I'm stressed out and when I try to go to sleep I can't shut off my thoughts. What should I do?

If you can't fall asleep, but want to, purposely think about something other then what is stressing you out. This will first trigger your mind towards a slower state and you may start to feel some relaxation. Then focus on something that is slow and dull, hence why most people fall asleep in lectures with monotone teachers or boring subjects. For those of you in tune with your body, when you begin to fall asleep your eyes roll up looking towards your forehead. You can relax into this position and you may notice your mind "fuzzing" in and out towards the center of your mind. This is your trigger to fall asleep. You know you have it when you feel "time distortion" (when you can't tell how long you have been in that "fuzzed" state). You can begin to hold that position and fall right into sleep. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this method, practice closing your eyes and rolling your eyes in the back of your head comfortably, forcing will be painful. Then finding that trigger that pushes your focus to the center of your mind, it feels very similar to the direct center of your head. Focusing there you will forget about whatever you were stressed about and when you do it correctly, you can fall asleep as fast as 30 seconds and as slow as 10 minutes. If you are still awake, do a fun activity that involves a lot of thinking to drain your mind first (not vigorous exercises that pump your blood rapidly), which will also keep your mind focused on something other then what you were stressed about. The most easiest way to practice to know how to do this method is when you are very tired, then you will know how to do it when you are not so tired or need to sleep. This is a method that some people use for poly-sleep schedules since it can be difficult to sleep so quickly (Example of poly-sleep schedule: Sleeping 30 minutes every 4 hours)

This is a perfect application of mindfulness. You can both begin a mindfulness practice everyday as well as learn mindfulness techniques that are responsive to specific situations like not being able to sleep and ruminating. There are many good web and mobile products for mindfulness as well as many classes you can likely take in your community. Mindfulness is very much worth the investment of your time that you put into it!

Try to distract yourself with something. Read a book, or maybe listen to some relaxing music. Positive thinking can help a lot aswell.

Using a guided meditation can help shut off buzzing thoughts by giving you something soothing to focus on. Setting a time for the meditation can help tame your mind and put it in a state of relaxation, ready for a restful nights sleep.

Develop a before-bed routine that allows you to settle down and let your frustrations out. For example, you could begin to keep a journal where you write down all your thoughts and feelings. Writing can be cathartic- as can drawing, playing music, working out, verbalizing your feelings, etc. You'll find that over time these activities will help stop those racing thoughts; it's as if they're telling your brain it's time to "cool down". It should be easier to sleep, then.

The first thing to do is to recognize those thoughts. Then shut them down. I know that they pop up unintentionally, but you can do this!

About an hour before you go to bed, shut down your computer, tv and phone and dim the lights, so your brain will ease from extra stress. If possible, go for a run/walk about three-two hours before going to bed. Before going to bed, read a book, draw.. anything that is relaxing and that relaxes you, anything but something related to technology. Drink chamomile tea. Go to bed and give yourself permission to think about everything for ten-fifteen minutes, so you won't stress about it. In this time, you might already be asleep.

You could try mindfullness! Just download an app and do it at least five times a week (your brain needs to change first). Or you could try to write your thoughts down in a journal. Or start with a routine before you go to bed (writing in your journal, mindfullness, brushing your teeth etc). And turn of your Phone, at least a half hour before you go to bed. Because otherwise the light will keep you awake.

Try reading, find something that might intrest you and read to the very last minute before falling asleep. It will help you distract yourself from those thoughts that deprive you from sleeping and help them shut off. I hope you do find a way :)

There are a few things you can actually do. However, the one that works best for me is practicing relaxation and breathing exercises. These exercises tend to focus on breathing. Once you focus on breathing, your mind tends to relax allowing you to fall asleep easily.