'I'm a mindfulness expert – listening to one thing can stop overthinking instantly'

Mindfulness expert Lilly recommends using headphones to listen to EMDR music (stock)
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


A woman who overcame her own anxiety issues and now provides mindfulness advice to others has hailed a piece of advice she claims is "life-changing" - particularly for those who find themselves "overthinking".

Lily Sherv, who has amassed 38,000 followers since she began dishing out mental health tips on TikTok, said she learned a trick from her therapist in 2024 that she also describes as an "absolute gamechanger". She explained: "I really struggle with getting overwhelmed in my head - feeling really anxious, really low - thoughts are just going off on one and you just want them to shut up."

Lily says there are still times she needs to stop herself thinking unnecessarily and in order to do so, she uses music as her aid. But not any music, as she details: "All you have to do is listen to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) bilateral music with headphones - which is supposed to help stop that internal monologue.

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She added: "It stops that part of your brain that just spirals and spirals and overthinks, which cuts down your stress and anxiety." Using a recent example, Lily said she put her headphones on whilst out walking and she was able to solely focus on her dog - a feeling she described as like having he your brain being "washed".

Lily continued: "You have to listen to it get the effect of it - but doing it when you're doing a task such as cleaning, or even reading - just put it in and I promise it makes you feel so much better. It just gives you that little break and that little peace of mind."

One of Lily's followers hailed in response: "Saw one of your video ages ago, I sleep with EMDR Bilateral music on every night now and sleep like a baby!" A second praised: "Never been so grateful to see this video. Thank you SO much."

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A third added: "Oh my... this is amazing! I always overthink and have zero rest in my mind... I searched the EMDR bilateral music on Spotify and boom! I felt so much relaxation, its insane."

Whilst a fourth penned: "This is a good tip to try. I think it’s about trying different things and finding what works for you."

Healthline says of the technique, meanwhile: "While experts aren’t entirely certain exactly why the approach works, some believe it’s effective because recalling distressing events may feel less emotionally upsetting when you aren’t giving those memories your full attention."

It adds: "To put it another way, the bilateral stimulation (BLS) used in EMDR gives you something to focus on as you access painful memories and unwanted thoughts. This helps dim the intensity of your memory, allowing you space to process it without an overwhelming psychological response." You can search for EMDR music on Spotify to try it out yourself.