Do you overthink a lot? Have you ever been crippled by an overwhelming fear of not looking as good in a dress as you expected? Or of spilling a little water in front of others? Or not being able to see your friend this weekend?
Most of you must be wondering why such trivial incidents would warrant such an extreme reaction, and you’d be right. But those of you who can relate to it could be struggling with the problem of overthinking.
According to a study conducted at the University of Michigan, 73% of adults between the age group of 25-35 years are overthinkers. And although overthinking in itself is not a disorder, it can have a serious impact on one’s mental health. Overthinking can lead to serious disorders such as insomnia, anxiety, and finally depression. The good news, however, is that overthinking is a habit and one can easily get rid of it. Here are some of the best ways overthinkers can get rid of the problem.
1. Add reflection to your schedule.
The root of overthinking lies in a simple thought that wasn’t kept in check and spiraled into something much bigger. So, to keep your thoughts in check, you can add a specific time (say, 30 minutes) in your daily routine to devote to reflection. This will provide you with ample time to reflect without overthinking, but ensure that you stop the moment these 30 minutes are over.
Recommended reading: 5 Ways to Stop Self-Doubt
2. Practice journaling.
Writing down your thoughts can give you a sense of control over your wandering thoughts. It can also help in metacognitive thinking – when a person ‘thinks about thinking’. Journaling one’s thoughts can help a person think about why exactly is their mind wandering. This can help finding the root of the problem, by recording their thoughts in black and white.
3. Seek self-compassion.
We all love to blame ourselves when our thoughts run a long, exhausting marathon in our minds. Self-hatred is a common outcome of overthinking. What we must do instead is practice self-compassion. We should be kind to ourselves, the way we are kind to our friends who seem to be stuck in a deadlock situation. We may try to solve our problems the way we solve the problems for our friends.
4. Live in the present.
Overthinking is closely associated with worrying or stressing about something that has already been done or that is yet to happen. Therefore, the best thing you can do to let go of it is to focus on the present. Invest all your energy in the task you’re currently doing and make sure you make the most of it; this way, your mind will have no space to accommodate overthinking.
5. When faced with a problem, take an active approach.
When something unfortunate happens to us, it is natural to wonder, “Why is this happening to me?” But you have to admit that these thoughts have never helped anyone. If you truly want to change things, ask yourself this instead: “What can I do about it?” Because when you focus on finding an answer to this question, it can help you turn things around without overthinking them.
6. Take action.
Overthinking is all about big words and hollow actions. Next time when you overthink about a particular task that has to be done, start doing the work, instead of just sitting and thinking about it. Taking the right actions can prevent baseless thoughts from flooding your mind.
7. Distract yourself.
Instead of wasting your time thinking about situations that are not in your control, try distracting yourself. You may follow up on your old hobbies or may start a new hobby such as cooking Japanese food or watching K-dramas.
8. Meditation.
Start meditating by sitting in a comfortable position. Try to simply observe your thoughts and not judge or feel angry about them. You may also practice chanting as it reduces stress and fills your mind with positivity.
9. Focus on the bigger picture.
Most people justify overthinking by telling themselves that it wouldn’t hurt them. Yes, it might not hurt you right at that moment, but what about five years later? If you have a regular habit of overthinking, it will drastically impact your mental health in the long run; you might even be taking medication for anxiety or depression by that time. And how can you prevent that from happening? By taking a step back from it today. Overcoming overthinking might not be an easy task for you five years from now, but today, it is.
As humans, we cannot always control our thoughts. What we can instead control is how we engage with those thoughts. You can always choose to redirect your thoughts to something more meaningful. If you get rid of overthinking, you can get to date your crush in real life, and not suffer in isolation due to your overflooded thoughts.
