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Overthinking can be ridiculously exhausting.
When you overthink, thoughts oscillate in your mind, and soon you find yourself entangled amidst a wide array of conflicting ideas that may or may not be rational.
"I shouldn't have said this. I should not have done that. Why did this person say hello to me in a different tone today?! Oh, I am so stupid!"
Does this sound familiar? All humans tend to overthink, but some of us do it more vigorously than others. Maybe we are special! After all, we do use more of our thinking capabilities than required! Either way, when this behavior starts to creep into your life and hamper your daily functioning, you know it is time for you to take a step back. When harmless thoughts turn into sleepless nights, it is easy to get overwhelmed and anxious. Here are some tips that have worked for us to reduce anxiety.
It’s not easy and it might take time, but we can strive to reduce overthinking. These four steps will help you to stop overthinking and relax your mind.
1. Identify your fear
Thoughts are scarier than reality, and thoughts aren't our reality. Take a moment to identify your fear oftentimes these are either irrational fears or fears based on 'what-ifs.' Ask yourself, "What is the worst that could happen?" and devise a contingency plan to deal with the same. Once you have that in place, it won't seem as scary as it felt in your imagination.
2. Write your thoughts
Write down all your thoughts, every bit of it you'll be surprised when you write down some ideas which you never even knew existed in your brain. This will also often help make sense of situations.
3. Practice mindfulness
Practice mindful meditation to overcome overthinking, become aware of your thoughts, and react to them calmly.
4. Acceptance
Accept that life is always going to be uncertain. You may try to overthink all the possible outcomes of a situation, but know that the magic of life lies in its uncertainties. Although a sense of certainty may be helpful for planning, it would make life pretty dull. Would you enjoy movies if you knew exactly how it was going to unfold everytime?
Sometimes, we simply need to let go and have faith.
I know you got this! Just be fully present in every moment, and as usual, live aastey!
