Like I know people sit still and quiet for a while, but what exactly are they thinking or doing?
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There are different types of meditation, but one of them, mindfulness meditation, is about being aware of everything that is happening in your experience in the present moment, including any thoughts you have. As soon as you recognize you are having a thought, you aim to “detach” from that thought and return your concentration to the present moment. Rather than getting “caught up” in the thought and continue to think it without realizing you’re thinking it.
Usually it’s easiest to rest your focus on one specific thing in your present experience, like the sensations of your breath. This makes it easier to catch when your focus has been broken by a thought, recognizing the thought for what it is, and then bringing focus back to the breath. Once you have more practice meditating you can rest your awareness on everything you’re perceiving simultaneously – any sounds in the room, feeling of pressure from your seat, clothes on the body, etc.
If you practice mindfulness a lot, even if you’re not currently meditating you can get good at recognizing when you’re getting carried away in a thought, and detach from it if it’s not a useful thought, e.g. anxious ruminations.
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