Some people are blessed with brains that only function intensely when need be. Others, like myself, are over thinkers to the ultimate degree and let me tell you it can get really exhausting. Over thinkers, rehash conversations in their head, second guess every move they make and imagine horrendous outcomes, all the time. My mind often resembles an overly dramatic Bollywood movie, replaying distressing and long lasting images over and over again. The simplest of things are magnified inside my head and nothing is usually just smooth sailing. I suppose the root cause of this is my perfectionist character. I hate carelessness, I hate mistakes and I’m absolutely terrified of ever being deemed incompetent at my job.
But let me tell you the truth, thinking too much often prevents you from getting anything done. And, it absolutely wreaks havoc on your mood and causes you to be anxious and aggressive. Overthinking often involves two destructive thought patterns, dwelling on the past and persistent worrying. Like all habits, changing your destructive thought patterns can be a challenge. But, with consistent practice, you can train your brain to think differently.
Take Note When You’re Stuck inside Your Own Head
Overthinking can become such a habit that you don’t even recognize when you’re doing it. Start paying attention to the way you think so you can become aware of the problem. When you’re replaying events in your mind over and over, or worrying about things you can’t control, recognize that this isn’t productive. Thinking is only helpful when it leads to positive action.
Focus on the solution
Dwelling on your problems isn’t helpful but looking for solutions is. If it’s something you have control over, consider how you can prevent the problem, or challenge yourself to identify possible solutions. It’s a lot harder said than done but try giving it a shot. Always focus on your attitude and effort.
Challenge Your Inner Thoughts
It’s easy to get carried away with negative thoughts so you need to firstly acknowledge that your thoughts may be exaggeratedly negative and over dramatic. Remind yourself that your emotions will interfere with your ability to look at situations clearly and logically. Take a step back and look at the evidence. What evidence do you have that your thought is true? What evidence do you have that your thought isn’t true? Challenge yourself and come up with your own logical conclusion.
Set Aside Time for Self -Reflection
Focusing on your problems for long periods of time isn’t productive but quick sessions of self-reflection can be helpful and positive. Thinking about how you could do things differently or recognizing potential drawbacks to your plan could help you perform better in the future. Incorporate your “self-reflection” time into your busy schedule. During that time, let yourself worry about whatever you want. However, when your time is up, move on to something else. And, when you start overthinking things outside of your scheduled time, simply remind yourself that you’ll need to wait until your “self- reflection” time to address those issues in your mind.
Acquire Mindfulness Skills
It’s impossible to rehash yesterday or worry about tomorrow when you’re living in the present. Mindfulness will help you become more aware of the here and now. Just like any other skill, mindfulness takes practice, but over time, it can decrease overthinking.
Re-direct your energy
Telling yourself to stop thinking about something will backfire. The more you try to prevent a thought, the more likely it is to keep appearing. Change the channel in your brain by changing your activity. Exercise, socialize with people or work on a something that distracts you. Doing something different will help stop the bombardment of negative thoughts.
