Tips to Control Overthinking.

“Hey, dear stop... This is enough for today, now stop thinking too much”. This is what I usually say to my mind when it starts to ruminate a lot about certain things, problems, and feelings. Thinking is a good practice and it’s an ultimate function of your brain. It is natural if you think unusual when you’re suffering a situation. To understand any happening, to draw any conclusion, to make any decision, and even though to come out from any bad feelings, it is fine to think, think and think. But when this excessive thinking is draining your energy and leading you towards stress and depression, then for the sake of your wellbeing, you have to avoid it.

How to control overthinking??? If you are going to think about it then before dwelling into thoughts, read my suggested tips.

Tip#1      Tell Yourself “To STOP”

I have mentioned this tip in the intro by giving my own example. In this way, you have to dictate your mind to stop thinking. When overthinking bothers you too much and on the other side, you do care about your mental health then it becomes effective to convince yourself for avoiding overthinking.

Tip#2      Schedule Your Worries.

Make a schedule of which time you would consider the thoughts related to your worries or any other problem. When something disturbs us then we usually tend to think about that particular worry all the time. Rather than ruminating the whole day and getting stressed, as a result, set a specific timetable for pondering. In this way, you can manage your thinking process.

Tip#3      Define the Limit.

You may take this tip as an extension of the previous one. When you have scheduled the time to consider your matter, then defines the limit that how long you are going to worry about. I prefer 15 minutes and then try not to think about it.

Tip#4      Write down.

Whatever comes to your mind, write it down on a piece of paper. This process is termed, writing a diary or organizing a journal. It is a therapeutic process. By noting down your thoughts on paper, you could access what's going on in your head to some extent. Journaling helps you in different ways. You could organize your random thoughts, understand your own feelings and ultimately control overthinking.

Tip#5     Distraction.

The negative results of overthinking on one's mental health are anxiety and depression that may lead to some more complications. So don’t compromise with your peace of mind. Whenever you feel that emerging series of thoughts in your mind is going to exhaust you then immediately try to distract yourself. But this distraction should be positive and healthy. Keep yourself busy in learning mindful skills such as cooking and painting. Physical healthy activities such as exercises, running, and yoga help to have a healthy distraction.

Tip#6      Narrow Down Choices.

This tip is useful when overthinking happens in making a decision or drawing a conclusion of a problem. So, narrow down your choices and consider only what thoughts are needed that may lead you to a final solution.

Tip#7      Ask Yourself.

The last tip is to focus on narrowing down your choices to control excessive thinking, but how to do this? Ask yourself related questions such as why am I thinking too much? Is it important to think about? Focus on solution-oriented questions to narrow down the thinking process.

Tip#8      Be Present Mentally.

Sometimes we are physically present, but our mind is wandering in another world. This usually happens when you are doing any creative work such as writing and painting. I can relate this to myself too. When I have to write anything, all my mental abilities concentrate on ideas. While brushing my teeth, organizing my wardrobe, I feel myself mentally absent. And this is a natural thing. To avoid such an absent situation, I set a specific time to craft ideas related to the writing aim. But it is not enough; my mind keeps prompting me all day, so what I do about this? I do focus on what currently I am doing; I try to keep my mind attentive. For example: when I am making my bed, I reflect the same thing in my head. I don't let my mind think anything but making the bed. This is a meditative practice and helps to control my thoughts.

Bottom Line.

Controlling overthinking, by following the above-mentioned tips, is not an overnight process. It takes time. One thing you have to remember that your brain is not meant to drain your energies, it’s a muscle, you have to build it strong to get its best outcome. It is in your hand to take control over your thoughts positively and healthily which is necessary for your mental health. But if you feel helpless to cope with your anxiety and depression as a result of excessive thinking, then do consult a therapist for this.

Thanks for reading :).

TO RESPOND