popcorn check lights
it's the weekend and you are all set to
watch a movie so you browse through
every film genre on Netflix you pick a
title Wang why you should watch it
against why you shouldn't and then you
browse some more it's comedy romance
mystery and action to choose from
and you're still browsing
now you can't seem to focus on the title
scrolling by as completely unrelated
thoughts begin to stream in you can't
seem to decide on any one name and
before you know it minutes have turned
to hours your excitement dies and you
fall asleep do you have a tendency to
overthink even the most Minor Details
and then regret wasting your time
because you didn't make any progress
if that's the case here are eight things
you can do to stop overthinking number
one notice when you are overthinking do
you often feel stuck making a decision
are you always second-guessing a
decision you've already made wondering
if it's right for you this could mean
you've fallen into the Trap of
overthinking overthinking is a sneaky
habit it may be difficult to notice when
you start obsessing over a single
thought you feel so anxious that you
can't even sleep
the key to Breaking this habit is
awareness the sooner you realize you're
overthinking the sooner you can control
your thoughts number two
book an appointment with yourself to
just overthink
you may not have the energy to complete
your tasks but your brain appears to
have the energy to overthink
sound like you
overthinking can negatively impact your
productivity and concentration as a
chronic overthinker you don't need a
specific reason or time to overthink it
happens whenever
if that sounds like you that might be
difficult to stop overthinking entirely
instead you could try allocating some
time each day to just overthink and
worry a study found that setting aside a
specific time each day to overthink can
reduce worries and thoughts so whenever
your mind begins to overthink you can
remind yourself to focus on those
thoughts during your thinking hour and
finish your work for the time being
number three try to distract yourself
here's the catch sector goers I'm
telling your brain to stop overthinking
can sometimes backfire making those
thoughts even more likely to reserve is
it works like a spring
more you compress it the more forcefully
it returns to its original shape
so more can be done distracting yourself
with happy positive Alternatives is one
way to help you replace negative
thoughts dancing painting cooking
playing video games or even just calling
up your best friend can help you shut
down those racing thoughts
number four
live in the present moment yesterday's
history tomorrow is a mystery but today
is a gift that's why it's called the
present
now who said that in which movie comment
your answers below ruminating over your
past or worrying about what might go
wrong in the future will only keep you
from taking action right now to break
free from overthinking try returning
your attention to the present moment if
you find yourself overthinking during
lunch try focusing on how the food looks
tastes and smells
it will require you to consciously pay
attention to your activities at first
but it will become automatic over time
the only moment you have is now
number five focus on what you can
control
are you nervous about your exam results
or is an old conversation in your head
playing on a loop as you imagined how it
could have gone better apart from
realizing when you are overthinking it's
also important to know what you're
overthinking about
if you don't you quickly lose sight of
the variables under your control you
can't change what happened to you in the
past and you can't predict what will
happen in the future
instead it's always a good idea to
examine what's within your control or
can be changed with your efforts right
now
number six
aim to be solution focused
do you go back and forth over the same
options before you decide and when
you're stuck do you Google it and weigh
the pros and cons of both options only
do you end up with no decision
shifting your attention from the
circling thoughts in your head to
creating an action plan for yourself can
be a very difficult feat but when you
can start implementing it doing so is
the best way to ensure you're set free
from overthinking and make progress
number seven
try to relax yourself
did you just catch yourself overthinking
that's okay take a few deep breaths
simply observe and focus on how you
breathe
relaxation can also help you manage your
stress and worries by reducing
overthinking
study found that practicing relaxation
on a daily basis can reduce overthinking
in the long run unfortunately meditation
alone can't entirely silence your
thoughts which brings us to our next
Point number eight
challenge your thoughts
you ever tried asking yourself these
questions
are these worrying thoughts going to
help me solve my problem
How likely is it that the worst case
scenarios in my head will come true in
the future
what could be the best case scenario
by challenging your thoughts in this
manner you can prevent yourself from
believing that your negative thoughts
are true and instead see the brighter
side research suggests a combination of
relaxation and critical stance against
your negative thoughts can put an end to
overthinking
overthinking affects how you interact
with others and mentally exhausts you
blocking you from being productive you
may feel as if you've lost control of
your life so the next time you catch
yourself overthinking you can give one
of these methods a try to get back in
the driver's seat
if you found this video helpful be sure
to hit the like button and share it with
other overthinkers out there don't
forget to subscribe to psych2go and hit
the notification Bell for more new
videos thanks so much for watching