Introduction
According to a study conducted in 2020, over 184 participants suggested that an adult human brain is capable of having more than 6000 thoughts per day. But we need to focus on the quality of our thoughts. Generally, people have more negative thoughts than positive ones and start to suffer from mental illness slowly without their knowledge. Here we are going to talk about overthinking, which is a very common illness shown in public.
Meaning and Reasons to Happen
Definition of Overthinking
When people are used to having thoughts related to their past or worrying about their future, they are suffering from overthinking. In such cases, they forget the importance of the present moment. They are either feeling guilty about the mistakes they have made and keep blaming themselves for them or worry about moments that have no connection with today.
One study at the University of Michigan related to the ratio of overthinking at certain ages shows that 73% of adults between the ages of 25 and 35 overthink, whereas the age between 35 and 45 has a lower rate of 52%. This study clearly shows that youths are suffering from more mental illnesses than adults.
Causes of Overthinking
Overthinking itself is not a mental sickness. Overthinking is basically connected with various mental states such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders etc. People having an endless, continuous negative thought cycle is considered rumination. Nowadays, people are going through this condition very often. This pattern of rumination is very stressful as it requires a very tough task to control continuous negative thoughts and try to resolve an indefinite issue.
How to Fight and Defeat it
Overthinking is a curable mental disorder with the help of proper awareness and a few lifestyle changes. If a person decides with a strong will to defeat it, then nothing is impossible. Here are some tricks to follow which help a person to control or completely stop overthinking and move forward in life.
1. Take a step back and examine your reaction to the specific thoughts.
Most of the time, unknowingly or sometimes knowingly, one keeps thinking about the same matter repeatedly. This thought process affects one’s mental health in a negative manner.
Practice keeping yourself aware of this kind of thought cycle.
2. Find a distraction.
Whenever you find yourself trapped in a loop of the same thoughts, take a pause and bring yourself out of that moment. Invest in yourself and learn some new skills that will help you to increase your self-esteem.
Give your brain the command to engage in activities that are of interest to you, such as
-Take a long walk, possibly in nature,
-Reading your favourite book,
-listening to the music of your favourite artists,
-Watch some light-hearted, fun comedy videos.
-Distract your mind with a workout, as it helps change your mood instantly.
-Engage yourself in some art, like various types of drawing, painting, craft, etc.
-Learn to prepare a new variety of dishes, bake a cake, etc.
Because we have access to the internet and social media, try to engage in your favourite activities, as this will immediately help you to direct your mood in a positive direction.
3. Take a long, deep breath.
It is said that the only thing that stays with a human from the moment of birth until the moment of death is breath. Whenever we get stressed or angry or feel any other emotion, the first thing that changes in us is our breath. So it is very important to navigate and control our breath to control our thoughts.
Here we are providing very basic steps to start your breathing exercise. Try to follow them in the given order.
1. Find the most comfortable place to sit with no disturbance zone, either inside your house, such as your favourite corner, balcony, terrace, or worship room or outside your houses, such as a quiet spot in the garden or near a lake or river.
2. Sit quietly, preferably on a mat because sitting on the ground can help you connect with nature, or on a chair (if you are unable to sit on the ground). Relax your whole body. Place your right hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
3. Now start breathing in slowly and deeply, observing the movement of your chest and stomach. While inhaling, try to pump up your stomach by filling it with as much air through your lungs. Try to hold your breath for at least the first seven slow counts. Later on, start exhaling air through slightly open lips and feel that your stomach falls in towards the spine while doing so.
4. With time, increase the number of counts while holding your breath.
5. Perform this exercise five times per day (if possible, increase the number of repetitions over time)
It helps you to become calm, and it connects you with your inner self. You can seek guidance from a qualified mentor or get help from various social media platforms for the correct breathing exercise. You can learn various other breathing exercises over time.
4. Meditation
Mediation and breathwork are two different forms of exercise. For meditation, you need a more concentrated and settled mind. You can prepare your mind for meditation by using breathwork. Meditations are considered medicine for the mind. Strong minds are the influencing force for the healthy well-being of a person.
There are various meditation techniques you can follow under the proper guidance.
A. Guided Meditation
One has to use the power of visualisation in this method. You have to create an image of a positive and happy place or surroundings where you can feel inner calmness. You can also have maximum utilisation of all your senses with the help of your mentor.
B. Mantra Meditation
You have to repeat a positive word or phrase quietly. These words or phrases can be the names of your devoted god, or goddess. You have to repeat it at least 108 times or more in a day. It helps you shut down all the chatter in your mind.
C. Mindfulness Meditation
Here, the meaning of mindfulness is to be aware or focused. While doing this meditation, you have to be aware of your breathing flow and what kind of thoughts are passing on. You have to focus on the experiences that happen during the meditation. You can also observe the emotions you are feeling. This meditation helps you to become more aware of your inner self.
D. Transcendental Meditation
In this method, according to your mental state or situation, a personal word or phrase is given to you. You have to repeat them according to the guidance given to you. This method is only done under the guidance of a mentor or guru, as words or phrases and methods are provided by them to you.
E. Yoga
Yoga is a well-known meditation technique. You have to perform various physical postures and focus on your breathwork. This method helps you to increase the mobility of your body, correct your body posture, improve your personality, and boost your confidence.
You can learn many other meditation methods under the right guidance. Meditation can encourage you to develop your own spiritual path.
5. Emerge as a helping hand
Even the smallest act of kindness creates a great positive impact on our brains. It provides the feeling of contentment and well-being. Kindness produces a particular chemical in our brain which gives us the feeling of happiness and rewards and replaces negative thoughts with positive ones. So keep doing good karma and it will help you to decrease your overthinking.
6. Recognize your accomplishments.
No matter how small an achievement you have acquired, celebrate it. Make a list of your achievements and keep them handy or somewhere you can see them frequently. This increases your confidence level. This practise helps you to navigate your negative thoughts towards the positive. You can also do the same exercise by writing down your smallest to largest happy, precious moments in your life. That will also help you get rid of a negative mindset.
7. Be present.
While overthinking, you are either dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. That takes away the joy of the present moment. With the help of your interesting activities, try to live in the present moment. It will help you to get rid of the unimportant matters in your life and only concentrate on matters that truly deserve your attention. You can start to live in the present by taking the few steps given here.
A) Begin with a small step and try to notice even the smallest details that occur around you. Pay more attention to your routines and you will find the beauties lying around you.
B) Instead of dwelling on past people or events that are no longer a part of your life, try to concentrate on those who are present and important to you.
C) Keep your screen time to a minimum. Make a routine for the usage of your electronic devices and stick to it.
D) Make contact with the outside world. You should start meeting new people, connecting with them, and trying to learn new things with or from them. Share your knowledge with the real world and make memories with them. Then you will be able to notice the charm of the present moment.
E) Start the practise of gratitude in your real life. You should be writing in your journal regularly and be thankful for the things you have acquired at the present moment. Overthinking is actually controlled by writing a journal.
8. Taking some action
Whenever you find yourself in a dilemma about taking a decision over a matter you are stuck in, you should follow the advice given here.
Allow yourself enough time to consider a matter only once. Consider and analyse all the positive as well as negative sides of the matter and take a wise decision no matter how hard it is for you. Do not give it a second thought and start to put your decision into action immediately.
9. Be kind to yourself and accept your fears.
Self-compassion is to forgive yourself for past mistakes and accept yourself without manipulating them. For some, self-compassion comes naturally, while others have to learn the techniques through regular practice.
A) Feed your body healthy foods, practise self-massage, or go for a walk in nature.
B) Write yourself a letter. Write about a situation that has caused you great pain and acknowledge your feelings. Stop blaming yourself for everything that has gone wrong.
C) Consider yourself your best friend, and give yourself the same advice you would give to a friend in similar circumstances.
Fear is the obstacle you are facing to leaving your comfort zone. When you are afraid of making a decision but still proceed, recognise that you are leaving your comfort zone. Well, you have to get out of your comfort zone to embrace your fears, as sometimes you have a fear of accepting and releasing your fears.
Do not suppress your feelings. Let it come to the surface and you will see that fear has no power until you give it to them. So, by acknowledging your fears, you are accepting them and making them powerless. Allow your fears to teach you new lessons, but not to stop you from moving forward in life. Let your fears let you grow.
10. You are not alone
You are not alone in the journey of overcoming an overthinking disorder. If needed, ask for the help of professionals. Do not think about what others will say. Give enough importance to your mental health and acknowledge the need for your mental health. There are a number of qualified therapists who are ready to help you. Reach out to them and take advantage of their help.
In the end
Overthinking has become very common in youth nowadays, so we need to be aware of our surroundings and help ourselves as well as others who are in need through various techniques.
