The Practice of Not Thinking

imagine starting your day full of energy and determination, ready to tackle your goals. but as the hours pass, your mind begins to wander. you find yourself overthinking simple tasks, second-guessing your abilities, and replaying yesterday’s trivial mistake. before you know it, the momentum you started with has vanished, replaced by doubt and distraction.

have you ever felt that your mind is so active, so noisy, that it seems to be working against you? it tempts you to abandon your plans and traps you in an endless negative feedback loop. that, unfortunately, is a hardwired trait: your brain is programmed to seek out stimulation, and negative thoughts grab your attention far more powerfully than calm, positive ones.

but there’s good news if you too struggle to “turn off” your thinking. there is a way to regain control, quiet the noise, and stop overthinking: sense-oriented mindfulness. by focusing on your senses – what you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell – you can break free from the constant stream of thoughts and reclaim your mental clarity.

in this chapter, you’ll learn how to stop thinking when it no longer serves you and discover techniques to cultivate a calmer, clearer, and more mindful approach to life.

life bombards us with sensory input. our eyes, ears, nose, tongues, bodies, and minds are overwhelmed by information seemingly designed to trigger impulsive mental energies. in buddhist thought, these energies are sometimes termed “the three poisons” – desire, anger, and ignorance. buddhists believe that these forces drive our overthinking, leading to stress, dissatisfaction, and a sense of disconnection from the present. let’s break that down.

desire is the mental energy that compels you to keep seeking more. imagine someone pays you a compliment. even if it’s shallow, your mind lights up, craving more validation. this urge traps you in a cycle of wanting, distracting you from enjoying the simple joy of the compliment itself. instead of being content, you feel restless, always hungry for the next dose of approval or pleasure. this craving keeps you tethered to external sources of happiness, leaving you unable to appreciate what’s right in front of you.

anger is the reactive energy that resists unpleasant experiences. this isn’t just about explosive rage – it includes subtler feelings like jealousy, regret, or self-doubt. for example, someone makes a cutting remark, and you feel the sting. your mind pushes back, dwelling on the discomfort and replaying the moment over and over. this can spiral into intrusive thoughts: what if i fail? what if others judge me? anger thrives on negativity, feeding the mental chatter that disconnects you from the present and drains your emotional energy.

ignorance, the third poison, is a lack of awareness about how your thoughts operate. overthinking dulls your senses, pulling you out of the present moment. picture this conversation: you hear the first words someone says, but your mind quickly drifts, wondering how they perceive you or replaying a past encounter. you’re not fully listening. this detachment becomes habitual, leaving you unable to truly connect with others or enjoy life’s pleasures.

these patterns of desire, anger, and ignorance fuel overthinking. the mind craves stimulation, often finding negativity more engaging than enjoyment. as this mental noise grows, it blocks new experiences, leaving you feeling disconnected and dissatisfied. this relentless thinking erodes your ability to live in the moment and makes life feel like it’s passing you by.

but there’s a way out. by understanding these patterns and reconnecting with your senses, you can silence the chatter in your mind and learn to experience life with clarity and joy. in the next sections, you’ll find out how you can start making that transformation today.

negative emotions like irritation and anger are part of life. when provoked, we usually respond in one of two ways: expressing our frustration or suppressing it. while these reactions seem instinctive, neither leads to long-term peace. instead, they create cycles of tension that trap us in mental agitation and even reshape our personality over time. mindfulness offers a third, more effective approach: observing emotions without reacting to them.

when you express anger by complaining or lashing out, you reinforce its hold on your mind. the act of venting feels stimulating, which your brain can mistakenly register as rewarding. this encourages a habit of quick temper and emotional reactivity. over time, you can become more prone to frustration, as your mind increasingly associates anger with a sense of satisfaction.

repression doesn’t resolve the issue either. trying to suppress negative feelings generates a second layer of emotion – frustration at being frustrated. this creates internal conflict as you wrestle with the belief that feeling upset is wrong. these unresolved battles distort your emotional balance and complicate your relationships with others and yourself.

instead of expressing or suppressing anger, buddhists urge us to observe the emotion as it arises. when you feel irritated, pause and mentally set the emotion aside. rather than believing your anger is absolute truth, remind yourself: “i’m irritated – i think.” repeating this phrase frames the emotion as a thought rather than a fact. this small shift allows you to detach from the immediacy of the feeling: you’re no longer consumed by the irritation, but rather acknowledging it as a temporary mental state. observing your frustration from a distance lets you see it for what it is – a single perspective, not the whole truth. that undermines its power to trigger reflexive reactions like snapping at your significant other.

bracketing your emotions in this way helps prevent runaway thoughts and keeps you grounded in the present. when you contain your irritation, you begin to see situations more clearly. instead of being overwhelmed by your emotions, you remain in control of your responses. and that’s the idea here. mindfulness doesn’t mean denying negative emotions or pretending they don’t exist, but rather recognizing them, accepting their presence, and then letting them pass without taking over.

the modern world is loud. from the hum of traffic to the chatter of colleagues, your ears and mind are overstimulated. and all that noise makes it hard to focus, to listen. even when you know you should be paying attention – like at work – your mind often wanders. this lack of focus ruins conversations and annoys colleagues. worse, it severs your sense of connection to the world around you.

imagine, for example, that you’re listening to your favorite music before a meeting. your mind is engaged, entertained, stimulated. but then a colleague starts talking about some project or other. your brain resists the shift from music to this new “boring” sound. you try to listen, but your thoughts keep drifting. instead of focusing, you’re mentally filtering out their words. you leave the conversation feeling disconnected.

now imagine a different scenario. before the meeting, you spend a few moments listening to the sounds around you – the faint hum of air conditioning, footsteps in the hallway, and the rustle of papers. noticing these subtle, everyday sounds trains your mind to embrace the ordinary. when the meeting starts, you find yourself tuned in, listening fully without forcing it. your mind is calm and engaged because you’ve already prepared yourself to be present.

this practice is rooted in the buddhist idea of dependent arising, which explains how everything is interconnected. how well you listen in one moment influences your ability to focus on others. if you pay close attention to your partner at home, for example, you’ll find it easier to listen to a colleague at work. if you take the time to notice the sounds of your daily commute, you might feel more attentive when talking to a friend. every act of listening feeds into the next, creating a ripple effect of awareness.

think of life like a constellation, with each sound as a star. instead of picking and choosing which stars matter, treat the interdependent universe in which they exist as important. the music you love and the hum of the office both contribute to the richness of your world.

by embracing all sounds equally, you’ll sharpen your ability to focus and deepen your connections with others. you’ll stop feeling like you have to “force” yourself to listen. instead, you’ll naturally open your ears and mind, enriching your experience of the present moment. and when you start truly listening, everything around you will come to life.

it’s not just your ears that are being overstimulated – your eyes are also bombarded by information. just imagine what someone from the early 1800s would have made of the sheer variety of visual content people consume every day without giving it a second thought! from a buddhist perspective, that’s exactly the problem: you’re rarely as mindful as you should be about the kind of things you put in front of your eyes.

the problem is twofold: the amount of visual data you consume and the nature of that data. think of a news feed, for instance. it’s easy to spend hours doom-scrolling, right? now think of the kind of harrowing imagery you habitually see there. the same goes for violent or otherwise intense video games, movies, and tv shows. buddhists argue that we lose our ability to engage with subtler, quieter imagery if we get used to intense visual inputs. they suggest that overstimulation dulls our perception and clouds our minds.

it follows that the best way to protect your ability to see clearly is to avoid overly stimulating images, especially those that provoke strong emotions like anger or confusion. think of the difference between looking at a clean, quiet room versus a messy, chaotic one. which feels calmer? violent films, sensational news stories, or even slapstick comedy shows can subtly trigger aggression or agitation. this stimulation builds up and leaves your mind restless, even when you’re not aware of it. instead, it’s better to seek out visuals that have a neutral or calming effect, helping you cultivate clarity and focus.

let’s take a simple example of mindful seeing: walking down a street. instead of zoning out, pay attention to the details around you. notice the flow of your surroundings – how a street sign appears in your view, grows larger as you approach, and fades behind you as you move on. observe how these shifts happen in real time. when you approach your walk this way, the familiar scenes you once dismissed as “boring” begin to feel vibrant and new.

mindful seeing doesn’t require drastic changes, only a conscious effort to avoid overstimulation and embrace simplicity. by shifting focus to the small details, like the way sunlight plays on a wall or how leaves rustle in the breeze, your mind becomes quieter and more present. the act of intentionally noticing what’s already there trains your perception, making it sharper and more engaged with reality.

daily life is full of distractions. at work, you have to deal with constant interruptions – phone calls, conversations, meetings, and new tasks. this mental noise makes it hard to focus, leaving your thoughts scattered and your body tense. one of the most effective ways to regain clarity is by paying attention to the sense of touch. here’s how that works.

picture yourself sitting at your desk. you’ve been there for hours; you feel restless and uncomfortable. what would you usually do to distract yourself from this sense of discomfort? whatever it is, don’t do that! instead, focus on the points where your body meets the chair. note how the seat supports your weight, how the backrest presses against your back, and where tension builds in your legs or shoulders. simply becoming aware of these sensations can help you relax and adjust your posture naturally. just as you correct clumsy speech once you notice it, you’ll improve your posture by recognizing where tension lies.

the same approach applies to your work. let’s say your mind is overwhelmed with noise, but you’re trying to concentrate on typing. shift your attention to the sensation at your fingertips as you press the keys. notice the resistance of the keyboard and the way your muscles engage with each keystroke. by focusing on this simple, tactile experience, your concentration sharpens and your attention shifts to the task at hand.

if focusing feels impossible, take a step back. move away from your desk and engage in another activity, like tidying up, cooking, or walking around your workspace. pay attention to how your feet feel against the floor or how an object feels in your hands. when you vacuum the floor, notice the pressure of the handle in your palms and the way your body moves. reframing these everyday experiences interrupts mental noise and allows your mind to reset.

so next time you’re feeling stressed, remember: touch has the power to calm and center you. by focusing on the small, tactile details of your surroundings, you can quiet your mind, sharpen your awareness, and regain control of your focus. this practice transforms everyday moments into opportunities for clarity and mindfulness.

in this chapter to the practice of not thinking by ryunosuke koike, you’ve learned that ​​silencing mental noise is the key to unlocking clarity and mindfulness. by recognizing how desire, anger, and ignorance drive overthinking, you can restore emotional balance and reconnect with the present moment.

observing your emotions without reacting to them creates inner peace, while listening to subtle sounds around you strengthens focus and deepens connection. avoiding overstimulating visuals sharpens your perception, and engaging with your sense of touch anchors your mind, helping it reset and find calm.

by adopting these practices you can embrace the simplicity and richness of everyday life with renewed awareness and clarity.

okay, that’s it for this chapter. we hope you enjoyed it. if you can, please take the time to leave us a rating – we always appreciate your feedback. see you in the next chapter.