Feeling Drowned In Thoughts? Here Are 7 Ways On How To Stop Overthinking

1. Be aware of your thoughts

Thoughts are potent directives, and the brain churns out all kinds of thoughts. Negative thoughts can come in many patterns during stress, conflicts, and anxiety. You need to identify your thought patterns that contribute to the adverse effects of overthinking. These thoughts can be linked with limiting beliefs, any specific event in your life, and your story. Be aware of such thoughts and challenge them so that they don’t have much power over you.

2. Focus on solving the problem

You must address the issues to stop overthinking. Worrying about the problem is not helpful. Instead of this, identify your problems and give your energy to find solutions to these problems. Write down your problems and then shift your focus to the solutions. For example, if your overthinking is due to the anxiety in your workplace, rethink your career choice. So, learn to manage and focus on the things you can control.

3. Live in the moment. Don’t try to predict the future.

Spending time worrying about the past and predicting the future is not productive. If you do so, you are exerting energy on I wish, what if, and I should have. This energy will stop you from living in the present moment. Let go of your past and live in the present moment.

Bring your mind & attention to where you are now. Have faith that your future will be bright, and enjoy the current moment. It requires practice to be present and you can achieve it by including journaling, mediation, and writing in your routine. This habit will clear your mental space occupied by overthinking.

4. Reflect on your thoughts

A brief reflection on your problems, doings and thought patterns is helpful. Add 20 minutes of thinking time to your daily routine. In this time, reflect on your thoughts and think about whatever you want. Give yourself this time to think about what is stressing you and worrying you. After that, move on to something fun. When you get to know you could do things differently, you’ll be productive to do better things in the future, and you’ll reduce overthinking outside of your thinking time.

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5. Identify what you can and what you can’t control

First of all, acknowledge what is on your mind and identify what you can control and what you can’t. Worrying and ruminating for an extended time can cause mental health issues. If you think about the problem for a long time, you’ll feel it is out of control.

Therefore, focus on the things you can control or not and broaden your perspective. When you get to know you can handle this situation, you can stop overthinking. On the other hand, you will find another strategy to help with the things you know you can’t control. Also, stop wondering about what you can’t control and be at peace.

6. Find what triggers your thoughts

Overthinking starts with triggering thoughts. When you spend engaging in such thoughts, it holds you back and weighs you down. However, trigger thoughts are automatic, but you have to find the reason or cause that triggers your thoughts and need to control those ideas.

Mostly thoughts trigger from hypothetical scenarios and lead to worries & ruminations. Stop worrying about what triggers thoughts. The more you worry about it, the more you train your brain to think about that problem. Hence, it results in becoming a vicious cycle that can lead to making you a chronic overthinker.

7. Be grateful

When you’re in the midst of overthinking, make a list of what you are grateful for. Every morning and evening, jot down the things you have accomplished and all the good things around you. Be grateful for everything and try to have an optimistic approach. This habit will train your brain to think positively in any situation and stop persistent overthinking.

The Bottom Line

Once you identify what’s causing your overthinking and find a way to stop it, you’ll be happier and in peace. Building healthier habits will help you change your mindset to become mentally stronger. It takes time, but you can handle overthinking and free your mind. In addition, overthinking can be pervasive for some people who can’t do it alone. It is recommended to seek help from a therapist or clinical psychologist who will help you distinguish your worries and work through your thoughts.

You have the potential to remain calm in the chaos, no matter what is happening outside the world. Just keep your inner world in peace. What other ways have you tried to stop overthinking? Your ways may probably help anyone who is trapped by his own thoughts. Feel free to share these ways with us in the comment section below. 

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