Do you find that you often worry and overanalyze things? Perhaps you feel that you overthink certain situations, which causes you more stress or anxiety?
This can be quite a common occurrence for some, however, there are some things you can do that could help you to do this less.
It can sometimes be hard to stop overanalyzing things, especially if you suffer from stress and anxiety.
I am going to discuss some things you can do to help you to stop overanalyzing. But first, let’s take a look at why we overthink.
Many people overthink things because they are feeling anxious or stressed, however, there can be a few more reasons why overthinking happens. As humans, we can sometimes listen to our own negative self-talk, this can also happen when we worry about something.
If you tend to be very critical of yourself, you may find that your inner voice can take over when it comes to certain situations.
For example, you may be worried about showing your presentation at your job, this ‘inner voice’ could tell you that you will not do well, everyone will laugh at you and you’ll have to leave; this is overthinking.
When we overthink or overanalyze, our inner voice is usually drastic, negative, and normally catastrophic when predicting what might happen to us in future situations. This normally is not what will actually happen, but the thoughts that you might have can seem very real and can cause you a lot of stress.
Overthinking can be quite hard to try to overcome, however, here are a few things you can do that may make it easier for you.
Here are 6 things you can do that may be able to help you to stop overanalyzing everything.
If you can become more self-aware, you should be able to recognize when you are overanalyzing and be able to talk yourself out of it. This could mean trying to pay more attention to your thoughts and feelings.
If you do this, you can start to see when you overthink and why. Once you have started to see it happening, you can try to consciously talk yourself out of it and ask yourself questions.
Try and stay in the moment and ask yourself questions like:
You should hopefully be able to rationalize with yourself, understand how you are feeling, and talk yourself out of overthinking.
Sometimes you can feel stuck when you are overthinking; often caught in a trap, and it can be very easy to keep this cycle going. When you find yourself in this trap of over-analyzing, take a breath and try to put things into perspective.
If you can ask yourself ‘Will this matter in 5 or 10 years’ time?’ or ‘Is this going to affect me in the long term?’, you may be able to stop overthinking. This is because you are making yourself rationalize the problem or situation and think about the future.
Normally, when we overthink things, it’s about something we are stressing or worrying about in the present moment, normally things that won’t matter in a year’s time. Putting things into a wider perspective can help you to recognize that you are worrying too much and perhaps escalating the situation.
When people overthink, it is usually a way that they can control things, such as their thoughts and feelings. However, some things happen that are out of our control and that is OK.
There will always be bad and good situations in people’s lives and we need to recognize that we cannot control everything that happens to us, we can only control how we react to it.
When people overanalyze, they usually will analyze every possible feeling or ‘what ifs’ towards the future, but when you understand that you cannot control the future, it may help you to start taking back control of your thoughts.
Sometimes all you need is a good distraction that can help you to stop overanalyzing. If there is a certain situation that you seem to be thinking about a lot, try to distract yourself by doing something that you love.
This could be a hobby of yours or something to help you relax such as meditation or yoga. Using these as a distraction can be great because you can feel a lot calmer, and you may find it easier to quiet your thoughts.
Also, doing something that makes you happy will keep you feeling positive, and hopefully positive in the way you are thinking and feeling too.
Being able to write down your thoughts is a great way to become more self-aware and see how you are feeling. It may be best to write your thoughts down in the morning so that they are fresh in your mind and you can hopefully forget about them for the rest of your day.
Try to get your thoughts out onto paper, as it can help you to clear your mind and reflect. Having the thoughts written down may also help you to see whether they are rational and if you should be using your time thinking about them.
This is a great way to let go of your thoughts and feelings that are causing you stress and worry, and will hopefully help you to not overanalyze so much during your day.
There can be certain problems or situations that worry you and cause you to start overanalyzing things. You may be able to think more clearly if you leave the environment you are in when you begin to overanalyze.
You could go outside, in the park or the woods, you could go to the library or even a coffee shop where you can just relax and be present. This may be able to help you look at your problem in a different light, and be able to think about how you are feeling in the present.
This is a great way to also get out of the house or your work, or somewhere that the thoughts are happening to you. You may even find an easier solution to your situation when you change your environment, instead of worrying and scaring yourself.
Try some of these tips today and see if they can help you to calm your mind and stop overanalyzing everything. It can be hard to stop, but it is not impossible.
If you do need some more help with over-analyzing, then take a look at this self-hypnosis program to stop overthinking.