Your mind is one of the most important organs of your body, and it is also the most complicated one. We generate about 70000 thoughts per day. That’s a lot of thoughts and thinking. An interesting thing is that we have very little control over our thoughts.
So What are these thoughts all about?
Are you thinking too much?
Are you thinking negatively?
Is it ok, or is it bad for you?
Today we will find out how to stop overthinking and save yourself from lots of anxiety.
Is overthinking really a big problem?
Yes, sure it is. If you are an over-thinker, then you might already be facing or may face some problems in the future. So which issue you may face?
Depression and anxiety
One of the most common problems due to overthinking is depression. When you overthink a situation, you get anxious and depressed.
Insomnia
It will become difficult for you to fall asleep. When your mind is constantly busy thinking about stuff and situations, you will not be able to sleep. The calmness of mind is necessary for falling asleep.
Problem in decision making
If you are an overthinker, you will find yourself struggling to take any big decision. The negative effect that can happen due to the decision will overpower the positive ones. And you will always remain in a dilemma even after reaching a conclusion.
Are you terrified? Let’s understand why we tend to overthink in the first place.
Nobody can deny that thinking is a precious gift to humankind. But what if our mind uses this tool as a weapon against ourselves?
There can be numerous reasons as to why we overthink, but the most common one is Fear.
Fear of the future, fear of losing someone you love, fear of being in a worst possible situation, Fearing other’s judgment on you. All these things make our mind uncomfortable.
So what can be done to stop Overthinking?
We have listed down some ways to stop overthinking.
1. Write Down your Thoughts
Start writing down your thoughts in a journal. Even if not all at least the noticeable ones. You will get to know what’s consuming your mind and is it actually helping you out.
2. Meditation
It is a tried and tested way to calm your mind and unlock its full potential. Try meditation daily even if for 5 min, but at least try it. It will steer clear your mind, let it stabilize and focus. Think about it as if you are training your mind to calm down when the situation is otherwise.
3. See the bigger picture
Make it a habit, if you realize you are overthinking on a situation or a decision, then try to see the bigger picture. You should ask yourself these question.
● What’s the worst that can happen?
● What’s the possibility of its happening?
● How much will it affect you?
And on the other side, What’s the best possible thing that can happen.
This way, it will be much easier for you to take a decision and move forward.
4. Performance anxiety
One of the common reasons for overthinking is what will happen. Don’t burden yourself too much on the outcomes, just give your best and enjoy the journey.
As said, “You cannot change your outcomes, you can only change your actions.”
So do your best and leave the rest.
5. Ditch negative thinking and come to Positive side
Has it ever occurred to you that we only overthink about negative things and negative situations?
When we surround ourselves with so much negativity that we just forget that something good can happen too. Thinking critically is a good thing, but totally ignoring the positive scenario is not reasonable.
So next time, try to think more positively, and you might get something good out of it too.
The above ways are definitely effective, and you should practice them to overcome overthinking habits. But what if you need to stop overthinking instantly. So here are some ways which will help you to relax your mind and stop overthinking instantly.
6. Go for a Walk
This is one of the most effective and easiest one. Go for a walk, enjoy the natural beauty, observe things around you, interact with people around you.
Don’t think about the problem. Just relax and walk. This will help you calm your mind and give it time to settle things up. Give it a try, and you will surely enjoy it.
7. Do what you love
Secondly, you can do something you love and enjoy doing, like painting, singing, reading, cooking, gardening, or even watching movies. This will divert your mind and fill you up with happiness. And a happy mind will not worry about silly things.
8. Communicate with other
We are social animals, it is in our DNA. We love to share our thoughts. While it may seem difficult to some, but sharing your thoughts with others will help your mind to feel a bit relaxed. You can share it with your friend, family, or your partner, whichever suits you. Besides feeling relaxed, you will also get more perspective to look at the situation.
In the last, I can only say that “You cannot eliminate it, but surely you can control it.”
Training your mind to see the positive things will take some time, but it will be worth the effort.
So which one are you going to use next?
Going for a Walk?
Or maybe speaking with your friend?
