Have you ever had that feeling where it seems as though your mind was just caught on an unending merry-go-round? And it happened to be reminiscing over past conversations or issues you thought had been settled. Well, esteemed greetings from the overthinking club, you’re not alone! The club where every small decision becomes an important occasion to ponder with at least two nights of vigil. But don’t fret there are ways to calm your overthinking mind.
Overthinking is one thing that can turn simple everyday choices into recurring experiences, leaving you mentally exhausted all the time. However, no matter how long you have had to experience these mental drama plays, it’s still possible to break free! This is an article that carefully gives meaning to why you’re overthinking everything and anything. In addition, we will add some processes that will give you absolute peace of mind.
For a fact, there are underlying reasons why you always have to find yourself in a state of overthinking everything. Here we go;
First of all, the ‘fear of making mistakes’ can trap you into second-guessing every decision you have to make. It makes the easiest and quickest decisions look like the most challenging kind. Can you think about a time you battled between texting him “Hey, what’s up?” or, “Hey, what’s up with you?”. You literally had to spend hours thinking about the option that wouldn’t reduce your steeze. You felt like the result of one text would determine if he would grant you a space in his heart.
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Due to your aim of shifting from Miss Endurance to Miss Flawless, you usually get overly obsessed with each and every detail, in a bid to make sure that everything is “RIGHT”. This Perfectionist mentality right here is often what calls the shot for overthinking and even procrastination. Imagine hosting a dinner party and hoping to see that everything goes the way you plan it. So, while seated, you’re so pissed cause things aren’t exactly going according to plan. Suddenly, you begin to imagine the 799 things that could go wrong. So, because of this abstract realm that you’re in, you miss out on everything that is happening right in front of you.
Another reason that can cause you to be in that constant state of overthinking could be due to some of the uncomfortable or humiliating experiences from your past. Now, this makes your brain alert, so you replay things a thousand times to keep them from happening again. Just like when you sent a text to your crush and mistyped “Hey, what’s up?” with “Hey, what’s pup”. Your brain might still be holding on to that one memory, making you overthink every text message you want to send as if one typo could doom your social life.
If you have a strong desire for control, one common trait is the need to over-analyze any issue. Additionally, you try to maintain that control and predict every possible outcome. Now, imagine you and your girls planning a little weekend hangout, while everyone is excited, you are not. You have to make sure every element of the weekend hangout is as detailed as it could be. Funny enough, even if your friends find it odd that you’ve scheduled meals and toilet breaks, you don’t mind. Genuinely, you believe that your life could fall apart if you don’t arrange every aspect of it this way.
Finally, stress leads to an overactive brain, which reduces concentration and increases the likelihood of overthinking. It’s quite understandable when you’re juggling commitments, deadlines, and a packed schedule. Your brain runs so fast and yet, never quite arrives at its objective.
By being aware of these factors, you may start addressing these problems and working towards breaking free from the overthinking trap.
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Overthinking can make you think about every move twice, leading to procrastination or indecision. It makes stuck in a mental traffic jam, where you’re too busy predicting disasters to see the free flow. All that mental replaying is just a one-way ticket to Stressville, right after Smallville. Smallville has Superman’s strengths; precision, and strength; Stressvile has You with your many powers of anxiety and sleepless nights. Overthinking can be another cause of Relationship stress.
You can begin to interpret every statement or action too broadly, which could result in unnecessary misunderstandings. It’s like when you receive a simple “OK” text from your partner and your first line of thought is that he’s upset with you. You go through the message a hundred times and then, analyze the timing, the tone, and the emoji. The sad ending is that you might create more problems that never existed.
Therefore, even though overthinking could appear to be a harmless habit, it can quietly invade every area of your life and add unnecessary complexity to just about everything. The good news is that recognizing its impact is another step towards breaking free from its grip.
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This is practical to calm your mind, because they’re more or less, something you can even do now whilst reading this article. Let’s quickly go over them;
First off, you should try setting a timer for your worrying sessions. This may sound funny, but try it! Give yourself, say, 10 minutes to go wild with all the “what ifs” and “all kinds of outcome” thoughts. Immediately after that, hit the mental pause button and you’d do that much easier if you move on to do or engage in something productive. You’d be shocked at how calm your mind is after this exercise.
Moving ahead to the “one thought at a time” method is what should be your next consideration. This would have you focus on a single worry and tackle it before moving to the next. Just like the Power Rangers that had a single enemy for every episode, and wouldn’t advance to a new storyline till that enemy is defeated. This should be the same kind of approach to how you tackle your worries. Remember, your brain is not a washing machine; it doesn’t need to spin continuously with all manners!
Another helpful strategy is to be the one to challenge your thoughts this time by asking yourself, “Is this thought really true?” or “What’s the worst that could happen?”. It sounds weird, right? The truth is, when you begin to question these cycles of overthinking, you’ll see how it keeps your mind calm. Then you’d notice that many of your worries are either unrealistic or exaggerated.
Now, let’s talk about mindfulness, which should be classified as our secret weapon against overthinking. Mindfulness is simply just being present with the here and now, rather than visiting all the world’s problems in one day. This act is a way to calm your mind, though all you need is a little ounce of practice. You can literally train your mind to focus on what’s happening around you instead of losing yourself in a train of thoughts that doesn’t have an exit point.
Start with simple exercises, like deep breathing. The ideal concern here is you focusing on each breath as it leaves and then enters your nostrils. Our movies have given us a lot of inspo about the effectiveness of this particular technique with the cliche statement; “Take a deep breath” This not only calms your mind but also somehow brings you to the present moment.
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Another way you can really embrace mindfulness is through some grounding techniques. These are like those quick and asap mental exercises that bring your attention back to this article(Why are you trying to drift again?)! There are a couple of them you can look up for and work with. It’s really a reliable way of hitting the reset button on your brain.
Finally, cultivate an attitude of acceptance. Understand that not every thought needs to be acted upon or solved. It’s okay to let some things happen especially when we may not be able to alter its motion. This doesn’t in any way mean you should ignore your problems. Rather, it gives off a stance where you get to keep your calm and not let it dominate your mind. Truthfully, embracing the present moment, even with all its negativities, is the key to breaking free from the chains of overthinking.
A bonus tip that should be the most simple but yet super effective is “You distracting yourself”! Engage in an activity that would require your full attention, like a workout, painting, cooking or even binge-watching your favourite series. What you’re trying to achieve here is not necessarily the activity goal you’re engaged in. It’s more about giving your brain a break from the cycle of overthinking that may want to surface.
