Overthinking — we've all been there. When you find yourself falling into unhealthy patterns that you struggle to find a way out of, or when you fixate on things outside of your control, or simply over-analyse things that you're meant to let go of. Sylvia Plath once said, “Is there no way out of the mind?” We asked psychologists for practical, concise hacks that you can use to help yourself get out of the overthinking rut. Aloakika Motwane, psychotherapist, shared some techniques that she tells her clients to use when they feel this way. 1.) Keep a journal so you can look at your fears realistically 2.) Turn the 'what ifs' into 'what is' and stay mindful in the present 3.) Don't try and do things perfectly — do them badly instead, but just do them 4.) Step out of your head and into your body by stepping out for a gentle walk or exercising 5.) Use your breath to modulate your nervous system. Try to meditate. Often, we feel helpless, because we cannot control our minds or how we feel. Shweta Puri, a psychotherapist, also weighed in on this. She said it is important to acknowledge how you're feeling, adding that you need to say to yourself, “Right now I am having a thought that intrudes into my awareness. This is an intrusive thought. It has caught my attention because of how it feels.” Here are some other ways to look at and deal with overthinking, according to the expert: Accept and allow: Acceptance does not mean “I am stuck forever with these thoughts and the misery around them, so I just have to put up with them.” It also does not mean “I have to accept the content of these thoughts, that mean I am bad, crazy, or flawed.” It means you are actively allowing the thoughts to be there, not wishing they were gone, because this attitude helps you grasp that the thoughts are unimportant. They do not require any attention or response. Imagine you are in a mall and a salesman keeps pestering you for attention; you don’t give him attention unless it is something you want. Similarly, allow the unwanted feelings/thoughts to be there as a pesky salesperson in a mall. Try to focus on other things. Time will pass, and those feelings will slowly lose meaning. Be in the present: Move away from all that thinking into your current senses. (What can you see, hear, smell, and touch?) Concentrate on what is as opposed to what if. Imagine that you are in a mud swamp, the harder you try to get out of it the more it sucks you in. Allow yourself to just be in it, and float through the present moment. Move forward: Despite all the thoughts, move forward in the direction you have planned and don't let the thoughts stop you from going about your day. This robs the power of your thoughts and makes them feeble. One of the best things to do when you find yourself spiralling into overthinking or fixating on something unnecessary is to focus on what you're supposed to be doing in the present moment. Are you eating? Focus on that. Working out? Focus on that. When you give your attention to the things in your life presently, rather than going down a rabbit hole of what 'could be' or 'should be', you do yourself a solid. It's hard living inside the human mind, but it's also often the most interesting place to be. Don't let the darkness make you forget that there is also so much light within you, and you will eventually muster the strength to find it. 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
