How to Control Overthinking?

“Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.”

• Buddha

It is not practical to eliminate overthinking completely. Our brains are still primitive enough to enter into survival mode to protect ourselves from any harm. This results in asking too many questions to keep our happiness safe in a locker box. Unfortunately, the more we try to protect happiness, the more we tend to lose it. This article on How to control Overthinking will enlighten you with tips to minimise overthinking to a great extent.

What causes overthinking?

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Before we get into the tips for how to control overthinking, it is vital to delve into what causes overthinking.

Low self image

Isn’t it obvious to state that when you do not value yourself enough, you lack confidence? You value society more than you value yourself. Your brain is a vessel of statements like

“What will he say about me?”

“People will laugh at me!”

“I am ugly”

“What will Tina think about me?”

“What if Harry is right?”

 

There are too many Harrys and Tinas in our lives who distort the way we live our lives. This is how you undervalue yourself due to your low self image.

 

Self doubt

 

Self doubt is bombarding yourself with questions like

 

“What if I fail?”

“What if I lose all my money?”

“What if my relationship does not work out?”

 

Too many what ifs in your life can damage your happiness even though you may feel that this sort of questions will protect you from unanticipated harm. This is a sure path to overthinking!

 

You are not eager to learn

Apologies for being blunt! You overthink because you are afraid of making mistakes. Making mistake is not a curse!

Let us remember what Albert Einstein said,

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

Your fear is preventing you from learning real lessons of life that will help you to be successful. Whenever you are venturing out in a new business or carving out a new niche for yourself, it is common to overthink.

 

How to control overthinking- Solutions

There is of course no hard and fast rule to conquer overthinking. Changing your belief patterns will take time. Consistency in applying the principles is the key.

Without further ado, let us dive into the solutions to help you control overthinking.

You are not your social mirror image

Where do you see your own reflection? I am not talking about the tangible glass mirror. There is a mirror in your mind. There is also a mirror in the minds of people around you. Do you see yourself on their mirrors? This is the blunder you are committing.

If I tell you that you are stupid, you cannot trust me. Nobody is born stupid. We might be stupid in some things but great in others. We all have unique DNA. We all have different experiences.

You are what you think you are. Do away with your low self esteem or low confidence by looking into the correct mirror- the mirror in your mind. This is one excellent way to control overthinking.

Start your morning positively

It is incredibly important to start your day with a positive feeling. This feeling permeates the tasks you perform throughout the day.

Do not switch on to the news channel or watch tv. Instead, read books or watch motivational videos or podcasts. Ask any successful person his morning routine and you will never find a pinch of negativity in the  morning routine of successful people.

Your negative thoughts result in asking the wrong questions to your brain which will give you answers which are superficial. Asking the wrong questions to yourself is what we call as overthinking. Don’t be surprised!

 

Learn to shout STOP in your brain

This technique will come extremely handy. The first step here is to reach a level of self- awareness which will make you realise that you are overthinking. Since overthinking has become a habit, you subconsciously overthink. Use your conscious mind to be aware that you are overthinking.

Once you are aware, shout aloud STOP. It will not only break your uncanny overthinking state but also make you aware that your brain is a naughty child running around breaking things! Yes, your brain is like your child that needs to be instructed and controlled.

Of course do not shout STOP in a room of people. Shout it aloud in your mind.

Focus on your goals

We spend more than half of our time worrying about something that will never happen. When you are overthinking, you are worrying. Oftener than not, you can use these two words interchangeably.

Alfred Nobel was not wrong when he said that worry is your stomach’s worst poison. Worrying affects your health, finance, relationships and your career.

Instead of squandering your precious time overthinking, learn to focus. Focus not on the problems you have but on your goals. If you do not have goals, set one.

When you focus on your goals, meaningless questions that you ask your mind get eclipsed by meaningful questions.

Instead of worrying about how you look, ask yourself about how to achieve your goal. Being proactive and not reactive is quite rewarding.

The next time you overthink, you know what to do. This article on How to control Overthinking is not a one-time read. Read as many times as you can until you are able to assimilate the important lessons to control overthinking.