Many people turn to yoga when feelings of anxiety start to creep in or during times of stress. You may find that focusing on your breath and your… READ MORE Overthinking: “I wish the storm wouldn’t come. It’s going to be awful. I hope the house doesn’t get damaged. Why do these things always have to happen to me? I can’t handle this.” If you’re still not sure whether you really need to learn how to stop overthinking , take a minute to ask yourself if you have any of these overthinking symptoms : You worry about the future Before you can learn how to stop overthinking everything, you must get to the true root of the problem. Often overthinking is a byproduct of anxiety or depression. If this is the case, you can treat your anxiety or depression to reduce overthinking . The way you respond to your thoughts can sometimes keep you in a cycle of rumination, or repetitive thinking. Rumination can often cause negative consequences to a person’s mental health.

When you complain, you are putting yourself in reactive mode. You are communicating to yourself and others that you are not responsible, and you relinquish your agency in favor of someone else’s. One way to be more proactive is to get positively ruthless with the bad habit of complaining. Nothing good ever comes of complaining! You may think you feel a bit better after whining about something you’re unhappy with, but all you do is disempower yourself further (and probably bore others). Now, what does all this have to do with cultivating an attitude of inner calm? As you can probably guess, those who are calm and composed as people tend to act from a proactive mindset. They feel calm because they are self-assured and confident in their own agency. They’re not anxious in situations because they know that someone is in control—them! Because they have fully claimed their agency, they know that they always have options, they can always become aware of them and make conscious choices, and they can always make the best of even the worst possible outcomes.Can’t stop thinking about someone you envy? Instead of having it ruin your day, let your feelings help you make better choices. Discover the proven strategies and actionable steps to break free from the grip of overthinking and transform your life.

Researcher and thought leader Dr. Brené Brown offers a liberating study on the importance of our imperfections—both to our relationships and to our own sense of self Overthinking impairs the quality of your sleep too. So it’s harder to fall into a deep slumber when your brain is busy overthinking everything. Michl LC, McLaughlin KA, Shepherd K, Nolen-Hoeksema S. Rumination as a mechanism linking stressful life events to symptoms of depression and anxiety: longitudinal evidence in early adolescents and adults. J Abnorm Psychol. 2013;122(2):339-352. doi:10.1037/a0031994 Dwelling on past mistakes keeps you from letting go. If you’re beating yourself up over something you did last week, try refocusing on self-compassion. Studies also show that overthinking leads to serious emotional distress. To escape that distress, many overthinkers resort to unhealthy coping strategies, such as alcohol or food.Your mind doesn't have to be a minefield. Constant chatter is unhealthy; find a better way and see a brighter life. Trying to ease the load for someone else can help you put things in perspective. Think of ways you can be of service to someone going through a difficult time. Do you have thanatophobia? We’ll discuss the symptoms and how this condition is treated and managed. READ MORE Inhale and exhale through your nose, paying attention to how your chest and stomach move as you breathe. Break down the emotions you’re experiencing and try to identify what you’re telling yourself about the situation.

Full Book Name: The Overthinking Cure: How to Stay in the Present, Shake Negativity, and Stop Your Stress and Anxiety (The Path to Calm Book 4)A distracted and non-present mind is the biggest cause of unhappiness. It prevents us from seeing what possibilities lie before us. Life turns into a minefield rather than a set of new opportunities. Let’s return to the question: who is in control of your life? Well, it depends on you! You can choose to be in control of your own life, or you can forfeit that choice to others. The thing is, nobody can force you to take charge of your own life—you either embrace that agency or you fail to embrace it. You beat yourself up about “should haves” and “could haves ” and are unable to let go of the past and move on. You are stressed about what others think of you The good news is that you weren’t born an overthinker. Overthinking is the result of one fact of human existence: we all have patterns to our behavior . These patterns , good and bad, develop over time based on life experiences. And just as patterns are learned, they can also be unlearned.

Such a good book for those of us struggling with rumination and anxiety. Will need to read it again. The next time you find yourself continuously running things over in your mind, take note of how it affects your mood. Do you feel irritated, nervous, or guilty? What’s the primary emotion behind your thoughts? If you replay every interaction and social situation in your mind, it could be social anxiety that’s causing your overthinking . You let negativity build up in your mind Overthinking can increase symptoms of depression , elevate your stress levels and cloud your judgment.So, it’s not that being proactive means you are entitled and enabled to make the world exactly as you like it, rather that you have conscious awareness of your own scope of action, you have an internal locus of control, and you are willing to actively engage with obstacles and mistakes rather than passively assuming you have no control or responsibility. It’s not really the outcome or result that matters but the attitude. Pieter R, Nababan D, Ariawan S, Listio S, Ruben S. Improving interpersonal skills to overcome the negative effects of overthinking in the disruption era. BIRCI-J. 2022;5(2):10632-10642. doi:10.33258/birci.v5i2.4876