In times of stress, people react differently. A common reaction is to overthink or over-analyze a situation, which gets worse with the mental fatigue that follows.
Steps
Step 1. Stop reading this article
A rather unusual way to start for a tutor, but if you are reading it, it means that you are probably already on the road to "hyper-analysis".
Step 2. Write everything down
It doesn't have to be structured writing, it just needs to be all on paper. The picture is unpleasant, but you need to mentally 'throw up'. Putting your hand on the pen is the same as putting your fingers down your throat. Once you have exhausted everything you have to write, you will find that the pattern of topics continually revisited and the cons come down a bit. Maybe you'll even get a good night's sleep.
Step 3. Don't think you are crazy
You're not the only one. Other people may seem composed and calm on the surface, but there is a good chance that behind closed doors these people are engaging in a rather heated internal dialogue. It is natural, the trick is to try not to fall into a huge spiral of thoughts and to keep the right perspective.
Step 4. Do something that requires concentration
Don't drive, don't walk, don't run; it would be all too easy to get on autopilot and start thinking about the pros and cons of a given situation. Play an instrument, learn to speak German, play a competitive team sport, anything that requires you to actively engage the brain.
Step 5. Think of the color black
If you are lying in bed and your brain is buzzing like a power line, try to imagine that you are in a vacuum, that you are shutting down your brain like a computer… or if that doesn't work, just try to think about the color black!
Step 6. Watch some talk show, don't listen to music
If it's a broken relationship that's causing you too many thoughts, listening to music often can be the worst thing to do. Choose talk shows, something that engages the mind rather than something that causes you to suffer. If you're listening to Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart or Sinéad O'Connor's Nothing Compares to You, turn off the stereo IMMEDIATELY.
Step 7. Avoid alcohol
Just don't drink it. It is a sedative and no matter what you think about it at the moment, the big conclusions that will crop up in your head will be shaky at best.
Step 8. Give time to time
Well yes, it's a terrible cliché, but time is the greatest healer. Whether it's a lecture from the boss at work or the trials and tribulations of being in love, the situation will become less severe over time. Analyzing it more will not solve anything, it will only slow down time rather than speed it up.
Step 9. Talk to your friends in a balanced way
It is important to talk to someone about the situation you are facing, but your friends may be too empathetic and make you analyze the situation multiple times. This could lead you to feel sorry for yourself. Think about which of your friends 'go straight to the point' and speak to you frankly; their advice is invaluable and could help you ward off negative thoughts!
Step 10. Laugh at yourself
You are most likely making the question bigger than it really is! Your boss may not be the sadistic ogre as you paint him; the fight you just had with your partner is probably not a battle between 'Heaven and Hell' that you have created in your mind. See problems through the eyes of an outside observer and see if the end of the world is really near.
Step 11. Analyzing over and over and overthinking can be really debilitating
Advice
- Get a notebook and a pen.
- You will inevitably be your own 'bad cop'. It is very easy to be hard on yourself. Try giving yourself a break.
- Take a break from the media. Media supports are beautiful, useful and interesting; however, if you are predisposed to overthinking they can be a double-edged sword.
- Some people who think too much about their athletic performance, believe that they cannot perform the gesture well or that they will fall back and be squared from top to bottom. Don't fall into this trap! Believe you can do it, and you will succeed; the pain and breathlessness will disappear.
