your head is again; whether it moved or not is fine.
5. 5Pick what your thoughts were more like while you listened and write one line for yourself, and keep it on your card.

References

1. Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2013). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
2. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Delacorte.