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How to Stop Overthinking Everything: 12 Simple Habits
Become a person of action
When you know how to get started with taking action consistently each day then you’ll procrastinate less by overthinking.
- Set deadlines and a good tone for the day.
- Take small steps forward and only focus on getting one small step done at a time.
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Key Ideas
Put things into a wider perspective
When you are thinking and thinking about something ask yourself: Will this matter in 5 years? Or even in 5 weeks?
It allows you to stop thinking about something and to focus your time and energy on something else that actually does matter to you.
Set short time-limits for decisions
- For small decisions like if you should go and do the dishes, respond to an email or work out, give myself 30 seconds or less to make a decision.
- For somewhat larger decisions that would take you days or weeks to think through in general, use a deadline for 30 minutes or for the end of the workday.
Stop setting your day up for stress
- Get a good start, that will set the tone for your day. (read or work-out and then start with the most important task of the day).
- Single-task and take regular breaks. This will help you to keep a sharp focus during your day and to get what’s most important done while also allowing you to rest.
- Minimize your daily input, especially from social media consumption. It will clutter your mind as the day progresses.
Become a person of action
When you know how to get started with taking action consistently each day then you’ll procrastinate less by overthinking.
- Set deadlines and a good tone for the day.
- Take small steps forward and only focus on getting one small step done at a time.
You cannot control everything
Trying to do so simply doesn’t work because no one can see all possible scenarios in advance.
Trying to think things through 50 times can be a way to try to control everything. To cover every eventuality so you don't risk making a mistake, fail or looking like a fool.
Don't get lost in vague fears
Ask yourself: "What is the worst than can happen?".
You will find that the worst that could realistically happen is usually something that is not as scary as what your mind running wild with vague fear could produce.
Get plenty of good quality sleep
When you haven’t slept enough then you become more vulnerable. Vulnerable to worrying and pessimism. To not thinking as clearly as you usually do.
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Overthinking
It means overanalyzing something that happened, regretting an action, or worrying about the future of something.
It's when you can't think about anything else, and it'...
Overthinking and action
If you're overthinking an idea you can actually do something about, the best thing you can do is take action now.
This doesn't mean you have to suddenly run off to make something, it just means you start taking a step forward. We tend to overthink because we fear failure, but if we just start working, that dissipates quickly
Break the circle of overthinking:
- Relabel the ideas you're overthinking ("self-doubt," "anxiety," etc)
- Reframe your experience and identify your thinking errors
- Refocus your attention on the part that matters
- Revalue your brain's messages with the new information
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Overthinkers
Chronic overthinkers rehash conversations they had yesterday, second-guess every decision they make and imagine disastrous outcomes all day every day.
Thinking too much prevents the...
Destructive thought patterns
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."
Notice when you're stuck in your head
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.
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Paradox of Choice
Overthinking lowers your performance
Our working memory is what allows us to focus on the information we need to get things done at the moment we’re doing them. It is also in limited supply. You can think of it like our brain’s computer memory. Once it’s used up, nothing more can fit in.
When you overanalyze a situation, the repetitive thoughts, anxiety, and self-doubt decrease the amount of working memory you have available to complete challenging tasks, causing your productivity to plummet.
Overthinking kills your creativity
A recent Stanford study suggests that over-thinking not only impedes our ability to perform cognitive tasks but keeps us from reaching our creative potential as well.
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Put a Deadline on Your Thoughts
To avoid over-ruminating about a decision, give yourself a time frame to think about it.
If it’s a small issue such as what paint color to paint your office, perhaps...
Schedule Your Thinking Time
To avoid thinking about problems all day long, schedule a specific time where you give yourself the freedom to think about the issue you need to make a decision about.
If thoughts about the issue creep into your brain before your scheduled thinking time, tell yourself “No, I’m going to think about that after dinner, not during this meeting”.
Problem Solving vs. Worrying
Dwelling on a problem, thinking “this is horrible, I can’t handle this” or rehashing things that happened in the past are an unproductive use of your time.
Thinking about what steps you can take to improve the situation or actively thinking of a solution to the problem are helpful toward moving forward.
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Self-awareness is not just a buzzword
Self-awareness and introspection have the ring of a self-help guru's empty promises, but they are the starting point that leads to every improvement. They are not the solution to everything,...
Self-awareness = self-understanding
Understanding your own desires, emotions, failings, habits, and everything else that makes you tick. The more you know about yourself, the better you are at adapting life changes that suit your needs.
Self-improvement is impossible without Self-Awareness
You can read every productivity tip out there and you can adapt the routines of geniuses, but it's completely pointless if you don't know yourself well enough to put the correct advice into practice.