8 Tips on how to Stop Over-Thinking

We all overthink aspects of our lives. Whether it’s decisions, regrets, self-worth, or general worries about the future, we’re so often stuck inside our own heads that it feels like there’s no way out.  Overthinking in its simplest form is excessive thinking about a problem while losing focus on the bigger picture. In short, it leads to creating problems that aren’t actually there in the first place. Over-thinkers don’t just use words to contemplate their lives. Sometimes, they conjure up images too.

We really do not have to get ourselves over things beyond our own control. See a few ways on how to stop over analyzing things.

1. Identify that You Have the Problem

Awareness is the first step in putting an end to overthinking. Start paying attention to the way you think. When you notice you are re-playing events in your mind over and over, or worrying about things you can’t control, acknowledge that your thoughts are not productive.

2. Don’t Beat Yourself Up Over This

Our brain stores all of our memories. And our thoughts are connected to those memories. When a negative incident occurs, you will tend to dredge up old memories of similar situations and add those to your already overly-busy brain. Its easy to get carried away with negative thoughts. Do not be too hard on yourself and learn to recognize and replace thinking errors, before they work you up into a complete frenzy.

3. Stop and Breathe

As soon as your negative patterns emerge in your head, STOP. Start taking deep breaths. Keep breathing and counting until your brain calms down. During that time, let yourself worry, ruminate, or mull over whatever you want. Then, when your time is up, move onto something more productive. Taking deep breaths actually increases the carbon dioxide levels in your blood stream and that calms your whole boy down including the brain.

4. Stop Talking So Much

Talking about your issues. One of the ways to fix this, whether you are over-talking during the day or whether you can’t sleep at night, is to write stuff down.

5. Do Some Physical and Mental Exercise

Declutter your space, go for a walk, read a motivational book or watch an engaging TV show etc., Anything that you can do to put your thought on something else begins to break those patterns. Busying yourself with an activity is the best way to change the channel. Get working with something that will distract your mind from the barrage of negative thoughts.

6. Live in the Present Moment

You can’t change the past, you can only control your thoughts and your behaviors in this moment. Gratitude is a really important behavior to practice. Remind yourself when those thoughts come to put your thought on the good you do have and to be grateful for it.

7. Learn to Go with the Flow

Life will happen, and your attempt to control everything around you and to obsess about it is an exercise of futility. You have to learn accept it and move forward. But spending time being angry, resentful, and going over and over again what caused the situation, will not change it or resolve it.

8. You are What You Think

The more your thought energy is placed on negative things, the more negative your life will become. STOP, breathe, get busy, and put your thought on something good in your life!