5 Techniques That Helped Me Switch Off a Brain That Wouldn’t Rest

After my last blog post, I received an unexpected number of messages about meditation. Thank you to everyone who reached out and shared your experiences. Some of you meditate daily. Some tried and stopped. Many of you said the same thing:

“I just can’t switch off.”

And honestly, I understand why.

We are living in an age where our brains absorb more information, faster than ever before. In the era of AI, constant notifications, and an endless stream of content, we process an extraordinary amount of input every single day. Not all of it useful. Often, we have to sift through a lot of noise just to find what actually matters.

At the same time, our attention spans are getting shorter. Our minds rarely get a real pause.

Which is why, perhaps now more than ever, learning how to consciously give the brain a break has become essential.

I recently read research suggesting that particularly women often struggle to fully power down mentally. Even during sleep, the brain can remain in planning and scheduling mode. In one study, women reported sleeping up to nine hours yet still waking exhausted because cognitively they never fully disengaged. The body rested. The brain kept working.

I recognised myself immediately.

The other day I told my husband I had been awake at 5am on a Saturday planning our weekly menu. Yes, I am taking my new role very seriously. But it made me realise something: my brain rarely goes offline.

When I started L&E, that constant mental activity was already there. I was burnt out before I had even built the product, the brand, or the studio. What followed was far more demanding than I had anticipated. Sixteen-hour days. Short nights with very little restorative sleep. Continuous responsibility. Continuous thinking.

It wasn’t dramatic burnout. It was sustained overdrive.

A friend once sent me a book explaining what happens to the brain under chronic pressure. Not motivational. Not spiritual. Just biology. For the first time, I understood that what I was experiencing wasn’t weakness. It was a nervous system that had never been given permission to switch off.

That’s where my meditation journey began.

I tried CBD therapy first. It wasn’t really for me. I tested different apps. Some helped, some didn’t. Over time, I found five techniques that consistently made a difference. Not because they silenced my mind completely, but because they helped my body reset.

Here they are, and why they worked for me.

1. Forgiveness

When self-criticism becomes a stress habit

As an entrepreneur, I often live short of my own expectations. And even more often, I disappoint myself.

Self-criticism became background noise.

Forgiveness wasn’t about excusing mistakes. It was about stopping the internal attack long enough for my nervous system to stand down.

2. Gratitude

Rebalancing a brain trained on problems

The brain is wired to learn from negative experiences. And when you’re building something, negative arrives in buckets.

Gratitude became a way to rebalance the scale.

On very hard days, my gratitude becomes simple:

3. The 4–7–8 Breath

For when the mind won’t switch off at night

This technique especially helps when my mind starts running through lists in the middle of the night.

The long exhale stimulates the vagus nerve and signals safety to the body.

When the body feels safe, the mind softens.

4. Mantras

Telling the brain what you want to see

When times are hard, mantras help me orient my attention.

If you tell your brain what you’d like to see that day, it will start looking for it. Not magically. Neurologically.

Mantras reduce rumination and give the mind a structured focus.

5. Body Scans

Coming back when you’re living in your head

When I’m juggling multiple projects and everything feels late at once, I notice I’m living entirely in my head.

A body scan brings me back.

Jaw. Shoulders. Chest. Belly.

No fixing. Just noticing.

The body often knows it needs rest long before the mind allows it.

A final thought

Meditation doesn’t work for everyone. I’ve been trying to get my mum to meditate for years. She insists it’s not for her.

And that’s okay.

I’m not sharing this as a prescription. I’m sharing what worked for me, especially as someone whose brain tends to keep planning long after the lights are off.

For me, meditation became less about spirituality and more about regulation. These practices gave my nervous system something it had been missing for years.

If you’re curious about apps I found helpful or would like some starting points, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to share what worked for me.