Humans have a natural tendency to try to solve problems by adding rather than simplifying them. Can’t get someone to understand your point? You pile on more examples and arguments. Feel like you aren’t measuring up at work? You take on another task. But often the best solution is to just stop adding on more.

This principle applies to our minds as well. We can’t stop thinking—as Steven Hayes, the founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), likes to say, “The mind is like a calculator without a subtraction button”—but we can notice when we’re adding to our experience. Often, it’s that adding—layering on stories, judgments, or "what-ifs"—that muddies our experience and, at its worst, amplifies our distress.

Here’s a relatable example. Driving up to the mountains last week for a family ski trip, my mind went full-on "adding mode."

My mind didn’t stop there. When my back started to ache during the drive, my inner narrative kicked into overdrive:

The human mind has a way of taking a single problem and piling on layers of imagined complications. It’s like a runaway train, building speed with every additional "what if" or negative thought.

Let’s face it: We can’t just toss our minds out the window during a frustrating car ride (although it’s tempting). But we can stop adding, or at least recognize when we’re doing it. This is where the process of attention becomes a game-changer.

In Process-Based Therapy, a model rooted in psychological flexibility, our psychology can be understood through six dimensions: attention, behavior, cognition, affect, sense of self, and motivation. Attention—where we place our mental focus—is one of the most accessible levers we can pull. As a yoga practitioner and meditator, I’ve spent years working with attention, and it’s been a powerful tool in moments like that car ride.

Here’s what I did:

These simple shifts helped me reclaim my attention and stop the runaway train of adding.

Here are two practices that I teach my clients that are immensely helpful to stop the run away train of adding. They draw from contemplative traditions like Vipassana meditation and early yoga practices, as well as ACT techniques. They’re simple yet powerful ways to interrupt the adding habit.

1. Noting

This practice comes from Vipassana meditation, in which the goal is to notice whatever arises in your experience without judgment or elaboration. Imagine you’re holding a label maker and slapping a label on each thought, sensation, or feeling as it rolls by on a conveyor belt.

That’s it: Just name what’s here without adding anything else. It’s liberating because it allows you to see how everything arises, changes, and passes without needing to react or build a story. Research on mindfulness practices like this shows they can reduce rumination and improve emotional regulation (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).

2. Widen Your Perspective

When we’re adding to our experience, we often become narrow-focused. This happens when our brain’s threat system is activated, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. It’s as if the whole world shrinks down to the problem at hand.

To counteract this, try physically and mentally widening your perspective:

These simple shifts can help you zoom out and see the bigger picture. When you’re stuck in the weeds of adding, a broader perspective reminds you that the problem isn’t the whole story.

Our minds are incredibly powerful, but they’re also habitual "adders." By practicing noting and widening your perspective, you can learn to stop adding unnecessary layers to your experience. And when you do, you’ll find more clarity, ease, and presence in your life.

Next time you catch yourself adding, pause and ask:

Shifting your attention is a skill worth cultivating—for your mind, your relationships, and your next long car ride.

© Psychology Today