While everyone overthinks situations once in a while, some people are plagued with a constant barrage of thoughts all the time. Chronic overthinkers rehash conversations they had yesterday, second-guess every decision they make, and imagine disastrous outcomes all day every day. Thinking too much about something often involves more than words--overthinkers conjure up disastrous images too.
Overthinking often involves two destructive thought patterns--ruminating and incessant worrying.
Ruminating involves dwelling on the past. "I should have stayed at my last job. I would be happier than I am now.""My parents didn't teach me how to be confident. My insecurities have always held me back."
Persistent worrying involves negative predictions about the future. "I'm going to embarrass myself tomorrow when I give that presentation. I know I'm going to forget everything I'm supposed to say."
Overthinking can become such a habit that you don't even recognize when you're doing it. Practice paying attention.
When you're overthinking past or future events, acknowledge that your thoughts aren't productive. Thinking is only helpful when it leads to positive action.
There seems to be negativity all around us, no matter where we go. Stress is part of our interaction with family, friends, coworkers or the world at large. Mainstream media and social networks aren...
Thriving is a psychological state when one has a sense of growth, vitality, development, along with positive energy. People who thrive are never stagnated or feed depleted, but are healthy, resilient and focused.
The inevitable stress, negativity and distractions are buffered in thriving individuals, who are confident and in control of the situation, rather than being in self-doubt or misery.
Avoid negative consumption of news and media, and do not spend time with negative people.
Watch your words, as what you say has a habit of manifesting. Saying negative stuff the whole day aloud will ensure that positive energy is far away from your environment.
Repeated negative exposure can be contagious, hurting us and others too. It is better to stay neutral, in the moment and adopt a growth mindset. One has to focus on what can be done, rather than playing the blame game.
Practice gratitude to stack up the ‘positivity bucket’ and counter the negative energy. An attitude of gratitude makes us happier and stress-free, assisting us in achieving our goals.
Manage your energy levels by exercising, having a nutritious diet, and getting plenty of sleep. Poor sleep is associated with a host of mental issues and can be detrimental to one’s thriving threshold.
Seek positive relationships and people who energize you, make you laugh and smile, lifting your spirits.
It's important to spend time around people. You can improve your habits and learn new things when you're surrounded by interesting people. Of course, much of life's biggest joys stem from our relationships. But too much "people time" might also be a bad thing.
When you're by yourself, you make choices without outside influences. Making choices on your own will help you develop better insight into who you are as a person.
There's a reason artists, musicians, and authors seek solitude when they want to create something. Studies confirm that being alone often fosters creativity.
In addition to boosting creativity, solitude also skyrockets productivity.