One thing we all face at some point of our lives is overthinking. What is overthinking?
Overthinking is when you dwell or worry about the same thought repeatedly. Overthinking can make people paralyzed by their worries and they may struggle to make decisions or take action. Overthinking can be caused by — and can contribute to — depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Some people face it sometimes when they're going through a hard phase of their lives while some struggle with overthinking almost everyday. Is there an end to it? Is there any treatment available for merely overthinking? Can we stop these thoughts on our own? Is it serious?
Well, it can be serious as it can contribute to other mental health conditions plus you may struggle doing everyday tasks. Therapy can definitely help with these thoughts. Today here I am, again, sharing what helped me deal with overthinking. I hope it helps you too.
1. AIM FOR LESS
Do not expect your overthinking will vanish away in one day with one mental exercise you did. It will take time and it gradually decreases. Or should I say you learn how to deal with those thoughts?
For example if you are getting repetitive thoughts about your upcoming birthday party. Just aim for one small thought and help eliminate it. Like this, and with few other mental exercises, you will learn how to deal with those thoughts.
2. HOW DO YOU SELF TALK?
A.) Acceptance : Whenever we get a thought from past that doesnt leave our mind and connect with various other thoughts, we try to stop it consciously. Thats where we are wrong.
We have to accept every thought as it comes to our mind. We have to acknowledge every thought as it is.
B.) Change the focus : What do you say when you get a thought from past about the bullying in your middle school?
"Why did it happen to me?"
"Why does everything bad happen to me?" (Shifting from the main thought and connecting other bad events)
Instead of saying "Why did that happen to me?"
Try saying, "That happened for me." "It made me who I am"
"Because of that bullying incident, I joined the anti ragging campaign in college, I am more sensitive towards humans, I am more concerned for my friends."
How you talk to yourself changes the whole perspective.
3.) BE CURIOUS
Whenever you get an anxious thought about your future, do not go with the flow. Never go with the flow. Start questioning your thoughts and be curious.
For example, if you are getting repetitive thoughts about your upcoming birthday party. Be curious and ask yourself "what if it turns out the other way?" "What if everyone turns up?" "What if things does not go according to the plan?"
When you get curious about future the mind is forced to think more and hence the repeated thoughts take the other direction.
4.) PRACTICE DISTRESS TOLERANCE
When you practice distress tolerance, it helps you to face difficult situations in a better way.
How do you react in distress? How to you deal with stress? If you overthink its obvious you struggle dealing with stressful situations.
First step to develop distress tolerance is, take a small event (external) that disturbs you. For ex, a fight incident in your colony. Try to be okay with it. Feel all the anger and rage you feel but tell yourself, "it has happened and I cannot change it".
Then take a bigger event, for instance, (trigger waring) a rape incident. Try to control all those negative emotions you feel and then tell yourself you cannot change it. This will help develop your distress tolerance and hence, when you get repeated thoughts about any past event in your life, tell yourself it has passed and you cannot change it, the mind is now trained to tolerate distress in a better way.
5.) A COMFORT LINE
The best thing that helped me is the comfort line. A comfort line is something you can say to yourself when in distress. It can be anything.
"I am safe and I am okay"
"Present moment is perfect despite however I am feeling"
"No feeling is permanent, it passes"
You can make your own comfort line.
You can even tell this to yourself when you are anxious or in an unpleasant situation. It gives you the comfort you seek externally.
Say it to yourself while you face negative thoughts. And tell this to yourself like you dominate your mind and not vice versa.
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