Dear Margot: How to stop overthinking?

Dear Margot,

“How to stop overthinking????? I overthink about EVERYTHING from my academic life, social life, family life, relationships, etc. It makes me question my self worth and my future. Any tips?????”

Constantly overthinking is a difficult feeling to deal with on a daily basis. Having unnecessary thoughts can make you question things about yourself that you wouldn’t have before. Luckily, there are many different ways to help combat overthinking constantly.

One strongly effective method is stopping the cycle. When you are experiencing consistent overthinking, it is extremely important to slow down and find something else to take your mind off of your worries. For example, watching TV, drawing, calling with your friends, or even something as simple as walking your pet can help break the cycle. Changing the environment that you were in at the moment is essential in order to help your overthinking stop or slow down.

Another good way to help your worries is journaling. Being able to let out all of your feelings and thoughts onto a piece of paper can significantly help sort out your emotions and find the key reason as to why you are experiencing constant overthinking. Writing is proven to help the mind slow down because you're able to help format and write slower about your thoughts rather than the fast paced thinking in your head. 

Lastly, being able to talk with a trusted person can help you through these thoughts you may be having. As uncomfortable as it may be, sharing those thoughts with someone you can rely on can help you understand yourself more and what you are thinking; especially when that person is someone who shares a lot of wisdom. If that person knows you well and understands what you are going through, then talking with that person during those moments will definitely help you.

Overall, overthinking is a difficult experience to handle, but, with the right people and environment, you can help your thoughts stop from going out of control. Finding out which method helps you best is key to overcoming these experiences and will help you throughout the rest of your life.

Image Courtesy of Moad Ameur on Wikimedia Commons.