How Can I Stop Overthinking?

Is this something you want to overcome? Is this something you've been and still struggling with every time you go through a crisis?

I believe it is a basic response for a human every time he/she goes through a crisis. Most especially in this pandemic, everything and everyone is affected by it.

You probably already know these steps I'm gonna share with you but as Bruce Lee said, repetition becomes an unconscious behavior and so you'll never have to remind yourself anymore because it becomes a part of your routine already.

Reframe every day.

Life is not about your story. It is about how you tell your story. When things don't go in our way, we tend to react negatively. We often lose composure and focus. The same goes for how you take every situation that leads to overthinking.

Does it also happen to you when you pray for something to happen but the exact opposite happens? Then you doubt God, where are you? Are you there? I can't feel your presence. I'm confused. Where are you taking me?

It's so easy to say to trust Him but when in actuality, it's so difficult especially if you are unsure of what's happening. The uncertainty is overwhelming.

Personally, I pray for all my ideals. I pray for good things to happen for myself, my family, and friends, society, and the government. I want to get what I want.

However, he has better plans for me, to you, to everyone. It's about how you respond to the situation. 10% is about what happens to you, and 90% is about your power to choose your response.

Reach out to "safe" people.

Do you have a safe person? If you have one, you are such a blessed human being.

Sometimes, we don't need advice. We already know the solution but we just need someone to listen to our sentiments. When you can verbalize your thoughts, and express what you really feel, it's like a pressure valve that makes a "psssh" sound when handled. It brings out the pressure in your mind.

Don't do life alone. Life has taught me about this. We need someone who listens to us, someone who's there for us no matter what happens, someone who advises without judgments, someone who stays true to us.

Develop a grateful heart.

Expressing gratitude to God or anyone means so much for you and for the person you're thanking for. It is a helpful way of overcoming overthinking.

Praying has become my routine before I go to sleep and after I wake up in the morning. I would be a hypocrite if I pray sincerely every day. There are times, or a majority of the times, I pray just for the sake of doing my routine. I'm guilty as heck. I only pray sincerely when things are rough and when I need his help.

Focus on what you can control.

You need to realize that you cannot control everything. You cannot control the pandemic, you cannot control the covid cases, you cannot control the people surrounding you, you cannot control a lot of things.

However, what you can control is your mind. You can control your attitude, the way you respond to a situation, the way you decide for a particular crisis, the way you behave, and your actions. That way, it magnifies the things surrounding you as well. It's a healthy habit of surpassing overthinking.

Do daily exercises.

Do you have daily exercises? I'm guilty again. Research says that exercising is one good way to counter overthinking. It brings you out to movement. A motivation that would help you find your way to get out of that dark room full of negative thoughts.

Get sunlight every day.

There's something about sunlight that makes you feel lighter and better. It's like the heavy loads you are carrying are lifted. You will feel good, believe me. Getting sunlight is an effective way of overcoming depression.

These steps are all easier than done but with repetition, I know all of these will just be pieces of cake. I pray for consistency and success in overcoming overthinking.

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Thanks for reading.

Keep safe everyone! ❤