How To Stop Overthinking? 8 Keys To Deal With Our Recurring Thoughts
Is it bad to overthink things? What can it mean if I overthink something that has happened to me too much? Discover why we overthink and what to do to stop it from affecting us.
About thinking It is a very common habit today due to our way of life. Whatever thoughts you think with, these types of habits are a double-edged sword because they can cause us a lot of damage on a psychological level. But why can’t we stop overthinking and how can we stop doing it?
Thinking over an idea can be a very common behavior, but when these thoughts are very recurrent, this may be a sign that we tend to overthink things Some of the signs that may indicate that you overthink things too much are the following:
Inability to think about other things: This may imply that even if you want to, you can’t get this idea out of your head.
Lack of relaxation: People who overthink too much can also end up suffering a lot of stress both mentally and physically.
Constant worry: When a person is constantly worried due to a recurring topic in their head, they can also be considered to be overthinking.
Fatigue: By thinking too much about certain problems or ideas, people can feel mentally exhausted.
Negative thoughts: Overthinking things can end up making people tend to think negatively, that is, they end up drawing negative conclusions.
Reproduce a situation or experience in your mind: Having a memory over and over again, that is, being “stuck” in a specific situation.
Question your decisions: By overthinking, people can also overthink a decision, not drawing any specific conclusion.
Analyze a social situation: Recreate an experience with others, that is, analyze what your friend, family member or partner meant with different comments.
These are some of the pointss that could indicate that you are overthinking too much It is important to take into account if you tend towards these attitudes, as it may be a sign that you are facing a mental health problem.
Is overthinking bad?
Overthinking an idea It can occur due to different reasons. Among the most common we can highlight the following:
Rumination: Rumination involves repeating things over and over again. That is, it can be a conversation you have had or an idea that you believe is reality and affects you. Ruminating increases a person’s chances of suffering from a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety.
Stress: Stress is also closely related to overthinking. In these cases, people may feel that their brain does not turn off, even interfering with their sleep schedule or causing insomnia.
Difficulty making decisions: Many people may overthink because they experience many difficulties in making decisions. One of the effects of turning things over and over again is precisely analysis paralysis, where people cannot make a decision because they analyze things too much.
Suffering from a psychological disorder: Although in most cases, overthinking does not imply a mental disorder, the reality is that overthinking can be related to some mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.
How to stop overthinking?
Some of the ways you can work to stop surprising are the following:
Try to distract your mind: Instead of giving greater weight to your thoughts or the problem itself, when faced with an idea or memory that repeats itself, it is important that you try to distract yourself a little. While you focus on another task, like painting, or gardening, your brain can find better ways to solve a problem in the background.
Face your negative thoughts: Remember that your thoughts will not always be reality. Therefore, learning to reframe them in more positive terms can help you reduce the tendency to overanalyze. When you find yourself overthinking, try to question these thoughts and evaluate their realism. That is, consider other possibilities and alternative scenarios. By questioning your thoughts, this will allow you to learn to challenge your own thoughts and replace them with much more useful ones.
Work on your interpersonal skills: Improving your social skills can help you prevent overthinking, since you won’t give yourself reasons to question your attitudes or words. There are different ways to develop your interpersonal skills, such as increasing your self-awareness, strengthening self-confidence, and practicing self-control.
To meditate: Meditation is an ideal tool to redirect thoughts in a much more positive direction. The goal of meditation is to try to redirect our attention on our body and environment so as not to focus on our thoughts. This does not mean emptying our mind of thoughts but trying to redirect them. Research has shown that as little as 10 minutes of meditation can be effective in stopping obsessive thoughts and worries.
Practice self-acceptance: Overthinking often arises from regretting past mistakes or worrying about things that cannot be changed. Instead of beating yourself up for things you may regret, work on being more tolerant and compassionate with yourself. Studies suggest that people who practice self-compassion are more likely to use healthy coping strategies. Some strategies that can help you become more self-compassionate include practicing gratitude, valuing the positive aspects of yourself, cultivating a strong support system with people who provide encouragement and love, and forgiving yourself for things you regret.
Express your thoughts in writing: Instead of keeping your thoughts in your mind, write them down in a journal or start a “thought jar” where you can record them. This way, you won’t have to hold on to them and you can free your mind.
Trust your intuition: After so many years of questioning others and overthinking and rethinking, you may have silenced your own inner voice. You probably don’t even know what it sounds like. Trusting your gut can take time and patience, but tuning into your intuitive feelings can be the first step to acting on your own terms, rather than getting stuck in a cycle of overthinking.
Talk to a therapist: If overthinking is affecting your life and you feel like you are spiraling into depression or anxiety because of your thoughts, then talking to a therapist will help you make sense of your world. Therapy can help you build your own identity and establish stronger foundations that allow you to live in the present instead of worrying excessively about the future.
About thinking It can end up causing you to immerse yourself in your worries and generate too much stress. In fact, as we have indicated, this habit can be closely related to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, so it is important that you find ways to break these thought patterns.
