Do you go through the conversation you had yesterday?
Do you second guess every decision you make?
Are you surrounded by the imagination of disastrous outcomes all the time?
Well, welcome to the club of overthinkers!
Overthinkers stay troubled with a constant bombardment of thoughts all the time. It is irritating, sure.
However, what you need to know is that a person is not born an overthinker. Everyone develops a pattern of their behavior. You learned it over time, and the good news is it can also be unlearned.
Here are some tips that can help you stop overthinking and stay present in the moment.
11 Practical Tips to Stop Overthinking
Awareness is the Seed of Change
Before you begin to survive or deal with overthinking, you need to be aware of it when it starts happening. Anytime you find yourself stressed, anxious, or doubtful, step back and analyze the situation and your behavior from outside. This is the moment where you can begin making the change you want.
Become a Problem-Solver
There is no sense in dwelling on your problems but finding out the solution. To stop overthinking, convince yourself that you can prevent or solve everything you have control over. Keep challenging yourself to find the potential solution.
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Practise Mindfulness
Living and worrying about what happened or what may happen is worthless. Past and future are not in your control. Therefore, practice mindfulness to become aware of the present moment.
Focus on What is in Your Control
Whenever you find yourself anxious, take a minute to think whether it is in your control or not. If not, then shift your attention from what you cannot control to what you can control.
Imagine a Stop Sign
If you cannot prevent yourself from overthinking physically, trick your mind into preventing it mentally. Visualize a stop sign in your mind whenever you find yourself getting indulged in it.
Distract Yourself With Happy Feelings
Do not always force yourself to fight with your negative emotions. When the going gets difficult, let the feeling hover and distract yourself with happy and positive thoughts.
Win your Battle by Taking Action Against Your Fear
Irrational fears occupy our minds. Fear of “what might be” leads us to overthink. Take small steps every day in the direction of battling your fears and see yourself overcoming them.
Set Time Limits to Make a Decision
When you have to decide in a short time, you have no luxury to overthink. Therefore, set a timeline and train yourself to make decisions within that time frame.
Master your Emotions to Stop Overthinking
Living in the moment doesn’t mean ignoring the negative emotions, but taking control of your emotions. Acknowledge the root cause of your stress and start making progress to combat it before it consumes your mind.
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Do not Wait for Perfection
Do not postpone your actions waiting to reach perfection. Be ambitious but keep moving realistically and practically. As you keep progressing, perfection may come.
Understand That You Cannot Predict the Future
It is important to realize that you can neither predict nor control the future. So stay simply productive without worrying about the future and give your 100% to your present.
Go easy on yourself – the habit of overthinking will not go away in a day. Practice perseverance and stay patient.
For more lifestyle tips, stay tuned with The Glam Lives.
Feature Image Credits – Photo by Keira Burton from Pexels
