Worrying is a natural response and something we all do at some point in our lives; however, it is when worry gets out of hand that this can make us feel deflated. Overthinking is when we constantly worry about certain events or situations and replay them over and over in our head, to the point this starts to affect our lives and mental and physical state.
As worry and overthinking both go hand in hand, it is important for us to recognise when this is starting to affect our day-to-day and leaves us feeling exhausted, which can then lead to us feeling anxious, stressed, very low and unmotivated.
Signs of Overthinking
- Fixating on things you can’t control or imagining the worst-case scenario
- Excessive planning
- Seeking reassurance from others
- Mental repetition (playing a situation or event over and over again in your mind)
- Trouble sleeping
- Lack of concentration
- Constantly worrying
- Avoiding social interactions
These are some signs of overthinking and some I have experienced myself, so if you notice any of these or you have been stuck in a rut lately of overthinking, here are some tips and coping strategies that you can use.
Tips and Coping Strategies
- Focus on the things you can control such as how you respond to certain situations, the words you choose to speak, how you engage with others, how you spend your time etc.
Worrying and overthinking about things that are out of your control such as the future, other people’s opinions and actions, past mistakes etc, are not going to benefit you in any way, except make you feel distressed, so think of how you can move forward, if it’s out of your control, let it be out of your mind too.
- Being present andfocusing on the present can help you feel in the moment and less worried about the past and future, by practising being present you are helping yourself engage in the here-and-now tasks and letting yourself be in control, this is something I started doing and it has helped massively.
- Identify your fears and write down all the things you are afraid of, this can seem daunting but by writing these down and seeing them in front of you, it doesn’t seem so bad. Also, write down any evidence that supports the thoughts and 9 times out of 10, there isn’t a lot, which proves the things you are worrying about are hypothetical and not worth your time and energy worrying about.
- Develop healthy affirmations using positive affirmations in your day-to-day can help with seeing and having a more positive outlook on your life and can help you feel much more uplifted, these are things I use daily, and I have noticed a huge difference in my mood, I feel calmer and a lot less negative. (I have some positive affirmations on a previous blog post if you would like to use those or have a look to get some ideas)
Statistic – 85% of the things you worry about never actually happen.
More information – https://www.huffpost.com/entry/85-of-what-we-worry-about_b_8028368
I hope you have found this information helpful and if you like, you can use these tips and coping strategies if you are feeling a little stuck in a rut with worrying and overthinking or it is something you can’t seem to get under control. Again, there are some positive affirmations in my previous post if you would like to go back and use those to help with worrying and overthinking,
Lots of love x