Have you ever tried to go to sleep but your mind is racing a mile a minute? It seems that when you want your mind to take a break, it just won’t listen. Here are a few ways that you can silence the noise and learn how to give your mind a rest.

What is it about thinking? Everyone today tends towards multitasking to make all of their activities fit into one 24-hour day. If you can’t think about five different things at one time, you are in the minority.

You may get a lot done, but there is a price. When you try to find the calm after the storm, it isn’t there. One of the main reasons is that we don’t let our bodies stop at the same time. The mind and body are connected. It is hard to keep the mind at bay when the body is still moving.

To that end, the first way to help your mind to rest is to stop moving your body. Find a quiet place in your home or another location where you can be alone (sans kids and hubby). In this space, refuse to lift a finger unless it is lowering yourself on the bed or a bench.

Try a few breathing exercises. Yoga is great for teaching you how to listen to the sing-song rhythm of your breathing. You probably didn’t notice that you were breathing shallow and fast. Now, you can slow it down and go deeper to bring more oxygen in your lungs. Increased oxygen levels also increases mental clarity and focus.

Thirdly, try to get rid of distractions. No one likes to think of their family as a distraction, but when you need to center yourself, anyone or anything that vies for your attention is just that. Turn off your cellular phone, your PDA and your pager. Let the only noises you hear be the natural sounds around you. Besides, with these devices close at hand, your body remains tense waiting for them to buzz.

Find something to occupy your time that is not related to work or problem solving. Often we are thinking of ways to fix or change something. Try reading a favorite book, fishing, watching the ducks in the park or simply staring up at the clouds. By changing your focus, your mind gets a chance to rest from its labors and concentrate on something that is not stressful.

One device that you can have is a music player of some kind. Music usually conjures up memories of less stressful times. It also calms the savage mind. Let the dulcet tones lull your mind into a deeper consciousness.

Is your mind in need of wrangling? Use these tips to settle it down whenever you need to.