 Are your thoughts always galloping around? Do you ever wish your mind could reign in those horses? There are decisions in life that require extensive deliberation and thought, such as moving to a different country or accepting a life-changing job. Despite this line of logic, everyone has suffered bouts of overthinking. The only difference is that some eventually come up with a decision, while chronic overthinkers are plagued with questions and doubt. You rehash previous conversations, relive past events, and imagine catastrophic outcomes. If you are an overthinker, your mind can feel like a never-ending movie of horrible possibilities. This is debilitating in more ways than one. Not only does it exhaust you mentally and produce anxiety, along with many other health issues, but it also prevents you from moving forward. So here are 10 ways to stop overthinking. 1. Become aware Is running a negative mental commentary second nature to you? If so, it's a habit that you might not be aware of. So the first step to tackling overthinking is to become aware of it. Grounding yourself in your body is a great way to gain awareness. A popular grounding exercise is the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7 seconds, and letting it go slowly for 8 seconds. Other techniques are touching an item and really feeling its material weight and temperature, and putting your hands in water. Becoming self-aware is the first step to changing your mind. 2. Focus on productive problem-solving Do you get wrapped up in the possibilities of what could happen? Do you busy yourself with solutions for a problem you have not yet encountered, or perhaps might not encounter? This type of thought pattern is an example of unproductive thinking. Some examples of unproductive thinking are, if I do this, then this, usually something negative, will happen. Or why does this always happen to me? Unproductive thinking usually starts with fear. Hence, it transforms into a loop of negative thoughts that serve to instill doubt. When something goes wrong instead of wondering why, ask how. Asking how shifts your focus on what can be done now and helps you be more productive. It changes your perspective and helps you focus on what can be done. 3. Schedules of self-reflection time Sitting in a stew of your own problems is not productive. It is time-consuming and never yields positive results. However, making time to reflect can help you see and think about things from a different perspective. It affords you time to assess pitfalls in your plans and how you can do better. It also serves as a mental boundary. If something goes wrong, your instinct may be to run through and see where you failed. However, having a set time to go through and assess what went wrong prevents you from making hasty decisions. 4. Change lanes Did you know sometimes your brain practices reverse psychology on you? The more you tell yourself not to do something, the more you might find yourself doing it. The same goes for overthinking. Whenever you find yourself overthinking, it's always a good thing to try and get out of your head. It certainly can be a scary place sometimes. By distracting yourself with, for example, a hobby or exercise, it'll not only make you feel happy doing something you enjoy, but it will put a stop to that stream of negative thoughts. 5. Look at the big picture Are you focusing too much on something that isn't even going to matter in a few days time? Whenever you find yourself overthinking about something, ask yourself this. Will it matter 5 years from now? Will it matter a month from now? The chances are that it won't. Life is always changing. Asking yourself such questions helps put things into perspective and gives you a new approach. 6. Learn mindfulness Does it feel like you run on autopilot? When you spend most of the time racing in your brain, it leaves you feeling less aware. Your surroundings take a back seat when your thoughts ride shotgun. Achieving mindfulness does not occur overnight. It requires practice. There are many books, apps and courses and other resources that can help you become more mindful. Practicing mindfulness is a great way to ground yourself in the present. You will be fully attending to what's happening, to what you're doing, to the space you're moving through. By practicing mindfulness over time, you will notice that you overthink a bit less. 7. Do away with perfectionism Perfectionism can be a sign of lingering fears, and it often leads to overthinking. You become perceptive of your actions and how others might perceive them. Perfectionism narrows the scope of your actions, your thoughts and your future. It renders you unproductive and incapable of moving past your problems or failures. When you find yourself wanting to be perfect and start to overthink things, remind yourself that done is better than perfect. 8. Accept your best Are you always pushing yourself to cover that extra mile? Do you ever give yourself a break? Practicing compassion helps you move past your mistakes and let go. When you become attuned to your emotions and they're accompanying physiological cues, you can spot when you need to take a break. By acknowledging your feelings that arise during that moment and saying positive affirmations, you can encourage compassion for yourself. 9. Be grateful Gratitude helps you gain perspective. Sometimes, many problems are not as terrible as they seem. Gratitude opens possibilities for acceptance as well as growth. It can also prevent you from falling into a pattern of negative thinking. 10. Acknowledge your success Picture this, you find yourself amid an overthinking barrage. So what do you do? During that avalanche, remember to take a moment to write down on a piece of paper five things that went well. For example, you cleaned your apartment or stuck to your budget. The accomplishments on your list do not need to be grand, but looking at this list will make you realize that you've succeeded, even in the small things, more than you have failed. When necessary, refer back to this list to keep your thoughts from spiraling out of control. When life gets hectic and overwhelming, it's important to take a step back and breathe. Take a break from the constant information and racing thoughts and, if necessary, ask for help. We hope we were able to give you some insight into some ways that you can stop overthinking. Do any of these describe your experiences? Or did any of the points describe you? Leave a comment down below about your encounters with them, if you'd like. Please feel free to share any thoughts you have as well. 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