We’re all victims of overthinking. Whether your train of thought is heavy or feather-light, it’s never a fun ride. As a sufferer myself with rather dense thought clouds, hopefully these tips can help you as well.
Show Yourself Compassion
Heavy emotions drain us of everything, leaving us feeling numb. Your mind works overtime trying to figure things out, often at a pace that makes thoughts blurry. Remember that anxiety is the body’s way of protecting, even if it seems counterintuitive.
Acknowledge how you feel, then reframe the negative aspects. See your situation in a different light by shifting expectations. What if you focused on striving for “good enough,” not “perfect?” Or you can concentrate on having a good day by using your emotions as a measurement, not how much you tick off your to-do list.
Get Specific With Gratitude
Gratitude is useful for reminding us of the little things…until it’s not. Saying thanks for the same things over and over can resemble a chore, not a mindful practice. It’s okay to feel that way.
Instead of focusing on generalities, like health, go deeper than that. Express gratitude for waking up with the energy to go for a morning walk or nighttime run. You can make it a game of sorts to practice gratitude in a specific sense (and it’ll help keep your mind present).
Take Control
We often feel prisoners to our thoughts—they take hold and won’t let go. Remind yourself you are in control, not the other way around. Negativity is only there to remind us something’s amiss.
Ask yourself why you’re feeling anxious, listen to what it tells you, and then focus on solutions. Ruminating only reinforces emotions and their power over you. Focusing on solutions and actions you can take (even if they’re baby steps) gives you back control. When you tackle big decisions, check in with yourself emotionally to make sure you’re not getting off track.
Do you have any tips for tackling overthinking? Share in the comments below!
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I try to remind those around me that you can only change what is in your power and not what is not within you grasp. Don't worry about everything else and don't let your mind go wild worrying when there are so many other things you could be doing that are more beneficial and could be making you happy than giving you grief or worry. What will be will be so enjoy yourself and your life with who and what you have.
I also love in doing daily gratitude to come up with different things, to come up with things that directly relate to me and what I did that day to make it good/better 😊