Reddit reviews The Relaxation Response

As an exercise to train the mind, it is useful and scientifically backed.
http://www.amazon.com/Relaxation-Response-M-D-Herbert-Benson/dp/0380815958/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280405037&sr=8-1

Read The Relaxation Response. It was written back in the 1970s long before mindfulness became trendy. Its all you need to know.

Read The Relaxation Response by Dr. Herbert Benson. Any library would probably have this. Its meditation written by a cardiologist without the Woo.

relaxation response

You can't so much will yourself to stop thinking about something, but you can work to change how you react to these thoughts. Tell yourself to stop thinking about a pink elephant. What are you thinking about now?

I would suggest two things: get organized and practice meditation. There are so many different tools available these days for organizing your life. KeePass is an excellent tool for managing all your accounts and passwords. It uses encryption that's currently impossible to crack, and all you have to do is remember the master password. Use a service like Google Calendar to record all events and have it send email or text reminders. Write in a journal as often as possible to clear your head and organize your thoughts, then review that journal often so you can see those thoughts in a different light.

Meditating is an amazing tool for centering yourself and calming an overactive brain. How to Meditate is one of the better books on the subject. The Relaxation Response is excellent as well. It's a discipline that you practice and become better over time. It's just like riding a bike. Don't expect yourself to get it on the first try.

Overall, it's not so much your thoughts as it is your reaction to them. Mindfulness meditation will help you observe the thoughts as they occur and rather than getting caught up in them and experiencing all the fear, doubt, and worry, you'll recognize their irrational nature and allow them to pass on their way.