Let's THINK but NOT OVER-THINK

 

It says “Most of us live in the thoughts of the past or future, we sometimes regret our mistakes or worry about planning the future.”

To overcome this we have to know what our mind is thinking now and drag ourselves into the real outside world.




In the real world, people are talking, music playing, and the smell of the air but how often do we realize these things?

Thoughts rush through our brains every now and then that we lose track of the surrounding. We might even miss something that takes place right in front of us. Crazy, right?




It is clear that our mind creates a huge crisis inside our brains. Lol, I remember this particular Spongebob episode where they zoom into the head of Spongebob. ( I really don't remember the episode number but I specifically remember this part. So inside his head, mini Spongebob ran all over the place messing things up and in a haste, without knowing what they should do. Panicking and completely lost on that particular occasion.








So that mini SpongeBob is like one of our thoughts. Unless the thought is properly directed, it will keep swirling around in the top of our heads. Gladly Squidward comes to the rescue or maybe it was his brother, but I remember his words clearly. “ Empty your mind”, he said.




Likewise what if you stop thinking and observe the environment? You can enjoy your music and your coffee or even notice a lot of stuff happening around you that many really don't.

Well, to do so we should not stop our thinking process because our brains are wired in a way to think. We SHOULD STOP OVERTHINKING!

A little Story for you

Tanzan and Ekido, two Buddhist monks, travel along a muddy road, while heavy rain is falling. They spot a beautiful woman in a kimono, who’s unable to cross an intersection, because of the bad weather. Tanzan picks her up and carries her to the other side, setting her down. They travel on for hours, and only when they reach their destination at night does Ekido speak about what’s been bothering him the entire time: “We monks aren’t allowed near females, so why did you do that?”

Tanzan replies: “I left the girl there. Are you still carrying her?”

So simple, but perfectly makes the point. Tolle compares someone, who doesn’t overthink, to a duck. When ducks fight, they quickly swim in opposite directions afterward, immediately moving on with their lives.

Overthinking is detrimental, so be like a duck.

Only humans feel compelled to collect bad feelings, resentment, hurt and suffering over time and then unleash it upon the world.

Don’t be like Ekido. Don’t carry things with you longer than you need to. Be like a duck :)




The fact you realize you do it is a good start. Be aware it is not easy to stop and will require conscious effort. Don't get disappointed if you backslide on occasion.

 

 Like I too do this often that, this is like a habit of mine. For instance, when I get text replies late I have already assumed in my mind why the person didn't text me yet. Thoughts like, maybe the person forgot me, maybe the person doesn't care about me anymore. Thoughts like that can really turn toxic over time. Because we have set our minds already, with a confined assumption that the reason for the cause is known. In reality which is not.

It is also one way of overthinking a situation. We are really doing the unnecessary don't you think? It only creates further problems, problems we never asked for.

Live in the Present

Be in present, you deliver your best, don't afraid of anything. This is nothing but just your fear, face your fears, write down those fears, anxiety which insist you overthink and worry.

See, without your attention overthinking and worrying is nothing, it overtakes you when you pay heed to all these odd things of your life.

Always follow one rule, that bad times too shall pass, try to stay calm in all situations and then you will find that how you are going to overtake all these worries an overthinking of your life.

And this brings me back to my first point, overthinking means you are indecisive. Strive to become decisive in your own life. Know your limitations. Be certain in what you know, and reduce doubt.

 Understand that you can't help everyone yet, so start thinking about the ones you can, and start from there. Life is all about learning from trial and error, and other people's experience. That's why we have history classes for.

“The sharpest minds often ruin their lives by overthinking the next step, while the dull win the race with eyes closed.” 

Focusing on negative events and overthinking can be the biggest predictor of some of today's most common mental health problems.

Try to live in the present and give your best. Worrying will never help. Love whatever you do and give 100% to whatever you love. Keep yourself occupied and dedicate time to everything. Try to spend a lot of your time in different activities you love. Prioritize your day and try to balance all activities. Try to work out in a gym may be and do some sports as well. Try to find time to relax. Spend time on meditation too perhaps. . Do as many good things as you can without attachment. Keep away from distractions that may take away your peace of mind or happiness. Focus on internal harmony 

It’s probably not all that easy at first. Our thought patterns are a habit as much as anything else can be.

As over-thinking situations can lead to worrying,

One technique for combatting worry is to ask ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ and then figure out how to prepare for that (one ‘worst’ at a time)…..

How to reduce Overthinking

 I know it is easy to say but difficult to do. One main problem is your mind is jumping to and from thinking from this and it is so difficult to control it, but we are humans right, we can do anything if we really wanted to.

Don’t be upset for the first attempts as your mind will jump away and won't stay in the real world but at least you tried living in the real world.

 When I find out I am thinking that makes me worry I am stepping out to the real world again.

Every human being is engaged with some sort of problem and we all have to face them.

Some are frivolous; some are life-changing. Some force us to draw from within us, our greatest mental potential. Many cause nothing more than stress.

Whatever issues life presents us, whether small or big, we think about them.

We think about what to do, what not to do, and what would be “best” for us and for everyone around us.

But how often do we think about our thinking? When do we stop to question why we over-think, whether it’s productive, and how to overcome it?

1. Remember that over-thinking does not lead to insight.

You want an understanding of which decision will be the best. For this, you need a level of insight into what each decision will lead to. Thinking this through, however, is futile.

Why? Because you never, ever know what something will be like until you experience it.

School, college, moving home, getting married, ending a relationship, changing career paths. However much you imagine what these changes will be like, you will be surprised by what you discover when you actually engage in these activities.

Knowing this, you can move forward with a true understanding of what would be best. Acting, therefore, leads to clarity. Thought doesn’t.

2.  Know that your decision will never be final.

Over-thinking often comes from the notion that you will make a grand final decision that will never change and must be correct.

It won’t happen. And that’s a good thing. If you could predict with complete accuracy the entirety of your future, would you want to experience it?

To me, that removes all the spice of life. You must be aware that however much critical thinking you apply to a decision, you may be wrong.

Being comfortable with being wrong, and knowing that your opinions and knowledge of a situation will change with time, brings a sense of true inner freedom and peace.

3.  Learn the reasons why over-thinking is harmful, and let it motivate you.

Studies have shown it is strongly linked to depression, anxiety, binge eating, binge drinking, and self-harm.

Many studies showed that life events were the largest predictors of stress, followed by family history, income and education, relationship status, and social inclusion.

However, the study also showed that stress only occurred if the individual engaged in negative over-thinking about the events, and it showed that people who did not do this did not become as stressed or depressed, “even if they’d experienced many negative events in their lives.”

So, worry about your problems if you wish. But don’t say no one warned you!

4. Keep active throughout the day, and tire the body out.

Do you want to know one of the main reasons you over-think?

It’s because you have the time to.

Not one day can be fruitful if more time than necessary is allowed for aimless thinking. A mind rests well at night knowing its day has been directed toward worthy goals.

So consider daily exercise—any physical activity that raises heart rate and improves health.

Walking is exercise. Sports and playing with the dog are too. It doesn’t have to be training for the next Olympics. Just get moving, and get tired.

5.  Become the ultimate skeptic.

If you think about what causes thinking to be so stressful and tiring, it’s often our personal convictions that our thoughts are actually true.

Let’s look at an example.

If someone you know does something you consider hurtful, but you don’t discuss the issue with the person, negativity can arise with certain thoughts about why the person acted that way.

But once you can pinpoint which thoughts are causing the upset, one golden question will release all negativity:

“Can I be 100 percent sure this is true?”

By seeing the inherent lack of truth in your beliefs, you will naturally find yourself much more relaxed in all situations, and you won’t over-think things that are based on predictions and assumptions.

6. Seek social support, but don’t vent.

Better than confining your decisions to your own biases, perspectives, and mental filters, commit to seeking support from loved ones.

Research has long shown the powerful impact of social support in the reduction of stress. But even better than that is getting a fresh, new angle on the topic.

7. Develop the skill of forgiveness.

It’s no surprise that having the misfortune of being treated undesirably leads people to suppress and repress anger toward other people.

Forgiveness is of the highest human virtues. Not because it is morally correct, spiritually mature, or deemed a commendable personality trait.

It’s special because it, single-handedly, can induce the ultimate peace in people.

Forgiveness has also been shown on many occasions to help develop positive self-esteem, improve mood, and dramatically improve health. It’s a predictor of relationship well-being and marital length, and it has even been shown to increase longevity.

8.  Plan for conscious distraction.

When do you ruminate the most? Have you ever thought about it? For me, I ruminated at night.

When you know the time of day rumination will begin, you can plan to remove that spare time with an activity that engages your full faculties.

It could be Sudoku, a board game with family, a meal out, yoga, or writing letters of gratitude to long-unseen friends.

Therefore, be picky about what you distract yourself with, and make sure it fosters positive emotion and psychological wellbeing.

9.  Solve another person’s problem first, and get perspective.

“Serve first, seek second” should be the motto for anyone currently distressed by their perceived problems.

Your issue at hand can become so consuming that others may look at you like you’re living in your own mental world. And it takes something to break you out of it.

Helping others puts your issues in order by reminding you that we all go through tough times, some much more than you ever will.

That’s not to discount the struggles you’re going through, but helping others will restore balance and harmony in your life.

10.  Remember that a perfect decision is never a bold one, so get started.

When your final years are approaching, you will not worry about how well you thought through your decisions, or how thoroughly and accurately you approached life’s forks in the road.

You will rest happily knowing you lived true to yourself, acted with confidence, and stood up for what you believed in.

So don’t worry about the perfection of your decisions. Be swift to move forward, even if it is in the wrong direction. Boldness is respectable; carefulness has never changed the world.

The war of this era: the mind. A silent weapon that can rather cultivate us slowly or kill us slowly.

I can guarantee you, you are included in the 99.9% struggling with the mind. It’s an everyday battle and there is no exclusivity: rich or poor can suffer from it. But as I said “CAN” suffer, which means it’s not an obligation, we can choose NOT TO.

And for that to happen we have to make extreme and drastic changes in our daily life. And why do I say extreme? Because nowadays having peace of mind is the same thing as experiencing heaven. Everybody is going crazy but you are relaxed. Everybody is going fast but not getting anywhere and you are going slowly but getting to good places. Everybody is criticizing their lives and you are loving yours the most. (I've talked more about loving yourself in the self-love post)

You can't just take control of everything going on around you, so just let it be. Try to put your creative brain to work. Totally involve yourself that will leave you no time to brood over things that don't matter at all. 

Don’t try to control your thoughts. Let them be what they are. Just don’t give them undue credit. Or any more attention than you feel at the moment. Shift your focus to something real, and they will likely subside a bit ..but don’t require it of them.

Try to let it go and ask yourself a question :

What worse can happen if the problem I think will happen ....!?

The answer is so simple: My life is full of problems and it will add another one to solve and whatever it takes it will be fixed ...

The point is that you should :

Try to calm your brain down, it is not the end of the world ...

Comment below if this has been helpful to you and If you have realized that you overthink too