Overthinking cont'd

How can I stop overthinking everything?

It won’t happen immediately, but you can break the cycle of overthinking. Follow these five expert tips to get started:



1) Keep track of triggers and patterns

A little mindfulness and attention can go a long way toward getting a grip on overthinking. Keep a journal and write down specific moments that cause you to overthink or worry. After a while, you’ll begin to notice patterns and recognize overthinking triggers before they happen. This will help you develop a coping strategy for situations you know will lead to overthinking.



2) Challenge your thoughts

It may not feel like it, but you don’t have to believe everything your mind thinks. An effective way to squash overthinking is to challenge worries and ruminations and view them objectively.



“Look at the evidence of the situation to see if a thought is logical, reasonable, or helpful,” Hafeez says. If your overthinking thoughts aren’t useful, calling them out can make them easier to manage.



3) Get a little help from your friends

Do people often tell you you’re worrying or thinking too much? They’re probably on to something. Get some perspective on an issue by asking a trusted friend to weigh in with their thoughts and nudge you when you seem stuck in your head.



Choose a friend who already knows how to manage overthinking. Research has found co-rumination — excessively discussing and rehashing problems among friends — can actually make anxiety worse.

References (Example)

[1] <name>, '<title>' (online, <year>) <link>.
[2] BULB, 'Write to Earn. Read to Earn' (online, 2022) <https://www.bulbapp.io/>