Stop Overthinking….

I recently purchased a book entitled “Stop Overthinking – A Workbook to Calm Your Busy Mind” and will be making note of some of the suggestions it offers. The mind can be a busy, busy place from the time I get up, to the time I manage to get to sleep. I thought this book might be able to help quieten my mind and get it headed in a more positive direction.

“Introduction” – Overthinking defined: When you have constant and repetitive negative thought cycles about the same things,,,also known as ruminating. It can include obsessing over past mistakes, stressing about the future, or even contemplating a decision to the point you cannot even make a final choice about what to do.

“Why is overthinking so harmful?” – Overthinking is disruptive to your life because it repeatedly takes you out of the present moment and transports you to the land of worst-case scenarios,what-ifs, and doubts. It causes you to freeze up and prevents you from moving forward from the past or taking necessary action now or in the future.

“Symptoms of Overthinking” – * difficulty sleeping * second-guessing yourself *excessive worrying *fatigue *headaches *repetitive thoughts * trouble making decisions *problems focusing *constant need for reassurance * mental exhaustion * nausea * feeling on-edge and/or irritable * muscle tension

“Rate You Coping Strategies” – Write down your current coping strategies and then rate each one according to its effectiveness in helping to reduce overthinking. 1 is unhelpful and 5 is super helpful.

This is my personal “coping” list: —> A. journaling: I give a “5”. I started journaling over twenty-three years ago and rarely a day goes by that I don’t have several pages written by the end of the day. I don’t go anywhere without my journal. It is sitting in front of me even as we speak……B. drawing: I give a “4”. I doodling as an offshoot of journaling. When no particular words would come to mind, I started drawing various shapes. With some of the shapes, I would use my pen to shade them in. Before I knew it, I would have an elaborate abstract drawing……C. meditation: I give a “3”. This has been more of a challenge. My overfocused mind can be all over the place. I’ve joined a meditation group to help with this practice. Even as I write this blog, I’m listening to meditation music. It is a work in progress. D. scrolling: I give a “3.5”. This is a rabbit hole I fall into far too often. I can start watching a video of some sort and end up a half-an-hour later still viewing something totally unrelated. While it does distract me from my overthinking, I don’t think it’s a wise or productive use of my time.

Next: “Practice Positive Self-Talk”