Overthinking must be one of the most annoying things. You finally get a few moments where your brain is not already occupied. Then it starts to go on a tangent of thoughts. This happens to lots of people, some have managed to settle their overthinking over time. If you have not mastered that yet, then here are a few tips on how to control your thoughts.
Take a deep breath
This may be something you have heard before, but it really does help. Getting oxygen to your brain can help it slows itself down and relax. Even when its going on one of its overthinking tangents. Taking a deep breath is more than just breathing. It is about centring yourself collecting your thoughts and clearing your mind of all its madness.
- Find somewhere where you feel comfortable and allow yourself to relax your neck and shoulders.
- Put one of your hands over your belly and one over your heart.
- Breath in and out through your nose. Paying close attention to how your chest and belly move when you breath. Concentrate on just that.
Try practicing this for a few minutes a day so you know what to do when your thoughts start racing.
Look at the bigger picture
we get so involved without thoughts we forget what really matters. It is easy to get worked up. When you get in a rut of unwanted thoughts it sometimes makes you forget what even triggered you. Again, take a deep breath and remember why these thoughts started. Then assess if the problem is even a big problem.
Stay present
Sometimes it is hard to stop thinking about the past or the future. Lying in bed at night, before you are about to fall asleep is when your mind is at its most vulnerable. Sometimes we think about things in the past and we dwell on how we wish things were different. We also sometimes think about the future and worry about what will happen. When really, we need to stay present and worry about what we are doing in this second as it will pass us buy and it will just be another memory. Most the time we are so worried about what is going to happen we never enjoy the journey.
Take action
This is an opportunity to turn your overthinking into something positive. All you must do is learn to control the thoughts and use them to your advantage. If you are dwelling on something in the past and you do not like the way, it made you feel then earn from that mistake. Use the feeling as a guide on how to live your life. If you are worried about the future and want things to go a certain way, then use that as motivation for you to get where you want to be. Your mind is an immensely powerful thing and people need to learn to use it to your advantage more. Overthinking is not the problem. It is the how you deal and handle your thoughts and how you let it affect you that matters.