4 Reasons Why Thinking Too Much Wears Out Our Minds
The ability to reason and plan is one of the great gifts that nature has given us, but we must keep in mind that rationality is a double-edged sword.
If emotions can cause us to rush into highly risky projects in which there is little or nothing to gain, reason can keep us anchored in place; In short, it gives us an excuse to stay in our comfort zone and not only not progress, but also create problems that did not exist before.
Ruminate and become obsessed with an idea or topic It is as counterproductive as it is frustrating, but that does not make us “disengage” from that habit when there is something that captures the attention of our mind over and over again, whether it is something that worries us (like having made a bad first impression on someone) or the uncertainty of something that awaits us in the future (such as the results of medical tests).
Of course, there are issues that deserve a good part of our attention, but in those cases everything that is not guide our thoughts to resolve that situation effectively It will lead us to lose the battle of stress and time poorly spent. Ruminating all the time with a thought about an unsolvable problem or about something that does not depend on us, normally, takes away more from us than it gives us.
Why obsessing about something weakens us psychologically
These are some extra reasons why you should consider stopping thinking about the same thing all the time and accept problems with simplicity and constructive attitude.
In many cases, we become obsessed with something that, even though we could find a solution, finding it very complicated. In these cases, thinking about it all the time acts as an alibi for ourselves; It gives us the feeling that we are doing something to move in the direction of that goal without, really, doing anything real that increases our chances of success.
Wallowing in catastrophic thoughts , for example, is not taking stock of risks, just as fantasizing about success all the time is not a way to motivate yourself. It simply makes us more obsessive people and, consequently, with less capacity to respond appropriately to the demands of the environment. That is why it is necessary to analyze our own thoughts and feelings to remove any habit that smacks of an excuse for not taking risks and reasonable amounts of effort and stress.
2. Limits our productivity
Definitely, overthinking is a way to procrastinate , to leave everything “for tomorrow” (indefinitely). When the moment comes when we are forced to react, our mind must deal with a lot of challenges that arrive suddenly, and acts in a disorganized manner; Not even remarkably intelligent people get out of situations like this.
3. Our mental health worsens
Rumination, which in theory seems comfortable, by postponing responsibilities in exchange for spending time obsessively thinking about something, only creates a problem of rush and stress in the medium term. This vicious circle of reasons to worry about impediments that come our way makes our anxiety levels grow , which increases the chances of having a crisis related to a mental disorder. The relationship between the tendency to overthink things and the possibility of developing mental problems has been proven.
As a result, rumination and distracting obsessions leave a devastating mark on our sleeping habits, which in turn causes many other problems related to lack of rest, distractions, fatigue, and anxiety. memory problems. Not only does it make us sleep fewer hours, but also, according to studies, the quality of our sleep is lower and we spend fewer minutes in the deepest phase of this.
Tips to avoid overthinking and move from worry to action
If you are interested in breaking the vicious cycle of rumination, these are some guidelines you can follow:
1. Create goal lists
Prioritize what you really want to do over everything else, to be clear about where you should direct your actions.
2. Organize a mint calendar
Fragment your goals into smaller sub-goals preferably daily, so as not to have the feeling that it is something unattainable (something that would encourage rumination).
3. Follow schedules
Make compromises when it comes to following strict schedules. Every time you fail to do so, leave money in a piggy bank whose contents someone else will enjoy. In this way you will try to avoid possible immediate loss.
