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Overthinking is not a mental health disorder on its own. Still, it is a form of rumination that, if left unresolved, can lead to illnesses like depression, anxiety, and chronic stress, according to research.
Research shows that overthinking is a form of uncontrollable worry where the brain is in overdrive and can affect sleeping patterns, cognitive abilities, physical well-being, and overall quality of life.
There are many complex reasons why we overthink. It is a subconscious way for us to avoid painful experiences such as rejection, criticism, and failure.
We tend to overthink things that have happened or may happen in the future. Problems arise because we reaffirm our fears when we overthink, and this leads to an increase in anxiety.
Overthinking is also linked to perfectionism, where people set unrealistic standards for themselves, which in turn leads to mental agony when they fail to meet those standards.
'All or nothing' cognitive bias is another cause of overthinking, as those who subscribe to that line of thinking believe that there is only one right choice or decision. This puts undue mental pressure on people as they feel their decisions must be perfect without any room for failure.
Ways to stop overthinking
While there are many different causes of overthinking, according to research data, there are things that a person suffering from the condition can do to alleviate their difficulties.
1) Therapy
Since overthinking is caused by factors like distorted cognitive thoughts and self-belief and is linked to several mental health problems, therapists can help individuals deal with this problem.
Therapists are capable of helping individuals challenge their negative perceptions and thought processes and helping them realize the root cause of their overthinking.
Therapy also facilitates individuals working on reframing their thoughts that lead to overthinking while learning how to cope with stressors and anxiety more healthily.
2) Journaling
Journaling is a great mental health tool with a wide variety of benefits, including the ability to help individuals with their overthinking problems. Journaling can help individuals identify the triggers that cause them to overthink and write down negative repetitive thoughts.
Journaling to overcome rumination begins with writing down feelings without judgment as they occur. Writing these thoughts down without initial judgment allows individuals to analyze these thoughts later with a clear and rational mind.
This allows individuals to objectively analyze their thoughts and thought processes and judge whether they are helpful. Journaling also allows individuals to hone their thoughts and focus on things of their choice.
3) Mindfulness
Mindfulness is essential for combating overthinking as it allows individuals to control or focus their attention. This allows individuals to feel an inner sense of calm and increases self-awareness. The increased self-awareness helps individuals to understand their thoughts and behaviors in a nuanced manner.
One way to practice mindfulness is through guided meditation, which allows individuals to enter a calmer state of mind and focus on the present. Living and thinking in the present moment dissuade the mind from running away with thoughts.
4) Distractions or change the channel
Trying to stop thinking about things or trying to avoid specific thoughts can cause individuals to overthink. To stop overthinking about a particular topic, sometimes the best option is to distract yourself by doing something else.
Engaging in certain activities like exercising, cooking, reading a book, watching a TV show, and going for a drive can act as distractions and allow individuals some reprieve from ruminating.
5) Setting a time to overthink
People who overthink often experience severe mental distress because it is a recurring problem in their lives. Once they start encountering this problem, it persists with them day and night and affects all aspects of their daily lives and sleeping patterns.
To deal with this situation, individuals can start assigning specific time periods regularly where they intentionally think about things that are troubling them or causing concern.
The key is to allow overthinking only during this particular period of time, which trains the mind to limit overthinking to that time period. Individuals should move on to doing something productive or positive once that specific time is finished.
6) Shifting to solution oriented behaviors
Overthinking revolves around things that happen to us or worrying about negative scenarios that may happen in the future. One way to overcome this issue is to move from focusing on the problems to shifting toward solutions.
Individuals should focus their time, thoughts, and efforts on ways to improve their situation rather than fixating on what they cannot control.
Overthinking is a problem that everyone goes through at some point in their lives. It is not an unsolvable problem, as there are plenty of ways to combat rumination and avoid its negative effects.
Steve Verghese is a trained psychologist with an MSc in Counseling Psychology from the Indian Institute of Psychology and Research.
