13 tips to stop overthinking everything and start living now

Here’s the truth – thinking is good until you overdo it.

Because just like anything else, everything in excess is alarming.

You might say that overthinking doesn’t sound so bad on the surface. But wait until the endless cycle of rumination exhausts your mental energy.

What is overthinking?

It is what it exactly means – thinking too much.

Some of the symptoms are analyzing, commenting, and repeating the same thoughts over and over instead of acting. In fact, it prevents you from taking action and finding the solution.

The thing is, overthinking is different from problem-solving. The former is just repetitive thinking without mentally moving to a solution.

It consumes your energy, disables your decision-making skills, and puts you in a loop of thinking and thinking over and over again.

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In short, you’re stuck in an aggravating endless circle of stressful thoughts. And let me tell you, it’s not great.

Overthinking things can hold you back from living a full life. Fortunately for us, overthinking doesn’t have to be a permanent part of our existence.

Now if you’re ready to confront this problem, here are 13 ways to free yourself from overthinking:

1. Be aware of your thoughts

To address your habit of overthinking, you need to learn to be aware of your thoughts.

Being aware will let you know when you’re starting to ruminate. Then you can step back and look at the situation.

Awareness is the first step to stop yourself from overthinking.

(Do you want to live a more mindful life, but don’t know where to start? Check out my new down-to-earth eBook on mindful living here).

2. Don’t think a lot about what if’s.

Most of the time, overthinking is caused by fear of the future. When you focus on what could happen, you become paralyzed.

So the next time you start to spiral in that direction, stop yourself.  

3. Distract yourself.

Every time you find yourself overthinking, distract your mind with happy, positive, and healthy alternatives.

For example, you can meditate, dance, travel, learn how to play an instrument, knit, draw, or paint instead of brooding over negative thoughts.

To shut down the overanalysis, redirect your attention to something else that requires focus. You can even use a puzzle, memory task, or any game that requires concentration.

All of them can be enough to break the compelling pull of ruminative thought. By distracting your mind, you will find that the frequency of overthinking will diminish.

4. Be realistic

Overthinking makes things bigger and more negative than they really are. However, being realistic prevents the issue to be blown out of proportions.

Try to not make a mountain out of a molehill. When you catch yourself doing so, think if the situation will matter in five years.

If your answer is no, then stop. Asking this simple question can help shut down overthinking.

5. Stop being a perfectionist.

Being a perfectionist brings frustration in your life. Why? Because nothing and no one is perfect.

Stop waiting for perfection because it will never happen. It is unrealistic, impractical, and debilitating.

When you find yourself thinking “This needs to be perfect,” realize that waiting for perfection is never as smart as making progress.

6. Stop being fearful.

When you failed in the past, it doesn’t mean that you will fail now too. One cause of overthinking is the fear of failure.

Remember that just because things did not work out before, it doesn’t mean it won’t work out again.

Your fear is paralyzing you from living a full life. Always think that every situation is a new beginning.