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If You Overthink A Lot, Read This...

Writer's picture: Adete DahiyaAdete Dahiya

Updated: Jan 27

10,000 years ago what did our ancestors think about?

What was their primary source of concern?

What areas triggered them the most?


Well! Back then humans simply worried about their basic survival: finding food, protecting their loved ones, staying alive!

 

There was no social media, no notifications, and no concept of jobs.

But today, our life looks something like this:

 

➡️ Juggling 50 apps with 100 notifications

➡️ Scheduling a million meetings to stay on top of work ️

➡️ Working, learning, staying healthy, being social, having a dating life, keeping up with friends and family, looking good, managing projects, catching up on shows, scrolling social media, etc.


This list can honestly go on but I don’t want to add to your overwhelm!

 

In fact, if I look at the statistics every day, our minds are crowded with a constant stream of thoughts, ranging from boring daily tasks to deeper contemplations about life choices and the world around us. An average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. So, it is viable to say that all of us, we overthink a lot.

 

But, here's the thing:

Overthinking is a survival mechanism. It is an evolutionary response that helps us consider different possibilities to survive.

 

So, why exactly is OVERTHINKING a problem?

 

The problem lies not in the overthinking part but in the part where we get stuck in negative thought loops, feeling drained and overwhelmed, because a majority of those 60000 thoughts are negative as per science.


But there's hope and with this newsletter, I will equip you with tools to:

 

✔️ Break free from negative thought loops

✔️ Stop feeling mentally fried

✔️ Finally get unstuck!

 

But first, before treating it, let’s look at the core issue.

 

Why Does Your Brain Overthink?

 

Fear is often the culprit behind overthinking.

 

We worry about:

❌ The future

❌ Past mistakes haunting us

❌ Making the wrong decisions

❌ Being judged

❌ Negative past experiences repeating


This fear then starts trapping us in emotional reasoning and we start believing our emotions as facts. Confused? Let me simplify with an example.

 

Fearing social gatherings might make you think you're awkward and people will judge you. This fear compounds and further develops making you avoid social situations, reinforcing that negative belief.

 

Over time your identity becomes fused with your thoughts — this is called Cognitive Fusion in Psychology — where we struggle to separate ourselves from our thoughts and feelings.

 

Now, dealing with it is not an overnight success, it takes time and patience.

Here's how I learnt to fight back these over pool of thoughts:

 

Long-Term Solutions:

 

➡️ Awareness is Key: Before bed, write down your day's events, feelings, and triggers. This helps identify patterns in your thinking and overthinking triggers.


➡️ Restructuring Your Thoughts: Recognize thoughts as thoughts, not facts. Instead of saying "I'm a failure," say "I'm having the thought that I'm a failure." This separates you from your thoughts.


➡️ Asking Why: Dig deep! If you think "I'm a failure," ask "Why?" Maybe you didn't get a job, but it could be because they wanted different skills. This helps you see the situation more clearly.


➡️ Visualize and Detach: Visualize yourself by a stream watching leaves (thoughts) float by. Detach your thoughts and simply observe them. In psychology, it is called ACT therapy.


➡️ Exposure Therapy: Gradually expose yourself to triggers. Fearful of social situations? Start with small gatherings and work your way up. This helps desensitize you to the trigger. But, remember - one step at a time.


Short-Term Solutions:

 

➡️ Anchor to the Present: Use an object, sensation, sound, or image to bring yourself back to the present when overthinking gets triggered. For example, hold a smooth stone and focus on its texture to calm yourself. You can also try stress ball too. They work wonders when need to divert the thoughts.


➡️ Mindfulness Practices: Learn to clear your head right at the moment using:

✔️ Mindful Breathing: Focus on your breath, observing the air entering and leaving your nostrils.

✔️ Body Scan Meditation: Focus on different body parts, observing any sensations or tension.

✔️ Mindful Walking: Pay attention to your body's movements and the environment around you.

✔️ Mindful Awareness: Become aware of something in your surroundings you didn't notice before.

 

➡️ Scenario Journaling: When thoughts invades without permission, list those thoughts, their worst-case scenario, best-case scenario, and most likely outcome. This helps the rational part of your brain step up and fight the situation with clarity.


Now, that the roadmap is laid out before you, it’s Homework Time!


Let's put these strategies into action! Here are 3 things you need to do that will get you started:

 

➡️ Create an Anchor: Choose an object or sensation for yourself to use as an anchor when you overthink. Meditate with it to build a positive association.

➡️ Daily Journaling: Reflect on your day, identifying feelings and triggers.

➡️ Mindfulness Practice: Choose a practice to help you understand your physical cues (breathing, meditation, etc.)

 

Remember, change takes time and effort. Be patient and consistent, and you'll be well on your way to a calmer, clearer mind!

 

Comment below and let me know if you will be doing this homework today.



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