How to Stop Overthinking and Take a Move ?

I faced the same question a few months ago, after a mini-burnout. I came to the conclusion that me feeling (somewhat) depressed was due to a natural tendency to ALWAYS overthink things.

For more than ten years I’ve been an “over thinker”. Every decision I’d have to make, every choice I would face, I would automatically try to figure out all of the outcomes depending on each choice or decision. I’d ponder about all the possibilities, and take as much time as I deemed necessary to make sure I was making the right decision.

Which is, of course, impossible?

Even in everyday life situations, where there’s no choice involved, I’d still go over and over about a particular thing that occurred, replaying the scene, imagining scenarios of how it could’ve played differently, how could I have had a better behavior or come up with a better comeback.

I guess there is a certain type of person, “mental” people, who have a LOT going on in their head. We all have a lot going on in our heads but we do so at many different levels, and I was definitely on the extremely “high range”.

So, after a lot of introspection and deliberate thinking, I realized that there was simply too much going in my head, and only in it.

In order to control OVERTHINKING :

Keep an eye on your thoughts. Self-analyses them . If you feel that any unwanted/negative thought about a person which is really close to you is irritating you and you don’t want this anymore, just communicate with that person. Let him/her know that you are not feeling comfortable. Trust me this is the best solution. You will really feel good and the other person who values you will also take care of this next time. The whole mess will get cleared and you will no more keep thinking about it.

keep yourself busy. Learn new skills, meet new people, start new venture or any other thing. Just start it.

Whenever a thought comes into your head that requires an action, you decide to complete that action immediately, wherever practical.

The key is to tell yourself it’s ok to make the wrong choice from time to time, and get perfectly comfortable with it.

Be mindful of the present and your thoughts, stay and live in the now moment rather than distracted by overwhelming thoughts. Thoughts are mostly rogue and if left to wander free, makes us miserable and suffer more. Well they determine our reality so they need to be kept in checked. Thoughts become feelings, behavior and actions and thus shape our reality as per our held thoughts.

Remember everything is in constant motion and time doesn’t stop for nothing. So learn to rejoice whatever little you have at present in your hand , for everything is impermanent and comes with an expiry date. Love each moment as if it appears to lasts through eternity. Love the life you live , live the life you love. Change the priorities of your life, and devote energy onto a few. We don’t have the time to do everything in life, but it’s our life and it’s not over yet. Keep that in consideration that selflessness, patience and tolerance not only helps upholds virtuous deeds, rather also helps become better person. At the end of the day all that matter peace of mind. Seek peace within and become free of all troubling thoughts. For this choose mindfulness and selflessness and detachment from things, people etc. Love whatever you do, and you’ll never fail at it. The reason to success is hard work, motivation and persistence and all comes as we realize our true selves and accept who we are and by incorporating virtues.

Learn to accept the reality and let go of everything which is beyond your control. Expect nothing and you’ll never get disappointed. Never anticipate the result and outcome, just work out and do you best and leave the rest to fate and destiny.

Self realizing that you are overthinking is a major achievement in itself because as it is said Awareness is the beginning of change. Most of the time people don’t even realize that they are overthinking which keeps them into deep misery.

The cue to stop overthinking is realizing that you are going round and round in circles achieving nothing. You think about a problem, then think why you are thinking about the problem, then think why you are thinking about thinking about that problem. . . . It is an endless loop.