How to Avoid OverThinking

When it comes to overthinking, I’m guilty and can jokingly claim that’s one of my strengths. While I do think it’s important to self reflect and think logically about things before taking action or making rash decisions, over thinking can also be detrimental and stressful. I’m the type of person that loves to feel in control, especially when it comes to my life and everything surrounding it. However, over the years and due to the global pandemic, I have realized that that’s not possible considering that there are inevitable external forces and factors that I simply can’t control.

I know that I’m not the only one that struggles with overthinking and this concept can be applied to anything whether that’s a relationship, a friendship, a job, etc. For me, I find that overthinking usually occurs in social settings and it’s a combination of me being a people pleaser, having impostor syndrome and wanting to know the outcomes of my actions that makes it even more difficult. With the help of meditating and resources, I have found ways to avoid overthinking. That’s not to say that I still don’t struggle with that, but I will say that I haven’t been as stressed with overthinking as I had previously.

TIPS TO AVOID OVERTHINKING

1. Awareness is key: It’s safe to say that when you are overthinking, you most likely are aware of it because most of your time is spent on whatever it is that’s bothering you. I always think it’s important to acknowledge it, instead of ignoring it. Give credit to your awareness so you can then take necessary steps to stop it.
2. Distract yourself: Distraction is a great way to avoid overthinking. Most of the time, I like to bombard myself with work because when I’m in the zone, it’s hard for me to think about anything else. However, you can also distract yourself with a movie or show or something that’s less taxing on your mind. You just have to find what works for you!
3. Write down your thoughts: I find that my overthinking usually happens at night because I’m alone in my thoughts and that’s the time when I usually reflect on my day and mood. Not only do I journal in the morning but I do it at night as well. Once I write everything down, I feel much better knowing that it’s out of my system and I can usually sleep better.
4. Talk it out: I always talk about my feelings to a few of my close friends because I find that it’s therapeutic to have someone listen to your problems or worries. Similar to journaling, talking about my stress allows me to release it. It’s also helpful to hear another perspective on how to handle it or what to make of it.
5. Accept that uncertainty is part of this life: There’s not a single person in the world that doesn’t experience uncertainty. It’s part of life and once you accept that, it’s easier to embrace it, instead of dwelling on it. We don’t always have he facts and we can’t predict the future, so sometimes it’s best to just let it be and go with the flow.
6. Change your view of fear: Most of the time, overthinking happens because we fear the worst when it comes to the outcome. A lot of us want things to go our way and the thought that it won’t is scary. But just like uncertainty, fear is part of life, so instead of avoiding it, we should face it.
7. Be grateful: I think gratitude solves a lot of problems, both personally and globally. Once you look at the situation at hand and take a step back, the problem may not be as big as you make it out to be. If you become grateful for the situation, for having options, and even the resources to help you make the best decision, you can then be more calm and not allow your overthinking to take over.
8. Reframe the situation: I always say that mindset is everything and once you adopt a positive mindset, it’s a great compass for everything else in your life. If you learn to rephrase the issue to reflect the positive outcome you’re looking for, you will inevitable find yourself being excited, instead of worrying. For example, instead of thinking “What if I don’t get the job? ” you can change that statement to “I’m going to deliver the best work when I land this job.” I like to already pretend that the outcome I want is what i already have.

I hope you found these tips helpful and feel free to share them! If there’s a way you found that helps you avoid overthinking, I would love to hear about it below!