It's 2:00 a.m., and you simply can't get your mind to shut down. You've tried counting sheep, but they just keep crash-landing into meadows, making the insomnia even worse. Maybe you've tried every trick in the book, from over-the-counter sleep aids to lavender-scented pillows. Well, there's one more trick to try, and some people swear by it.It's called the "Infinity Tracing Technique," and it's actually quite simple. Simply put your finger in the air and imagine tracing the infinity symbol (the number eight sideways) for a couple of minutes. This easy technique can instantly help calm an overactive mind. @drjoe_md Is the infinity tracing technique the hack you need for an overthinking brain? #overthinking #anxiety #insomnia #mentalhealth Dr. Joe Whittington explains the idea in layman's terms in a TikTok video. "You ever lay in bed at night overthinking all the embarrassing things you've done since childhood?" he asks. "Same. So I'm gonna teach you a technique that might help you calm your overactive brain."He breaks down exactly how to do it: "What you do is you take your finger, put it in the air, and you trace the infinity symbol slowly and methodically. Not like you're casting spells. And as you're tracing this infinity symbol, you're gonna just follow it with your eyes. Only your eyes. What this does is it activates your vestibular center, which is involved with your balance and eye movements. When your vestibular system gets activated, it can help calm racing thoughts. Sort of like distracting a toddler with a shiny object, except for the toddler is your overactive brain."It's helpful to the brain in other ways, too. "It's a technique often used in therapy and neuroscience to help you stop doomscrolling your regrets," he adds. A blue light painting of an infinity symbol. Photo by Sandip Kalal on Unsplash Whittington is likely referring to a therapy technique called EMDR, which uses similar methods involving eye movement. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and it's used to help people process complex trauma.The EMDR Institute explains how it works: "During EMDR therapy, the client attends to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus. Therapist-directed lateral eye movements are the most commonly used external stimulus, but a variety of other stimuli, including hand-tapping and audio stimulation, are often used."Similarly, the Infinity Tracing Technique pairs eye movements with specific brain activity to help calm the mind and redirect focus. This technique has recently become popular due to therapists and influencers sharing it online.Sarah Jackson offers additional insight in her Instagram Reel, where she demonstrates the process using a capped blue marker to "write" in the air. She explains that "Figure-8 tracking," as she calls it, activates not only the vestibular system but also the ocular system."Eye muscles connect directly to the brainstem — the part of the brain that governs survival functions," she writes. "Tracking a moving object sends rhythmic signals, saying: I'm balanced, I'm oriented, I'm safe." See on Instagram Jackson further explains:"The vestibular system regulates balance and spatial orientation. Its connection to the brainstem helps calm the nervous system. Smooth, predictable movement supports groundedness, signaling safety. Cross-lateral movement integrates both hemispheres, aiding emotional processing and shifting focus from internal preoccupation to external grounding."Many followers of both social media accounts say they've benefited from the technique. One TikToker jokes, "So I don't need to try to remember my junior high school locker combo?"On the Instagram Reel, one commenter notes that the technique works: "This is great and so effective! I'm always looking for quick wins like this on those days where you can't tell where the time goes."