If you’re new to meditation, you might assume you need to “clear your mind’ in order to have a successful practice. But as it turns out, trying to attain a perfectly silent and still mental state isn’t worthwhile (or even possible).

Keep reading for everything you need to know about “clearing your mind,” according to a meditation instructor and a clinical and sports psychologist.

What Does It Mean to ‘Clear Your Mind’?

In theory, clearing your mind may indicate having an absence of thoughts. But for most of us, this is an impossible goal. Instead, you can think of clearing your mind as the act of reducing distracting or wandering thoughts to achieve a greater sense of calm, awareness, and focus. 

Joseph Galasso, PsyD, a clinical and sports psychologist and CEO of Baker Street Behavioral Health, prefers to reframe clearing your mind as “clearing out the noise.” “When you are able to clear the noise, you are able to reduce the interference that may occur between your brain and your body,” he says, which can be particularly beneficial in a performance setting.

Here, Peloton instructor Kirra Michel introduces the Buddhist concept of the monkey mind. “This is the constant chatter in the mind that jumps from one thought to the next,” she explains. If this sounds like your baseline—which, for what it’s worth, Kirra says is totally normal—learning how to meditate can help quiet your monkey mind. Just know that it’ll require consistent practice, and may not happen the first or second time you sit down to meditate.

Is It Possible to ‘Clear Your Mind’?

Again, clearing your mind completely—as in having zero thoughts whatsoever—is an ambitious if not impossible task.

“If clearing your mind is your goal, you may feel as if you’re trying to achieve the impossible,” Kirra says. “You may end up getting frustrated or even getting derailed all together.” 

After all, research suggests that adults have thousands of thoughts per day. It makes sense, then, that it’s unfeasible to simply turn them all off on command. “Thoughts will always be with us—they are a part of being human,” Kirra reminds us. 

But just because we can’t totally clear our minds doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to reduce unwanted, noisy brain chatter. “We don’t have to allow our wandering and sometimes opposing thoughts to dictate our lives, which we tend to do if we’re not being present,” she says.

So if we can’t truly clear our minds, how can we quiet those wandering, distracting thoughts? Here are a handful of expert-vetted tips on how to find concentration and focus:

1. Prime Yourself to Reset

First, Galasso recommends creating a reset mechanism—like touching or tapping your fingers—to cue your mind that it’s time to focus. You may also want to engage in a brief pre-performance routine, no matter if you’re sitting down to meditate or preparing for a race, game, or workout.

“The best, most consistent performers have a pre-performance routine like listening to music, stretching, or doing visualizations,” he says. Creating a ritual will help you shift more seamlessly into a calm yet focused headspace.

2. Let Thoughts Come and Go

When you find your mind drifting, such as during a mindfulness meditation practice, “simply notice wandering thoughts with compassion, and gently bring your awareness back to your breath,” Kirra says. “Do this with as little judgement as possible, knowing that a wandering mind is a normal part of being human.” You might have to do this five, 50, or even 100 times, but these aren’t markers of failure. “Begin again as many times as you need to,” she adds.

3. Observe Without Attachment

Oftentimes, our thoughts also elicit emotions—some of which aren’t very positive or productive. When this happens, try to observe them and then let go without latching on.

“When we claim our big emotions, we tend to hold onto them for longer, which can create more of the same emotion and activate the sympathetic nervous system (flight-or-fight mode),” Kirra says. Conversely, observing and honoring the emotion without attaching to it allows you to return to a more regulated state so you can stay calm, clear, and dialed into the present.

Kirra also advises creating distance from your emotions rather than personally tying to them. For example, she suggests reframing the thought “I’m angry” as a less embodied acknowledgment, such as “I’m experiencing anger.” This helps you avoid identifying with or as the emotion and instead paints it as what it truly is: a fleeting experience.

4. Notice Sensations

Once you create distance from your thoughts, Kirra suggests keeping tabs on any sensations you feel throughout the body, such as tightness or heat. From there, pay attention to relaxing throughout those areas.

5. Focus on Your Breathing

Mindful breathing will be one of your best allies when you’re trying to “clear your mind.” Paying attention to the minute details of your breaths—such as the cool, refreshing air you inhale as your body rises and the warm air you exhale as your body relaxes—is a tried-and-true way to help you return to the present.

6. Go Easy on Yourself

It bears repeating that clearing your mind isn’t an easy or even possible task. It’s important to give yourself grace if your mind continues to wander and you have trouble creating distance from thoughts and emotions that don’t serve you. Stay the course with the tips above, and remember that effort and repetition will go a long way.

Benefits of Reducing Wandering Thoughts and Staying Present

When you’re able to stay present and reduce brain chatter, you’re not at the mercy of intrusive or distracting thoughts.

Meditation is an especially effective way to reduce this mind wandering. “It helps to develop a sense of becoming more embodied—being here now, in the present moment, even when the present is difficult,” Kirra explains. 

When we’re calm and focused, we’re better able to witness the thoughts, feelings, and sensations rising within us—whether physical, mental, or emotional—and process them with more grace and less reactivity. “We might be able to see things clearer, take things less personally, and handle situations with greater emotional intelligence,” Kirra continues. On top of these perks, she adds that meditation can even change the brain to help you become more self-aware, improve attention and memory, and more.

What to Do If You Can’t Stop Wandering or Noisy Thoughts

Tried all the steps above and still can’t seem to stay present or find your focus? Feel free to switch things up. After all, the journey shouldn’t leave you feeling worse than when you started.

If you’re trying to find concentration and focus with meditation, keep in mind that there are countless different styles and instructors to choose from; maybe you simply haven’t found the ones that have resonated with you yet. 

You may even find that you prefer unguided over guided meditations, meditating in bed instead of seated, or even walking meditations versus still ones. Explore your options until you find what works best for you, then commit to practicing consistently over time. (On the Peloton App, there are thousands of meditation classes spanning styles, lengths, and instructors.)

Kirra also likens expectations from meditating to those from a fitness journey. You shouldn’t expect peak results from a single session or when you’re first starting out; your “meditation muscles” need some time to warm up and get acclimated to your new routine.

And if you simply can’t dismiss disruptive thinking, you can always redirect your attention and energy to positive and productive thoughts that serve you, such as by practicing visualization and engaging in positive self-talk, Galasso says.

He adds that it’s worth seeking out external support when necessary, such as if you’re dealing with anxiety or sports performance issues. Talking to your peers is a good starting point, he says, but licensed mental health professionals can help you get to the root of your issues. Based on your needs, he suggests speaking with a therapist or performance coach who can offer guidance or clinical support to help you quiet unproductive internal noise and get back on track.

The Takeaway

Clearing your mind completely is an ambitious if not impossible feat. A better, more feasible alternative is to reduce the volume of your mental chatter and enhance your focus to help you stay present, manage stress, or boost performance—or all this and more.

The road may be bumpy and your inner monologue may still be noisy from time to time, making consistency and self-compassion all the more crucial. Calming and quieting your mind will take work, but it’s well worth the effort no matter if your ultimate goal focuses on work, mental health, performance, or beyond.