Strategies to stop overthinking


“Don't get too deep, it leads to over thinking, and over thinking leads to problems that doesn't even exist in the first place.”
– Jayson Engay

Overthinking can be simply defined as, “to think about something too much or for too long”. It’s human nature to think things through while making a decision but it becomes overthinking when you can’t get it out of your head.
People who overthink have a tendency to beat themselves up over a small error they might have made in the past or are worried about how they will succeed in future. Over-thinkers are flooded by distressing thoughts and their inability to get out of their own heads which leave them in a state of constant agony. While everyone overthinks at some point of time once in a while, some people can seem to quit the endless bombardment of thoughts. 
Overthinking can take many form 
  • Constantly thinking when making a decision and questioning the decision made
  • Trying to read minds and predict the future
  • Analyzing the minutest of details
People who overthink have constantly thoughts running inside their heads, criticizing themselves for the decisions they made in past, feeling terrified that they might have committed an error and worrying about future. Their thinking is dominated by ‘what ifs’, ‘should’ and ‘must’. Overthinking can be destructive and mentally draining. You may feel that you are stuck in one place. It can significantly influence on your day-to-day life. It can affect your health and put your overall well-being at risk. 

Here are a few strategies to stop overthinking

Become aware: Before you can begin to implement strategies to stop overthinking you need become aware when it’s happening, identify the major stressors that lead to overthinking. Any time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed, try to step back and reflect on how you respond to the situation. In that moment of awareness is the seed of the change you want to make.
Lawrence Bossidy Quote: “Self-awareness gives you the capacity to ...


Challenge your thoughts: Often we become stuck in a negative trap and find ourselves making the same thinking errors time and time again. Acknowledge that some of your thoughts may be negative which are disturbing your mental peace. Learn to recognize them and find a more balanced thought. Balanced thinking is a way of testing your thoughts and checking that you are seeing the whole of the story and look for new evidence.

Put things into perspective: When you catch yourself making a mountain out of molehill ask yourself how much will it matter in near future say next two year or maybe next month.
Before Getting Upset Always Ask Yourself Will This Even Matter in ...
Focus on Active Problem-Solving: Constantly thinking about your problems isn’t helpful but actively looking for solution is. Ask yourself what steps can you take to solve our problem. Instead of dwelling on why something happen focus on how you can go about it. You may follow the steps given in this worksheet to understand and analyze your problem better and derive solution: https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/ProblemSolvingWorksheet.pdf 

Stop aiming for perfection: The moment you think that something needs to be perfect remind yourself that, "Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress". It is good to aim at doing your best but sometimes trying to make everything perfect can be unrealistic. Follow SMART model for setting and achieving your goals: https://www.mcckc.edu/counseling/goal-setting/docs/SMARTGoalWorksheet.pdf 

Remember you can't predict the future: Spending time on overthinking about future consequences can do more harm by affecting your mental and physical health. None f us can predict the future, all we have is now. 

“If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.” - Roy T. Bennet 

Work on accepting uncertainty, use this worksheet: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental%20Health%20Professionals/Generalised%20Anxiety/Generalised%20Anxiety%20-%20Worksheets/Generalised%20Anxiety%20Worksheet%20-%2003%20-%20Accepting%20Uncertainty.pdf 

Accept your best: Be gentle with yourself, you are doing the best you can. The fear that underlies overthinking is often based in the feeling that you are not good enough. Once you've given something your best, accept and acknowledge it. Remind yourself that you did what could do and you gave your best. 

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Schedule Time for Reflection: Set a time-limit (say 15-20 minutes) for your ‘thinking time’ in your daily schedule and stick to it. During this time let yourself think or ruminate about whatever you want. When your time limit ends remind yourself to stop and you may think about it later in the scheduled time. The idea is that if you start overthinking at any other time during the day, it is easier to change course if you think to yourself, "I don't need to think about this now. I will save it for my designated time later." 

Try Writing Out Your Thoughts: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be really cathartic and therapeutic. Journaling your thoughts and feelings frees up space in your mind and also helps you reflect on your thoughts. Once you close your journal, leave all your negative thoughts behind. You can also try gratitude journaling.

You may try this format from 5-minute journal: https://www.itsyourlife.info/sites/itsyourlife/files/Five_Minute_Journal_Quickstart.pdf

Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the basic ability to be fully present and being aware of where we are and what we are doing. Mindfulness aids your health, happiness, brain function and social life.
You may try mindful breathing: https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/MindfulBreathing.pdf
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Sanjina Bose

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