I was literally having a conversation with a friend last night and I listened as she spiralled into a blackhole of endless scenarios and assumptions that she had created in her mind. We all know and understand the power of the mind. What we continue to work on is the ability to control our mind, to harness the power of the mind in a way that provides immense benefit to us.
Overthinking can become such a habit that you don't even recognise when you're doing it.
Many people overthink because they are scared of the future, and what could potentially go wrong. Overthinking can trap the brain in a constant worrying cycle. It's like you're running in circles. Notice when you're stuck in your head. Start paying attention to the way you think so you can become aware of the problem. When you’re replaying events in your mind over and over, or worrying about things you can’t control, acknowledge that this isn’t productive. Thinking is only helpful when it leads to positive action.
Here are 5 quick tips to help you stop overthinking.
1. Thought Replacement
Overthinking is not permanent. It is a mental habit that can be changed. When you have a thought that could lead to the overthinking spiral, talk yourself out of it by noticing when you’re stuck in your head. You can tame your overthinking habit if you can start taking a grip on your self-talk — that inner voice. For example, if you find yourself thinking about a pink tree, actively start imagining a green tree. Talk yourself into thinking about that green luscious tree and all of a sudden you're not thinking about the pink tree anymore. This is of course an extremely simplified example, but it's for you to get the picture.
2. Journalling
Write your thoughts down in a journal every night before bed or first thing in the morning — they don’t have to be in any order. Do a ‘brain dump’ of everything on your mind onto the page. Sometimes that can provide a sense of relief. Leave all your thoughts in your journal and notice how much calmer you feel, like a weight has been lifted.
3. Focus on the now. Right here, right now
We tend to overthink things that happened in the past or will happen in the future. Living in the moment is key to help stop overthinking. You can't go back and change the past and you cannot control what happens in the future. What you can do is focus on your present moment, that is what you have control of. Notice the things you can hear, see, smell. Practice gratitude, ask yourself what you are grateful for. These daily practices can help you retrain your brain to live in the moment. Soon you’ll find it comes naturally.
4. Take control of your emotions
In order to do this, you need to acknowledge them and identify their root causes. When you’re feeling anxious, dig deeper. It’s often about facing your larger fears, such as not feeling in control of your life or not progressing in a way you’d like to be. Become aware of the root causes of your overthinking and you can start making progress to stop it before it starts.
5. Solutions-based focus
We tend to get stuck in overthinking because we are too focused on the problem and not identifying solutions. Solutions are the way-out of your overthinking. If you’re not where you want to be in life, set goals for yourself so that you can get there.
Thoughts are incredibly powerful. Your thoughts become your reality. I read somewhere recently, as said by Tony Robbins "Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly what you will experience in your life."
You are the only person that can create your reality. There are always tools available to help you. I hope this was helpful for you in some way, or maybe you could share it with someone that you think needs to see this. For more guidance on being able to control your thoughts and harness the power of your mind, head on over to this link to get your FREE guide on practicing mindfulness.