HOW TO STOP OVERTHINKING?
n order to find ways to stop overthinking, we have to know what overthinking is first. The term is pretty self explanatory. Overthinking is thinking about something constantly to the point where it causes worry and stress and doesn’t allow you to function at an optimal or efficient level. Overthinking constantly lowers your confidence levels and increases your self doubt.
Difference Between Overthinking And Self Reflection
Overthinking and self reflection are two concepts which are almost the same but separated by a very fine line. Both of these involve analyzing your choices and methods, with the difference being that with self reflection you come to a conclusion or a solution for the problem.
Self reflection is more of looking back at your decisions and understanding or realizing why you made those decisions, reflecting on how you could do things better and exploring more options that you haven’t come across before.
Overthinking is a negative habit that has no positive outcome. While overthinking, you dwell on issues without finding solutions and you go in a loop. It’s important to understand the difference between these so you can get yourself out of it.
Signs You Overthink
You Don’t Think About A Solution
You constantly think about the problem but do not try to find a solution. It’s mostly just worrying and asking the same questions. This overtime leads to depreciating mental health and mental exhaustion.
Your Sleep Gets Affected
Night time is generally silent which is the perfect gateway for overthinking. Your mind gets flooded with thoughts which makes it harder for you to fall asleep even if you’re trying. These negative thoughts cause anxiety which disrupts your sleep pattern and in the long term diminishes your physical and mental health.
It’s Difficult To Make Decisions
Most of us think twice before making a decision. Well, if you’re an overthinker you tend to obsess over any decision you make. Being afraid of making the wrong decision makes you think constantly leading to indecisiveness.
You Doubt The Choices You Make
After finally making a decision, you think about that decision to analyze if it was actually the right decision. You worry that you might have made the wrong one and this puts your mind under pressure.
How Do You Stop Overthinking?
Here are a few tips that can help you stop overthinking.
#1 – Find Something To Do
Keep your mind occupied with things to do, preferably something useful and productive. If you keep yourself occupied, you won’t have the time to think about unnecessary things. And doing something throughout the day will make you tired which will help you sleep at night and won’t let your mind wander around.
#2 – Accept & Let Go
What happened in the past should remain there. If you can’t do anything about it, accept things for how they are and let it go. You can’t change the past but you can change the present and the future, so work towards that.
#3 – Change The Narrative
You’re the author of your own book. How others see you would firstly depend on how you see yourself, so make sure that you control how you see yourself. Remove the negatives, take responsibility for your actions and use your present to make better decisions.
#4 – Meditate
Spend some time on a daily basis to meditate, focus on your breathing, quieten your mind and relax your body. Regulating breathing helps you focus and frees your mind from unnecessary thoughts. You can also try yoga for calm and mindfulness. It helps you live in the present.
#5 – Differentiate Fear From Intuition
The fear of your past traumas can cloud your judgement. Understand and identify what your fears are so that you can overcome them and make calculated decisions.
Overthinking about the past can sometimes ruin your present and future for you. Whatever it is that makes you think so much, stress and worry about, find a solution for it or if you can’t find a solution for it, learn to accept it and move on. Live in the present, do better things today because you have a chance to and make the best out of the rest of your life.
Difference Between Overthinking And Self Reflection
Overthinking and self reflection are two concepts which are almost the same but separated by a very fine line. Both of these involve analyzing your choices and methods, with the difference being that with self reflection you come to a conclusion or a solution for the problem.
Self reflection is more of looking back at your decisions and understanding or realizing why you made those decisions, reflecting on how you could do things better and exploring more options that you haven’t come across before.
Overthinking is a negative habit that has no positive outcome. While overthinking, you dwell on issues without finding solutions and you go in a loop. It’s important to understand the difference between these so you can get yourself out of it.
Signs You Overthink
You Don’t Think About A Solution
You constantly think about the problem but do not try to find a solution. It’s mostly just worrying and asking the same questions. This overtime leads to depreciating mental health and mental exhaustion.
Your Sleep Gets Affected
Night time is generally silent which is the perfect gateway for overthinking. Your mind gets flooded with thoughts which makes it harder for you to fall asleep even if you’re trying. These negative thoughts cause anxiety which disrupts your sleep pattern and in the long term diminishes your physical and mental health.
It’s Difficult To Make Decisions
Most of us think twice before making a decision. Well, if you’re an overthinker you tend to obsess over any decision you make. Being afraid of making the wrong decision makes you think constantly leading to indecisiveness.
You Doubt The Choices You Make
After finally making a decision, you think about that decision to analyze if it was actually the right decision. You worry that you might have made the wrong one and this puts your mind under pressure.
How Do You Stop Overthinking?
Here are a few tips that can help you stop overthinking.
#1 – Find Something To Do
Keep your mind occupied with things to do, preferably something useful and productive. If you keep yourself occupied, you won’t have the time to think about unnecessary things. And doing something throughout the day will make you tired which will help you sleep at night and won’t let your mind wander around.
#2 – Accept & Let Go
What happened in the past should remain there. If you can’t do anything about it, accept things for how they are and let it go. You can’t change the past but you can change the present and the future, so work towards that.
#3 – Change The Narrative
You’re the author of your own book. How others see you would firstly depend on how you see yourself, so make sure that you control how you see yourself. Remove the negatives, take responsibility for your actions and use your present to make better decisions.
#4 – Meditate
Spend some time on a daily basis to meditate, focus on your breathing, quieten your mind and relax your body. Regulating breathing helps you focus and frees your mind from unnecessary thoughts. You can also try yoga for calm and mindfulness. It helps you live in the present.
#5 – Differentiate Fear From Intuition
The fear of your past traumas can cloud your judgement. Understand and identify what your fears are so that you can overcome them and make calculated decisions.
Overthinking about the past can sometimes ruin your present and future for you. Whatever it is that makes you think so much, stress and worry about, find a solution for it or if you can’t find a solution for it, learn to accept it and move on. Live in the present, do better things today because you have a chance to and make the best out of the rest of your life.