Overthinking – You can’t control everything , just let it be!!
Thoughts surely are powerful.Whatever we hold on in our mind for long, reflects in our real life.Overthinking can be best defined as – thinking too much about something or for too long.It happens with all of us at some point of time in our lives – we all experience stressful events that make us worry more.But some people can’t turn off their concerns no matter how hard they try.They tend to worry endlessly about the future, make catastrophic predictions about the events that never happened and are easily disturbed by uncertainty.Overthinking is psychologically harmful because the mind replays the negative experiences in an endless loop that can cause emotional distress.We all need to breathe and understand this simple fact that this loss of control over thoughts is the major cause of our sadness and despair.We need to keep our mind off things that aren’t helping us.Overthinking involves a form of fear which tends to get worse by adding anticipations, uncertainty, imagination and emotions to it.It can ruin you, confuse you, twist things around and make everything seem much more worse that it actually is.There is nothing in this world that can trouble you as much as your own thoughts, so stop stressing over things you can’t control.One should never let the the fear of past and uncertainty of the future ruin the happiness of their present.
Overthinking is an issue of national concern among young and middle aged adults but is relatively less common among older adults. Research says that 73% of 25–35 year olds overthink compared to 52% of 45–55 year olds and just 20% of 65–75 year olds.It also contributes to severe Depression and Anxiety plus interferes with the daily functioning. Research indicates that 57% of women and 43% of men are overthinkers.The ones who tend to overthink are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and it may even push some individuals to consider or attempt suicide.
This is tough, but so are you! You weren’t born an overthinker – we all have specific behaviour and thought patterns which are learned over time through experiences and just as they are learned, they can also be unlearned.The key is to identify what causes you to overthink and how you can manage those triggers.It all lies within you and if you have all the determination to “stop” this, you may keep in mind certain points : –
- Acknowledge your fears and try to accept them.
- Practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself.
- Let go off perfection, strive for “good enough” rather than perfect.
- Embrace mistakes as they are a part of self-growth.
- Stay present focused, don’t spend your time in “what if land”.
- Learn to relax your mind and body with activities such as meditation, exercise, listening to soothing music, massage and aroma therapy.
Once you discover how to stop overthinking and live in the moment you’ll be happier.Always remember life happens for you, not to you. Sometimes ‘It is OK to not be Okay’. Just be selective with your battles, sometimes peace is better than being right.As Dalai Lama rightly said – There are only two days in the year when nothing can be done.One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.If you can’t change what goes around, try changing your response to it , that’s where the power lies.
“My philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice.” – Newt Scamander
If it is out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too!!More power to you!!
