Stop overthinking: 3 techniques to achieve mental clarity
Hey, my friend. How are you?
For me, this time of year is pretty rich with activity. I’m working on new creative projects, teaching meditation online and in person, and raising four kids. Oh, and trying to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth.
I’m grateful for how full my life is, but there are times when it feels like someone turned on the thought faucet in my mind, and a seemingly never-ending stream of ideas, fears, ruminations, and thoughts about my life flow in my head.
Does that ever happen to you? Ever been caught up in a stream of overthinking?
The good thing is that we’re not alone in this. Overthinking is one way that our brains respond to the complexities of life. Even though it’s a perfectly normal thing that happens to everyone, when thoughts run nonstop, it can be distracting, unsettling, and disruptive.
Here are three ways I’ve learned to manage my mind when overthinking begins to take over.
1. Stop overthinking by grounding yourself in the present.
When I notice my mind is overthinking, I use the tried-and-true mental health skill called grounding. Basically, it’s a way for me to get out of my head and into my body. When we overthink, it can feel as though our thoughts are the only reality. But the truth is our thinking mind is only one small part of our lives. When we gently guide our attention to our bodies, we notice there’s more to life than just the overthinking mind.
For instance, we can notice when our feet make contact with the surface beneath us, the feeling of our body in contact with the clothes that we are wearing, and the rhythm of our breathing. We can also open our ears to the sounds happening around us. Noticing just one of these sensations can help us short-circuit the current of unceasing thoughts.
We might even imagine that our legs and feet are like a tree trunk and roots, directing our attention to that grounded sense of stability.
When we ground ourselves in this way, we are reminded that we can come back to the body and to sounds again and again any time we notice our mind is caught up in overthinking.
2. Stop overthinking by identifying the underlying belief.
Overthinking is like an engine, driving thoughts above the speed limit through the various avenues in our minds.
In my experience, what fuels the engine of overthinking is usually a particular belief or emotion about myself. One of the ways that we can change is to take some time to investigate what’s really driving our thoughts. Perhaps there is fear that we aren’t up to the task or that we experience anxiety around certain people or spaces. There could also be joy and excitement. Or maybe there are unresolved feelings from a previous encounter. When we take time to investigate the beliefs and emotions that are powering our overthinking minds, we can work with them, offering them our attention and reassurance. It’ll help us reveal what we might have strong feelings about. Then, we can mitigate—maybe it’s by releasing energy on a walk or sending a text ahead of time.
Once we are able to bring awareness to our feelings and beliefs, we can get to the root of what is driving the overthinking mind and begin to slow down.
3. Use mindfulness and self-compassion to stop overthinking.
Sometimes when the mind is in overdrive, it can be frustrating. That frustration can cause us to be self-critical, adding another layer of mental stress. It’s important to remember that overthinking is just your mind‘s way of trying to meet the dynamic challenges of life.
If we can relate to the overthinking mind as if it were a friend who is excited about helping us, we can begin to assure our friend that all is well, we are okay in this moment, and we have what it takes to face whatever challenges are ahead.
One way we can offer some direct kindness and awareness to our overthinking mind is by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness looks different for everybody: We can pause for five minutes to connect with our breathing, practice a relaxing body scan, or take a mindful walk through nature. All of these activities support regulating our nervous system by continuing to bring our attention to the present moment. We can let our thoughts come and go while staying mindful, noticing each one without getting caught up in it—and then gently bring our focus back to our breath or our steps to stay grounded in the present.
You can stop overthinking one step at a time
As we connect more and more with the present and offer ourselves kind reassurance, our overthinking mind—our excited friend—can become a companion, working with us to face whatever comes our way.
Hope this is helpful. I’m in your corner always.
Much love,
Ofosu
