Overthinking is an attitude characterized by a habit of worrying and negative thinking. It can cause a lot of harm to yourself and your surrounding. Well, here are ways to overcome overthinking that you can try to apply.
A worried mother, for example, can stress her child out. Meanwhile, a manager who is overthinking can make his subordinates work excessively.
Another example, there are those who are still teenagers but are already very stressed thinking about their future. And there are also those who are newly married but are immediately confused when they can’t live rich like their friends.
1. Understand Overthinking Is Harmful
You can’t change if you don’t feel your attitude is wrong. Therefore, if you want to overcome overthinking, you must first realize that this attitude is indeed problematic.
You must know how this attitude harms you and those around you.
Try to introspect once in a while and reflect on your attitude so far. Usually, people who are easily worried, often make the atmosphere that was originally good become uncomfortable.
For example, at a supposedly fun birthday party, you’re stressed over your trivial problems. Obviously something like this harms a lot of people, right? Especially if the birthday is someone who is important to you.
Take the loss if you suffer. So, you can be more motivated to change from a person who is easily anxious.
2. Practice Patience
Practicing patience is also a very effective way to overcome overthinking. Because, most people who have an anxious and easily worried attitude do not have good patience.
They are in too much of a hurry when something is still in progress. They even always have negative thinking about what they are going through.
Being patient means being calm and realizing that everything takes a long process.
Being patient also has the meaning of not being easily disappointed even if we don’t get something we expect. This attitude will indirectly erode our overthinking habits.
3. Self-Criticism When You Start Overthinking
Once you understand that overthinking is wrong, criticize yourself when these behavioral tendencies emerge. Fight with your own mind as the main step.
For example, when you start to feel anxious, don’t justify the anxiety. Instead, you need to question the anxiety.
It will not be easy at first. Because you are fighting with yourself. But after a while, your resistance will surely pay off.
4. Focus on Problem Solving
“What if” is a term often spoken by those who are overthinking. When they are building a business, for example, their heads are filled with sentences like:
“What if my attempt fails?”
“What if my house is confiscated for bankruptcy?”
Assuming that everything is bad is indeed one of the main characteristics of overthinking people. Now, instead of focusing on toxic assumptions like that, it would be better if we shifted our focus to problem solving efforts.
Try, instead of assuming the worst, look for alternative options for the effort you are doing.
Trust in rational and logical solutions. Thus, your mind will be calmer later.
5. Avoid Anxiety Habits
Maybe you’ve been pretty successful at suppressing your irritability with the five steps above. However, you must understand that overthinking can come back at any time.
So, if we are just practicing not to overthink, we should avoid things that can trigger the emergence of that attitude again.
Avoid procrastinating work, whether it’s just homework or office work. Also avoid getting into trouble with other people.
Create a more calm and peaceful life. Also look for relationships that can support the life you desire.
Related: 35 Easy And Effective Ways To Overcome Anxiety Attack
6. Apply a Healthy Lifestyle
“We are what we eat”. The sentence in English literally means “We are what we eat.”
And in a way, that statement does have some truth. What we eat often determines our attitude, including our overthinking attitude.
Adrenaline-boosting foods like caffeine are examples. Foods and drinks that contain this substance should be avoided by those who are easily anxious.
On the other hand, to suppress anxiety, we should choose a menu full of fresh vegetables and fruit.
In addition to the diet, it would be nice if we also maintain a lifestyle. Try to get enough sleep and exercise regularly. With a fit body, your soul will also be fit.
7. Learn from Philosophers and Thinkers
Did you know that one of the most effective ways to stop overthinking is to learn from thinkers?
Millions of works have been written by those who have great ideas about life. Among the many works, found ideas that can actually be used as “recipe” for a happy life.
For example, by studying the concept of happiness according to Epicurus. According to him, life will be happy when we can enjoy something without demanding further.
Our minds will thus be calmer and we can appreciate all the little joys that come our way.
For example, today we can eat delicious food. Appreciate the pleasure without having to worry about whether you can eat delicious tomorrow or not.
If you can be grateful, if not that’s okay. As simple as that. But this way of thinking can erode our anxious feelings.
8. Divert Your Attention
Life in the office or at school is sometimes so intense that it can trigger our overthinking attitude again and again. Things like this are very difficult to avoid even though we have suppressed the nature.
Instead of feeling like a failure, it is more effective if we develop the right strategy in such situations. One of them is to turn our attention to something more productive when feelings of overthinking begin to come.
For example, if you are feeling stressed and very worried about your achievements in school, try to relax by pursuing a hobby.
This way, you can calm yourself down so that later you can try again to be more successful.
9. Ask for Support from Close People
Having an overthinking attitude often makes a person afflicted with various ridicule. And, instead of making someone change, this way of not overthinking will only lead to hurt and defensiveness.
Therefore, when you are trying to change, look for people who can support your efforts.
Avoid those who can only mock. Find a friend, boyfriend, or relative who can remind you without putting yourself down. That way, you can be motivated to overcome your overthinking attitude.
10. Get Closer to God
Believe in God and all his greatness. That way, you don’t feel too anxious. You can live more peacefully because you believe what will happen to you is with the permission of the power.
To be able to have an understanding like this sincerely is not easy. However, you can work on it by studying with religious leaders to performing rituals of worship regularly.
Don’t forget, pray that your overthinking attitude can be eroded slowly.
Bottom Line
Those are 10 ways to overcome overthinking that we can share. From the first method to the tenth method, you can follow so that you can get rid of that worry.
Keep it up and don’t give up easily. Convince yourself that this attitude is not good for physical or mental health, so it needs to be changed as soon as possible.
