Something I’ve just started doing is a 3-minute “mind dump” - set a timer on your watch or phone, get a pad of paper or a document on your computer, and pour EVERY last thought on your mind into it, from the old lady in the silly hat to your worry about the tax bill to “I’m really pissy and resentful of something so-and-so did” and so on…
Drill down, rummage round, and pretend you’re in a competition to make it clear how MUCH is going through your mind, like you score points for the highest number of random, obscure, and repetitive thoughts.
It’s really helping - I can settle down to meditate knowing I’ve shaken loose as much as possible, and I also started leaving a digital recorder on so if a thought really won’t go away and it does have merit (something urgent I’ve forgotten), I can speak a word or two out loud, knowing it won’t get lost - which makes it easier to let that thought go.
A lot of this is based on time-management & productivity guru David Allen’s “Get Things Done” system where he says, don’t carry “To-Do” lists in your head, always write them down, and for me knowing the stuff that comes up won’t be lost if I release it is helping.
Everyone’s brain works differently, so adding this to pile in case anyone’s works like mine. 