Do you often find yourself ruminating about the events that took place in the past or may happen in the future? Do you wonder if you could have done things differently or about the outcome of every action you undertake? Do you constantly remind yourself of all the mistakes that you have made? These are tell-tale signs that you are an overthinker.
When you overthink, you ponder over the same thing over and over again. These thoughts run in a never-ending loop that makes you brood over a thought repetitively and can cloud your judgment and decision-making skills. While everyone overthinks every now and then, extended periods of overthinking can be detrimental to your mental health. If left unchecked, it can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
“Overthinking can be harmful to our emotional health, especially when it’s directed at unwanted, spontaneous, negative thoughts, images, or memories,” David A. Clark, clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus with the Department of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick, writes in a Psychology Today blog.
The good news is you can prevent the chain of repetitive thoughts from wreaking havoc in your life. If you find yourself constantly overthinking and want to put an end to this habit, these tips can help.
Don’t dwell in the past
“Every morning brings new potential, but if you dwell on the misfortunes of the day before, you tend to overlook tremendous opportunities,” says New York Times best-selling author Harvey Mackay. Overthinkers tend to dwell in the events of the past and berate themselves for things that went wrong. This attitude prevents them from harnessing their true potential, as they remain stuck in the past. If you have a habit of emphasising too much on past events, especially memories that bring you pain, you need to break the cycle by focussing on the present moment. Remind yourself that what is in the past will remain in the past. Unlike science fiction films, there is no time machine in the real world that can alter the course of time. Hence, if you want to stop overthinking, turn your attention towards the present and tell yourself that there is a lot you can still accomplish.
Stop engaging your trigger thoughts
Is your mind clogged with perturbing “What ifs…” while undertaking any activity? For instance, when you have to give a work presentation, does your mind create hypothetical scenarios of impending doom and makes you wonder “What if it all goes wrong?”, or “What if my boss is not going to like it?” These are trigger thoughts that create worst-case scenarios and torment you with endless worries.
A way to overcome overthinking is to identify these triggers. Assess the situation where such thoughts emerge. Then pause for a moment to analyse whether or not the scenarios you pondered upon really took place. In most cases, your worries are only a figment of your imagination. Once you recognise these triggers, try to stop mulling over them, and let them pass. Doing so will help you overcome overthinking.
Overthinking is the habit of constantly dwelling on thoughts and scenarios, often in a repetitive and negative manner, which can lead to stress and anxiety.
To break the habit of overthinking, you can focus on the present moment, identify and stop trigger thoughts, engage in meaningful distractions, practice mindfulness meditation, cultivate self-compassion, look for realistic solutions, and consider seeking therapy.
Overthinking can negatively impact mental health, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and depression.
Mindfulness meditation can help calm turbulent thoughts and redirect the focus to the present moment. Regular practice of mindfulness meditation can declutter the mind and reduce overthinking tendencies.
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