How do you stop overthinking things?

[ML Hammer95]

This is really holding me back and something that manifests itself in my posts and in others... what is the secret to stop overthinking?

 

Any tips or advice?

[todreaminblue]

ram your head into a brick wall and knock yourself out........or just accept you are overthinking and tend to overthink and pull yourself up.....then try and occupy your mind with a hobby or something else .i pu ton loud music with headphones...my head cant think then other than listen and i cant hear my head or anyone elses head............if that doesnt work...see brick wall..........deb

[Silverstring]

Overthinking is often worrying, and worrying is a product of anxiety. And anxiety is a fear of possible future events. So worrying is us mentally trying out every possible occurrence and seeing if we can solve all those possible problems before they happen. Which in turn makes us feel anxiety because just imagining those possibilities triggers our fight or flight response.

 

 

So my advice, is to focus on the present. This is much easier said than done and takes a lot of effort and practice.

 

The future isn't happening. The past isn't happening. Emotional and mental energy spent on things that happened in the past or that might happen in the future doesn't do you any good. Focus on what is happening now.

[DrReplyInRhymes]

I don't. I tend to overthink and sometime I even catch myself staring off into space lost in thought, much like a psychopath.

 

I get judged on it a lot.

[todreaminblue]

I don't. I tend to overthink and sometime I even catch myself staring off into space lost in thought, much like a psychopath.

 

I get judged on it a lot.

 

psychopaths dotn overthink.....they coldly calculate weigh up options and then they act ....fast...with no fear ......no thought...no compassion... they act with lethal intent to cause harm...theres no overthinking lost in space introversion for a psychopath......if they are staring they are planning...if they are staring at you..... run....they are hating on you........... it isnt dreamy...they will do it...no overthinking...no qualms no inhibitions.......i have met true psychopaths in a mental ward....they dont do dreams and lost in space......they do in their head as they stare at you "ok thats the one gonna stuff her up in ten.....going to hurt her ...1...2...you run here........3.."you better not be standing where you were....thats psychopath........deb

Edited April 13, 2017 by todreaminblue

[RecentChange]

Well, I do not think this has anything whatsoever to do with being a psychopath.

 

Sounds like good ol' anxiety - which often leads to over thinking, imagining negative outcomes etc.

 

I tease my husband when he starts with it that he is "worse case scenario guy". He will assume, project or simply dwell on a bad outcome - when the reality of what actually happened is usually nothing like the "worse case scenario" he imagined.

 

How to manage this? You can do a few things.

 

Practice positive thinking / visualization.

 

If you have anxiety about an upcoming tests, imagine taking the test, and knowing the answers and feeling confident about it going well. Think about how you would feel while acing that test. It can also help to imagine coming across a problem that you do not know the answer to, but are able to problem solve and figure out.

 

Or if you are worried about an upcoming date, again, visualize it going well, imagine the positive feelings you would have, picture the smiles and good time.

 

Take care of your body. Get plenty of sleep, avoid caffeine, eat well and stay hydrated.

 

Exercise is a great way to lower cortisol levels and improve mood.

[todreaminblue]

I'm sorry, that is not what a psychopath is. Maybe the bad ones.

 

Psychopaths, from my research and limited knowledge mind you, have trouble with or simply can't empathize with others and can be manipulative instead of sincere. Yes, they may have violent or aggressive tendencies, but that doesn't mean all psychopaths are "bad" and calculating.

 

Some psychopaths grew up around salt-of-the-earth type people, and have learned to emulate good behaviors toward those they care about but are unable to actually show them.

 

For instance, it may be your 2nd nature to HELP someone in trouble while a psychopaths 2nd nature would be to manipulate the situation for a self-serving purpose or mutually beneficial gain. However, if this psychopath grew up around people and was taught to emulate helpful behavior, they can choose to do so, especially if in a situation much like a previous one.

 

Just because all you hear about psychopaths are the ones who can kill without even feeling a hint of remorse doesn't mean that all psychopaths WANT to go on a murder rampage or even be manipulative.

 

what i know is psychopaths dont care about definitions.....or clarification of definitions.....psychopaths can come across as caring and sensitive individuals they certainly know how to emulate normalcy......and the epitome of normalcy they are predators......and can blend better than most people....

 

a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior,

 

 

 

not all psychopaths kill people.......but most who do kill people are psychopaths.....thats fact...they turn into this.....so easily....

 

SOCIOPATH.......a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience..

....

 

 

and ive met a couple.....and they can be calm even seem concerned for you..sympathetic..... they appear almsot friendly.....and they are not..until you hav eseen both sides of a true psychopath i guess....definitions count......psychopaths dont give a crap about what is or what isnt true.....they certainly dont care for whats right.....yes not only psychopaths, but also mass murderers can come from normal families...in fact from the best families and given everything they ever wanted...then they kill the parents when the parents have outlived their usefulness adn take killign their siblings as well as a duty .........its history,,,,,...never said they couldnt coem from salt o the earth families....nurture vs nature debate.......

 

psssssssssst not that this has anything to do with the op.....sorry op from tangenting your thread.....deb

Edited April 14, 2017 by todreaminblue

[meta.morphate]

I just try to remind myself that a moment is a moment and has nothing to do with future moments, and at any moment, something different or wonderful or interesting can happen. Think of all the times that things have gone unexpectedly good. Apply that to whatever you're overthinking. You don't control the Universe, and you have no IDEA all the possibilities of what could happen at any given moment, so just chill in the moment you're in.

[Dis]

Become self-reliant

 

We have no control over anyone else but ourselves

 

If you learn to depend on yourself...your fears and worries should subside

 

I will say this is kind of a life long process. Its not easy. I'm still working on it but we have to start somewhere

[jerrypresswood]

You can do something that interests you, like you can hang out with friends, or watch some series or good movies that are inspirational, listen to some good songs, you can do various activities. As @todreamihnblue said, listen to loud music. I have a friend who was quite overthinking about many things in his life, but decided that he has to change it and finally made a tight schedule and kept himself busy so that he does not have any negative thoughts. He used to meditate, for a few hours he used to put on his affordable noise isolating headphones, so he could not disturb others while listening, read some inspirational articles, also used to workout. Keeping yourself busy will help you a lot.

[TaylorW]

Worrying and overthinking is like Silverstring said the product of a anxious/stressed mind. When you realise that, you can learn to just observe it and not get caught in it. When I have the feeling I'm worrying to much I try to do something relaxing . Mindfulness is also a really good exercise to learn to worry less. You should give it a try!

[Redhead14]

Overthinking is usually the product of a stressed/chaotic internal structure. Since things feel out of control internally, some people will attempt to control their external environment by examining and trying to spin things and be one step ahead, so to speak, of whatever could/might happen.

 

Generally, once a person realizes and accepts that they just need to cross the bridges that need to be crossed when/if they get to them, they stop or least start to take some pressure off themselves.

 

These people often "catastrophize" situations/scenarios, blow them out of proportion in terms of what might happen which in turn creates more imagined stress. There are very few things in this world that would actually be the end of a person's world if they happened. Bottom line, people need to just chill and be in the moment. Because while they are doing all that overthinking and distracting themselves about possible bad stuff, they are missing out on a lot of good things. These people are the ones who at some point in the lives wake up and all of a sudden feel like life has passed them by.

 

I like to pose this to people who do worry and overthink . . . You don't drive your car everyday worrying/assuming you will have an accident so don't do that with your life.

[preraph]

I am an overthinker, also obvious in my long posts, but the way I can stop it is when I am busy and interested in other things. I am only like that on relationships or maybe sometimes when I used to work in an office and had some problems there.

 

I can stop eating if I'm doing something really fun, and I can stop thinking about crap as well. But now in my old age, I'm rarely having that much fun! Used to be I'd hop on a motorcycle or go river rafting. With me, just being on a river or in a boat totally clears my head and makes me zen-like. Find your zen.