The Racing Mind: How Ayurveda Helps Ease Anxiety and Overthinking

When Your Mind Feels Like It Won’t Stop
You’re not imagining it. Your mind really is louder these days. You sit down to relax — and your brain reminds you of something you forgot. You lie in bed, and your thoughts start racing. Even joyful moments are accompanied by background noise: “What’s next?” “Did I do enough?” “Why do I feel so off?” For many of us, this has become the default: mentally overactive, emotionally overwhelmed, physically exhausted. And even if nothing dramatic is “wrong,” there’s a constant hum of inner tension — like your body is ready to run, even when you’re sitting still. This is what many call modern anxiety. And it’s incredibly common.

The Nervous System in Overdrive
We live in a world of too much — too much information, too many decisions, too much input. Our brains are always processing, reacting, managing. There’s no pause. No moment to land. And because the mind and body are always in conversation, this shows up physically too: tension in the neck and jaw, shallow breathing, digestive issues, restlessness, fatigue. It’s a full-body experience. But Ayurveda has been describing this state — and helping soothe it — for over 5,000 years.

What Ayurveda Says About Anxiety and Overthinking
In Ayurveda, the feeling of being mentally scattered or chronically anxious is most often linked to an imbalance in Vata Dosha. Vata is the energy of air and space — movement, creativity, lightness. When balanced, it gives you inspiration, imagination, flexibility. But when Vata becomes too high — through overstimulation, erratic schedules, too much screen time, cold foods, or irregular routines — you start to feel ungrounded. Your thoughts speed up. Your sleep gets lighter. Your digestion gets more sensitive. You may feel jumpy, forgetful, or disconnected from your body. You may crave control but feel out of sync. The good news? Ayurveda doesn't pathologize this. It doesn’t tell you to “just calm down.” It offers tools that gently help you return to steadiness.

What Does It Mean to Ground Vata?
Think of Vata like wind — it needs containment to settle. And in Ayurveda, that containment comes through warmth, rhythm, nourishment, and touch.

Here’s what that means in real life:

Warmth: Eat warm, cooked meals. Avoid raw, cold, or frozen foods. Dress warmly, especially around your lower back and feet.

Rhythm: Go to bed and wake up around the same time. Eat meals at regular intervals. Start your day with quiet, not chaos.

Nourishment: Choose heavier, oily, moist foods — like stews, rice with ghee, roasted vegetables. Skip light or drying foods like popcorn, crackers, or dry cereal.

Touch: Practice daily self-massage (Abhyanga) with warm sesame oil. Even 5 minutes helps calm the nervous system.

These aren’t just rituals. They’re medicine for the modern mind.

Small Shifts to Calm a Spinning Mind
You don’t need to escape to the mountains or meditate for hours to feel better. Start here:

1. Create a “Landing” Ritual at the End of Your Day
Even five minutes of dim lights, slow breathing, and a warm drink (try nutmeg and cinnamon in warm milk) can help signal to your body: it’s safe to settle.

2. Eat Like You Want to Feel
Erratic meals create erratic energy. Aim for warm, grounding meals at the same times each day. Soups, stews, and kitchari are ideal when you’re feeling off-balance.

3. Breathe into Your Belly
When the mind races, the breath rises. Take 3–5 minutes each evening to lie down and breathe slowly into your lower belly. Let your exhale be longer than your inhale.

4. Reduce the Input Before Bed
Vata thrives on stimulation — but also burns out from it. Try cutting off screens at least 30–60 minutes before sleep. Replace it with journaling, silence, or stillness.

You’re Not Broken — You’re Just Overextended
The racing thoughts, the tension, the disconnection — they’re not flaws. They’re signals. And in Ayurveda, signals are sacred. They mean your body is still trying to communicate with you. Instead of pushing through or shutting down, you can begin to gently return. To stillness. To steadiness. To a rhythm that nourishes, instead of depletes. And the beauty of Ayurveda is that it doesn’t rush. It walks with you — one small ritual, one kind meal, one quiet moment at a time.