Who does not know it? The permanent thinking with never ending thoughts.
Nowadays, we are often under pressure or have lots of stress, whether at work, with children, in the family or at school. Even some children are suffering too early from too much pressure. Every person is different and individual and everybody has own coping strategies for stressful or lonely situations. One of my coping strategies is permanent thinking, also called overthinking. But if you think too much and too often about everything and everyone, it can have a negative impact on our health. Overthinking can lead to a permanent bad mood, concentration issues, limited productivity, inner tension, fatigue, or sleep problems. Furthermore, it can be a burden for you, your family or friends. I know sleep problems and a temporarily bad mood really well. Especially, the first time after moving to Australia was pretty hard for me, because of having no job or social contacts. I started to overthink and my partner was the one who was suffering from my mood as well, until we found ways to switch off or reduce my thoughts. I also had some patients with overthinking during my work as an OT.
That is why I would like to give you some tips on how to stop or reduce your thoughts.
Maybe one or the other can benefit from it😊
- Thought-stop-technique. Say loud "stop" as soon as your thoughts appear again. This sounds a bit strange, but it is an official method of cognitive behavioral therapy. Or try to be aware of the moments of overthinking and talk to your thoughts, e.g. "There's no time for you now, I'll take care of you later, go away." or something like that.
- Put the focus on solving problems. It makes no sense to think permanent about past situations, because you cannot change them anyway.
- Write down your thoughts. This can help you free your mind. You can create an extra notebook for your thoughts or write them on a piece of paper, which you can throw in the bin afterwards. Throwing away your thoughts can help you to get rid of your thoughts and can give you a feeling of relief. Another method is the traditional writing of a diary.
- Think positive! Yes, I know, that is not always easy. Most of all, because we often tend to think negatively by nature. So do not spend too much time on things that could go wrong. Think better about things that will work out in any case.
- Take deep breaths. Focus on your breathing or count your breaths. This helps you to get away from your thoughts.
- Set a time limit or integrate planned thinking times into your everyday life. These time limits should be between 5-10 minutes, depending on the size and importance of your thoughts. Try not to put these thinking times before going to bed.
- Put tablets and smartphones aside before going to bed. The blue light wakes you up and can lead to sleep issues. That in turn can lead to overthinking again.
- Learn to relax. Learn relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, imaginary journeys (suggestions are also available on youtube), meditation or yoga. You can try these tips either on your own or with the support of a professional. Furthermore, there are special books or apps, as well.
- Talk with others about your thoughts and problems. These can be friends or family members, but also professionals like psychologists or therapists. Decide what suits you best.
- Do not think too much about the future, because nobody knows what the future will bring.
And finally a nice quote:
Once a professor from Chicago said: "Do not think too much, because you already know the answer." And if we are honest, he is not even so wrong.
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