4 Strategies to Help You Halt Overthinking

"1. Name and reframe.

Naming your patterns of overthinking and then reframing them helps improve your perspective so that you can see new possibilities and find solutions instead of hitting mental dead ends.

Here are some common examples:

• All-or-nothing thinking
• Sounds like: “If I don’t get this right, I’m a complete failure.”
• How to reframe: Look for nuance in situations. When your mind presents only two forks in the road, slow down, and ask if you might be missing some options.
• Overgeneralization
• Sounds like: “I’m always screwing up.”
• How to reframe: Stop using extreme words like “always,” “never,” “all” and “every.” Treat events in isolation; just because something happened once doesn’t mean it will happen again.

2. Interrupt the pattern.

Whenever you find yourself lost in unhelpful thoughts, you can use a pattern interruption technique to ease yourself out of an overthinking spiral. Examples include:

• Silently say “Stop,” or imagine a red stop sign in your mind’s eye.
• Visualize your worries or fears as floating away in a balloon or drifting away down a stream.

3. Change the “what if” narrative.

The sensitive striver’s brain is wired to seek answers to questions. Instead of using your brainpower to go down a negative rabbit hole, direct your creativity toward scenarios that empower you rather than drag you down. Instead of imagining potential criticisms of your work, ask yourself more constructive questions like:

• What if the senior leadership team loves my work?
• What if my idea is the breakthrough the project needs to finally move forward?

4. Use your core values as a filter for action.

Think of core values as your “why.” They are principles that guide and inform your actions, helping you to show up as your full self. Core values also act as filters to reduce overthinking. Your values give you a mental shortcut, helping to dissolve the internal tension that leads to mental loops."

Read the full article on Psychology Today

✨Takeaway: Naming and reframing patterns of overthinking can help improve perspective and find solutions. Also, pattern interruption techniques such as silently saying "Stop" or visualizing worries floating away can ease overthinking spirals.

✨Reflection: What are some additional strategies you could use to halt overthinking

#Emotions #Overthinking #Resilience

If you liked this article, you may also enjoy: "5 Ways to Manage Painful Feedback"