Many of us tend to get into that mindset of overthinking, which leads us to panic or think that the outcome will be dreadful. It’s so easy to fall into that trap of overthinking anything, which can be massive or even the minor things that go on in life. We all know what it’s like to overthink, and we’ve all done it. It’s one of the things that, in a way, comes naturally to many, but one of them that’s hard to snap out of.
But when you begin to put things into perspective slowly, you realise that overthinking isn’t worth it, and you think, will this even matter in years to come? Because most of the time, it won’t; it’s actually a hard out of, especially if you tend to overthink a lot of the time and suffer from a mental health condition that headspace to ge can make it significantly worse. Don’t waste your life doing things you don’t enjoy and then begin to overthink them when they go wrong; if your heart isn’t in it, don’t put yourself through it. So, if you’re struggling with overthinking too much, here are 5 ways that might help you push past it.
1) Don’t think constantly about what can go wrong; focus on what can go right
This is so important; when we begin to overthink, we often think a whole load of negative thoughts that put us off doing it altogether. Our minds wander, which can be tricky to work your way around, but you must try to do it. Overthinking is mainly caused by fear; when you begin to feel fear and think negatively, it takes over, and then you feel put off. When you feel yourself going in that direction, stop yourself and think about what can go right instead.
When you begin to think about what can go right rather than wrong, you’ll see that you’ll immerse yourself in a more positive mindset, which will benefit you in the long run when it comes to facing situations head-on. So, if you’ve got a job interview, rather than thinking that you won’t get it or you’ll say something silly, think about the fact that you’re going to go in and impress them with your CV and that you go in there with a positive mindset. Often, that’s the way many excel.
Not letting negative thoughts cloud your thoughts is most likely a recipe for failure. But if you let positive thoughts take over, you will do well, and it will have a huge impact on your mind and physical health.
2) Put things into perspective
It’s very easy to make things sound worse than they’re or to make them more negative than they even need to be. Rather than overthinking, step into that mindset of, “Does it really matter? Will this matter to me in 5 years?” If the answer is no, then it’s not worth the worry. A lot of the time, when we fall into the trap of overthinking, it’s minor things that we think about.
If you realise it’s not worth worrying about, you’ll know that when a situation arises again, you can immediately shut it down and realise it’s not worth the stress. Always put things into perspective before you begin to overthink them because, half the time, you’ll realise they weren’t worth the worry in the first place. It’s trying to find that way of escaping the mindset of constantly overthinking and instead focusing on what matters and what positives will come from it.
3) Stop waiting for perfection
Perfection is something that we all want, but it’s very much not reality, even though it may seem like it can be when it’s posted everywhere. The truth is no one is perfect. We all have our flaws and our ups and downs, and that’s just what makes us human. This is a big one for us all because we get so caught up in this definition of ‘perfect’ that we believe that’s how life and we will be.
Being ambitious and reaching your goals is great, but the truth is aiming for perfection is unrealistic and can really make you feel down about yourself and your life. The moment you enter that mindset of perfect and that everything needs to be perfect, the sooner you’ll begin to realise that waiting for perfection to come along is not as good as actually making progress and doing things to the best of your ability.
It’s important to realise that perfection is merely a definition and is, in many ways, unrealistic. It’s more about what you achieve and that you see it as your hard work and something to be proud of. You can be happy about what you do and its outcome. Just try to lose the constant thinking of perfection and the somewhat toxic elements that it comes with when it’s plastered everywhere. Just be happy with yourself and your life, and be proud of yourself and how far you’ve come.
4) Accept you at your best
This ties into the one before, but it’s true. The fear that often surrounds thoughts of overthinking is based on the feelings of not being good enough and having low self-esteem. Feeling like you’re not smart or hardworking or that you’re not doing as well as everyone around you. Once you begin to realise that you’re only doing what you start to accept yourself for who you are, you can do at your own pace, you’ll.
It’s hard to see others excelling, and sometimes you’re a bit behind or taking a different route, but that’s okay. It’s OK to take your time to get what you want. It does not mean you’re less determined, intelligent, or incapable of achieving your goals. Once you’ve put your all into something, accept that, know that you’ve done what you can, and be happy.
5) Be aware
Before you can cope with the habit of overthinking, you need to learn how to recognize it when it starts. When you begin to feel yourself getting stressed or have a lot of anxiousness, take a breath. Look at the situation you’re in and how you’re responding to it. At that moment, you become aware—and that’s what you change your need to use to mindset.
Like mental health conditions, when you become aware of them, you can reach out for help and look for ways to help yourself. The same goes for overthinking: the first step is to become aware, assess the situation, and move forward. Awareness is such an essential part of growth and making a change.
Hello! I’m Becky Stone, a qualified therapist based in Canterbury, Kent. With extensive experience in mental health, helping individuals become the best version of themselves.
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