Overthinking is a blessing and a curse. It can help you solve difficult problems but it can also focus on problems that don’t exist or can’t be solved. Here are various ways to address the negative aspects of overthinking and stop overthinking.
Notice when you start overthinking When you realize you have begun to overthink. There are multiple ways to stop overthinking:
Focus on something else
By focusing on something else whether it be fun or work it acts as a distraction. This distraction helps more than just trying to avoid thinking too much. As when trying to just stop thinking it becomes significantly harder to avoid that train of thought. This works great for short term bursts of negative or excess thought.
Challenge your Conclusions
After the previous steps, you might begin to see a pattern of excess thought. Once you realize this pattern you can begin to challenge these patterns. This works by validating and addressing these patterns stopping overthinking at the source.
Another way to address these patterns is by writing down your worries on a piece of paper. This exercise focuses on flow and just writing out your stream of consciousness. After continuously writing down your stream of consciousness you can address these concerns after you’re in a better state of mind.
Find a passion / fill time
This technique focuses on distraction as if you have less time, your brain tends to focus on what’s an immediate issue. By finding a passion, you are improving your skillset and challenging yourself in addition to giving yourself less time to overthink. Another benefit of working on a passion this drastically improves mental health.
Focusing on your health
Exercising is something that drastically improves mental health in addition to encouraging more positive habits. By focusing on your health, you improve your body and mind.
Let go of perfection.
This focuses on perfectionism and taking a step back and realizing that what your doing is not having a drastic impact anymore. This is a sign that good enough is enough for submission.
Setting time aside to worry
This works by setting aside time in the day specifically to worry so your worries don’t take over your day and instead only take 15 minutes. Make sure to set a timer so that when your time is done it’s over. If you want a guide to fuel your future success click here.
