How to Avoid Overthinking and Stress? 7 Effective Strategies
The truth is that thinking too much is a widespread habit and at the same time quite harmful. Thinking things through is important, but over-analyzing can lead to paralysis through analysis. In addition, if your mood is negative, turning things around a lot can lead you to always find arguments to belittle what is undoubtedly extraordinary in your life. I know well what I’m talking about.
How to avoid overthinking and stress?
If you are one of those people who turns every issue or problem no matter how small it is, or you endlessly analyze everything that happens, I am going to tell you 7 strategies to stop thinking too much immediately.
I guarantee that if you put them into practice you will be able to reason more effectively, without maximizing the consequences or stopping for your fears, and that above all you will achieve greater tranquility and balance in your life.
1. LOOK AT THINGS WITH PERSPECTIVE
It is very common to make a mountain out of a grain of sand. So when you’re going around and around the same issue think: How important will this be to me in 3 weeks? 3 months? 3 years? If the answer is no, what the hell are you still thinking about that? angry
Ask yourself: Is there something more important than I really need to deal with? Surely the answer is YES. So when you go into a mental loop, ask yourself those simple questions: they will give you a broader view of your situation, allowing you to direct your energy to those things that are really important in your life.
2. SET DEADLINES FOR MAKING YOUR DECISIONS
If you do not put an expiration date on that decision that you have to make, chances are you will observe and analyze it from too many points of view. Once you make a decision, you completely get rid of the internal discourse that leads you to consider each of the options.
Surely you know someone who has spent 1 year looking at houses before buying his, and finally he is not satisfied with the decision. Does it really make sense to prolong a decision excessively? I am very clear: NO
I challenge you to reduce your decision-making deadlines:
For small decisions like, do I do yoga now or later? Do I buy brand always turkey or this one’s on offer? , etc. .. do not take more than 30 seconds to make the decision.
For decisions of greater importance I recommend taking a reasonable time , such as at the end of the day, or at the end of the week. What you have to do is make a firm commitment not to exceed that limit.
Think that once you make a decision, you will never know what would have happened if you had made a different option. wink
3. TAKE ACTION
If you get used to taking action immediately, you will avoid procrastinating for thinking too much. By committing yourself to finish things within a set time frame you will become an action-oriented person.
I advise you to divide the tasks into smaller ones so that you can focus on achieving a small goal that is more easily achievable.
This way you will avoid feeling overwhelmed by the need to do something difficult to handle and that makes you fall again and again into procrastination.
4. INTERNALIZE THIS: YOU CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING
If you think things 100 times it may be because you have a certain addiction to wanting to control everything. It may be because you have a terrible fear of failing, failing, or being foolish.
But those things are inevitable in life, and even more so if you want to extend your experience going beyond your comfort zone. Think of people who are really inspiring for you and look in their history: you will see how they have also made mistakes.
Recently I was watching a documentary by Steve Jobs, undoubtedly recognized as an entrepreneur and genius without equal. In that documentary they reviewed both his brilliance and the numerous and important mistakes he made throughout his career.
Mistakes can make you have a hard time making them, but if you look at them in a positive way, you will see that they all contain important learning.
5. SHUT UP IN SITUATIONS THAT PROMOTE NEGATIVE INTERNAL DISCOURSE
Yesterday I was hungry, and I was preparing to cook. I couldn’t find the kitchen scissors and I needed them. My immediate mental reaction was to get mad and start arguing with myself mentally. angry
Then I realized that it was nonsense and that it didn’t make sense and decided to use a knife instead. My mother can tell you: since I was little, when I am hungry I get cranky.
The good thing is that I have identified him, and now when I’m hungry and I catch myself with a negative internal discourse, I paraphrase Juan Carlos I and I say to myself: “Why don’t you shut up? And I take care of the matter once I have filled the crop … bigsmile
Thus, I encourage you to identify those situations in which your mood is not adequate and you tend to negative internal discourse so that you are alert and can stop it and deal with that matter when you have a more appropriate mood.
You will notice that in most cases the problem is very small or non-existent. And if the problem really matters, then you will be in a better position to deal with it.
6. DON’T DROWN IN UNCERTAIN FEARS
Another habit that is quite common and that usually leads to endless internal discourses is when there is a fear about something completely uncertain.
In these cases, the most negative minds suppose the occurrence of catastrophic scenarios, that is, they put themselves at the worst. If you are one of those people, I suggest you ask yourself the following questions:
- What is really the worst that can happen?
- What real probability is there of that happening?
When these kinds of uncertainties invade you, stop for a few minutes to ask yourself these questions: you will see reality more clearly, which will save you energy that you would otherwise lose by turning that uncertain fear in your mind.
7. DO SPORTS
It will seem strange to you, but it helps me a lot. Sport has the extraordinary effect of releasing tension and with it recurring negative thoughts. In short, it is more than proven that doing sports helps to have a clearer and problem-free mind.
So I preferred to limit the information to what may really be concerning me or my family. This also applies to social relationships: if you have a friend with a tendency to think too much and be negative, consider whether it is a good company. I encourage you to spend more time with those people who have positive effects on your way of thinking, and therefore on your life.
You may like also to read http://thebinderblog.com/
