Overthinking – a winless mental marathon. We’ve all been there; the never-ending cycle of repetitive conversations; the obsessive worry over the future; the paralyzing examination of every embarrassing moment. While contemplating is deemed healthy, excessive overthinking drains our energy, amplifies anxiety and prevents us from living in the moment.
Falling into this self-deprecating spiral of overthinking is easy, however, regaining control over your mind space and escaping this thought spiral is actually achievable. This article aims to enlighten you on a variety of techniques that can help you develop a more peaceful mind and guide you on how to leave your overthinking ways in the past.
1. Positive Reframing:
We’ve all heard the phrase: “Think more positively!” – However, combating negative thoughts isn’t simply replacing them with happier and more optimistic thoughts. Positive reframing is a technique where you acknowledge the negative aspects of your situation whilst thinking of solutions or alternative ways to handle said situation.
This concept involves recognizing damaging thoughts and emotions, evaluating the reality present in these perceptions and enabling yourself to select a more constructive and beneficial thought process. It doesn’t imply that you should always be upbeat and steer clear of anything unpleasant. Rather, it encourages you to accept and appreciate pessimistic ideas, emotions and actions, so that we can learn to find positivity in our moments of negativity.
Positive reframing is all about seeing opportunity in distressing events. It is a tool to prepare ourselves when we are met with the inevitable nature of bad things. There is no magical cure to stop ourselves from making mistakes, getting injured, or controlling external events.
Even though controlling our surroundings is an impossible wish, we can always choose how we react to these unpleasant occurrences.
2.Write down your thoughts:
When something unfortunate happens, instead of impulsively reacting or going down a harmful thought spiral, write down your thoughts, then distract yourself.
Find a relaxing and captivating hobby to engage yourself in, For example-
- Watching television or a film
- Flipping through a book
- Playing a video game
- Cleaning the house
- Completing a task or schoolwork
- Playing an instrument
- Creating an art project
After successfully distracting yourself, wait a period of 24 hours before making any sort of decision. This allows you to weigh the pros and cons of your decisions before finally making an informed choice.
3.Practicing Gratitude:
It’s simple to fall into a negative cycle when our minds are locked in overthinking mode. We forget to enjoy the wonderful things in the now and dwell too much on the mistakes we’ve made in the past and the future. However, developing a grateful mindset can be an effective strategy for changing this negative perspective. By taking time to appreciate the positive aspects of our lives, big or small, we can interrupt negative thought patterns and boost our overall well-being.
However, doing the same thankfulness exercise repetitively can get boring and reduce its benefits. It can begin to seem more like a mindless task than a conscious practice. Therefore, according to an article by Happy Brain Science, one should try engaging in something called “specific gratitude.”
Every time you think of practicing gratitude, think back to the events of the day and ask yourself.
- For what specifically are you thankful? Spell it out and be through.
- Which emotion had the biggest impact? In what way did this improve your mood?
- What was the primary effect? What benefits did this bring you?
By concentrating on the things you are grateful for, you can divert your attention from negativity and overthinking and instead learn to appreciate the here and now.
4.Schedule Overthinking:
Instead of letting overthinking hijack your entire day, designate a specific time for reflection. Schedule 30 minutes out of your entire day to just think. During this allotted time give yourself complete freedom to think about anything you want. If you need to gain better clarity of your thoughts, try to put them in writing.
Starting this mindful exercise will be difficult, but once this habit is integrated into your daily routine it will help you instantly recognize harmful thought patterns so that you can immediately redirect them.
When faced with overthinking throughout the day remind yourself “ I have a designated time for this.” To better understand how scheduling time for thinking can help regulate your thought process, read this blog.
5.Mediate:
Even though the idea of clearing the mind and indulging in meditation seems incredibly peaceful and mind numbing, for those of us with overactive thoughts, truly entering a meditative state can be a challenging task.
Effective meditation can help mitigate all the negative effects of overthinking. Here are some tips to help you practice meditation successfully:
- Create a schedule and stick to it.
- Create a specific place for meditating.
- Start with light breathing exercises.
- Mediate to a recording or music.
- Mediate with others.
Ultimately, the goal is not to eliminate all thinking but to develop a healthier relationship with your thoughts. By employing these strategies, you can learn to recognize overthinking triggers, challenge negative thought patterns, and cultivate a sense of calmness and acceptance in the present moment. Remember, you are not your thoughts.