I'm sure you are very familiar with those moments when you can't stop thinking... Your thoughts are spinning and you're going back and forth about something you should do or say, or not do and not say, or something you could have done better, and you absolutely cannot focus on anything else!
Why do we overthink?
There are generally two reasons why people overthink:
1) You are a perfectionist: everything you do has to be "perfect". You're not happy with yourself unless something is "perfect". You keep perfectionizing every little detail until it is "perfect". You overthink and overthink, and that often leads to procrastination and lack of action.
2) You're either in the past or in the future: your thoughts aren't going crazy about what is right now, but rather worry about what was, should or could have been, or you have sorrows about the future and what should or could be. This completely removes you from the present moment, which is where life is actually happening!
Here are 3 simple tricks to beat overthinking
1 - Move your body
When you're overthinking, all your energy is in your mind/head. You have no energy elsewhere in your body, so we need to get you into your body asap! Go for a walk, shake it off, dance to your favorite song, do a workout. There is no right way to move your body, it's just about MOVING. This will help you clear your mind and is a (literal) breath of fresh air for your body.
2 - Get your thoughts off your mind
Take your journal or a piece of paper and write down EVERYTHING that's on your mind. Don't judge yourself for what's coming out. Don't censor it and don't criticize yourself. This is not an essay and also doesn't need to be pretty at all. It's simply an act to get your energy from your overwhelmed mind out of your body onto the piece of paper.
3 - Take A decision
You might not have the ultimate answer to the thing you're overthinking about, but make an effort to just take A decision. It doesn't have to be the ultimate decision. Maybe you can't take one right now at all (but you're still overthinking!)! So even if the decision is that you don't know what to do right now and you're going to worry about it on the weekend / with the right person / when you have all the information you need to take the best decision, that's A decision and will help you move on, at least for the moment. The worst space to be in is in uncertainty, swaying back and forth forever. Taking a decision for the moment will help you energetically set a boundary and focus your energy on something else.
***BONUS: Know that you're enough either way***
Whatever you're overthinking about, know that you're enough no matter what the outcome or result of the situation will be. Because you're born worthy and you're beauty and amazingness does not depend on anything but you being you.
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3 Tips for High Achieving Perfectionists Who Are Ready to Remove Overwhelm and Work Less
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