I overthink everything. How can I stop?

12/17/24 10:57pm

I feel like I’m sort of spinning out of control and I’d love to get some feedback from people who don’t know me IRL. I tend to kind of spiral and freak out in my head over the most minor stuff. I’ll overthink everything from coffee orders to asking questions in class and everything in between. It gets to the point sometimes where I’ll talk myself out of doing things I actually want (or need) to do. For example, the other day, I was so worried about what my friend would think if I asked them for a ride to school on a day when my car was in the shop, that I ended up just not asking them. I had to walk two miles to school. So yeah. How do you stop overthinking everything? What can I do to change this?

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WikiFawnWalker564

12/18/24 9:10am

Overthinking is a byproduct (and often the root cause) of anxiety. If this is something that has been impacting your day-to-day life, and it sounds like it is well past that point, then I’d highly recommend seeking therapy and talking to someone. This is a very fixable problem, but it can take a lot of training and help. In terms of fixing the problem, I’m fond of strategies that involve re-grounding yourself and getting back into a calmer physical space. Distractions are a great option for this. If I find myself overthinking and going a little crazy, I’ll hold an ice cube or pinch myself. This physical sensation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which should draw your body’s attention away from whatever you’re ruminating on and back into physical reality. Challenging negative thoughts is also essential. If you let negative thoughts develop without pushing back on them, you give them room to grow and gain momentum.

WikiDesertLeaper849

12/19/24 2:38pm

I've found writing out my thoughts really helpful. Since I can only write so fast, I find that forcing myself to write my thoughts slows them down and puts them into more concrete terms instead of just an overwhelming cacophony of stress and anxiety and a million little worrisome things. Also, when I write down my thoughts I can look back on them later and reflect, but with a new perspective.

WikiFerretGlider783

12/21/24 11:27am

Breathing exercises have worked for me. When I find myself overthinking, I'll take a deep breath, hold it, exhale slowly, and repeat until I stop feeling so overwhelmed. I try to clear my mind and focus solely on the rise and fall of my chest and shoulders. I'll focus on how my body is feeling and the sensations of my fingers and toes, which is grounding to me. Tune into your senses: What can you hear? See? Touch? That's always helpful for me.

WikiEmuWatcher863

12/23/24 12:50pm

The root cause of my overthinking is that I was scared about everything. So I'd overanalyze all the things in my life in an effort to prepare for the worst. Instead of analyzing the situations, I realized I needed to direct my brain power towards analyzing why I was so scared of things. Once I addressed my underlying anxieties, I was able to convince myself why they were irrational, and was able to calm myself and quiet my thoughts.