Confessions Of An Overthinker

Are you an ‘overthinker’? Read on to know the ways to change your brooding temperament and lead a happier life.

You know that feeling that you get as you walk away from a conversation? “Maybe I talked too much. I should’ve said more instead of just smiling and nodding. That thing I said, maybe it was a little offensive?”

You just step out of a workplace meeting and you think ‘this’ is what I should have said, why didn’t I think of that earlier. I should have been more forceful, more assertive, more…

It is a vicious cycle that goes on and on – day after day and sometimes consuming your nights as you replay situations over and over.

It gets to a point that you obsessively keep dissecting each and every bit of every encounter you have, from which you always end up falling short of your own expectations.

Over thinking makes you over cautious. That’s good and bad, depending on the situation.

In the end though, it usually ends up being a colossal waste of time and energy.

Never miss real stories from India's women.

Register Now

Some tips I’ve found useful:

Meditate

Ah the great cure-all! But this one does do its magic. Let all of your (mostly negative) thoughts come over you one by one, and then consciously let each and every one go.

Designate A Time

This one I must admit I thought was a little strange when I heard about it, but it deserves a fair chance. Set aside a time during the day (maybe an hour) when you allow yourself to overthink. The rest of the day, whenever you tend to over think – just firmly remind yourself it is not time yet!

Sometime you may find that by the time the hour of thinking rolls around, you might’ve gained additional perspective or much needed distance from the encounter.

Physical Activity

Hopefully that self-designated hour of thinking coincides with some outdoor physical activity, where you work yourself out of those thoughts.

Keeping A Journal

Writing thoughts down is always cathartic. Perhaps sometime you might realize the absurdity of your own thinking as you write. Or perhaps you may have already noted down something similar earlier. Once it is put down in black and white, chances are you might gather something worthwhile out of it.

Hopefully, some of these tips work, or maybe it just helps you find your own way to balance.

As Buddha has said, we are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.

Let not your thoughts consume you into nothingness, rather use them to uplift you and let you become a positive person.

Image Source: Pexels

Comments