How bad is Overthinking, and How to deal with it?

aakash-garg (45)in #overthinking • 6 years ago

Overthinking - The art of creating problems that weren't even there.

Any time I have messed up my life, it’s been almost entirely due to my inability to control my thoughts. I would get caught in negative thought-loops & live my life unconsciously on a day-to-day basis. I would become so stuck in my head that I lived in a world of my own, which was causing my perception of reality to become skewed.

It’s not easy & it’s not fun, but staying in an over-thinking-free-zone is one of the fundamental pillars of self-development.

Escaping from the confinements of our mind is extremely difficult, just as escaping from a prison, or maybe more difficult than that.

Overthinking in itself forms a vicious cycle of thoughts, which leads to depression and a low self-esteem. Our mind is often our own worst enemy, without us even realising it. We unwillingly allow our mind to hold us back, rather than propel us forward.

Some of the cures for "Over-thinking".

Keep yourself busy and work hard.

This is one the most efficient ways to deal with depression and overthinking. "Empty mind is devil's paradise"- This is so true. Once we start doing things and keep ourselves busy, the random thoughts of insecurity will not go through our minds. Set some goals & work hard to reach them – this will keep your mind focussed & working to help you. Hard work will bring you back to reality and strip away the layers of bullshit rationalisations through which you were seeing the world.

Re-frame

Any time a negative thought comes into your head, or you find yourself getting caught in autopilot over-thinking, there’s a simple process I use to get back to being fully present. First, hit the off button: when you find yourself in 5th gear over-thinking, just hit an imaginary ‘OFF’ button in your mind. Second, re-frame: if a thought is negative, immediately replace it with a positive one and move on.