Seven Ways to Crush Overthinking

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Tony Watts, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

There was a time when I thought and hesitated excessively when it came to making decisions. I mean, I really got out of control when it came to thinking things out. When you overthink, you tend to be overly analytical. Now you might be saying to yourself, “wait, thinking before making a decision is not a bad thing” and while it may not necessarily be a bad thing, thinking too much about making a decision may keep you from moving forward.

Overthinking can become a nightmare as it can often lead to stress, anxiety and even depression. I remember a time years ago for example, when I was looking for work. I was looking at jobs in finance where I could gain some experience and I couldn’t decide for the life of me what exactly it was that I wanted to do. Every job description that I read and had an interest in was followed by me thinking of all of these possible scenarios of what would happen if I landed the job, and most of them were negative outcomes. What if I screw up someone’s portfolio or give the wrong investment advice as a financial advisor? What if I’m not able to pass all of the security exams required? It would be a complete waste of time. And on and on it went.

Now there’s nothing wrong with considering if a particular job is a good fit for you, but I took it way too far and imagined everything that could possibly go wrong if I were to land that job. So how does one come to overthink so much? It’s fear. Fear and lack of self-confidence is the driving force behind someone who tends to overthink. In the mind of an over thinker, every possible negative outcome is considered and evaluated to the point where a decision is not made or even avoided. Everything has to be perfect and risk free before you commit to a decision and as we all know, that’s just not possible. Every decision comes with a level of risk and we don’t always make the right decisions.

To think that every decision made will be the best decision or that every decision made is error and risk free can even be crippling to the point where all major decisions are postponed or never made and ultimately, nothing really gets done. What happens is over time you can become very indecisive. Every decision you make becomes a difficult one and you begin to question your ability to make sound decisions.

“There are people who have levels of overthinking that are just pathological,” says clinical psychologist Catherine Pittman, an associate professor in the psychology department at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.

“But the average person also just tends to overthink things.” Pittman is also the author of “Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry.”

Overthinking not only effects decision making, but can also lead to questioning decisions once they are made, trying to read minds and predict the future, reading into the smallest details, etc. People who overthink have constant commentary in their heads, thinking about and criticizing every comment they make, about ‘what if’s’ and ‘shoulds’ and having constant judgment over themselves.

Overthinking is not to be confused with problem solving. It can put you in this endless loop where if it goes unchecked, can get worse and worse. It can get to the point where it even affects your sleep at night. Yes, I’ve experienced this as well! But through reflection, intention and practice I was able to minimize overthinking. Let me share with you a few things I did to kick the habit:

1. Train your brain to think about what you’re thinking about

One of the things I’ve learned as a coach is that thoughts are just that, thoughts! And thoughts are not reality until we make them so by entertaining and acting upon them. We can consciously choose what thoughts to entertain. Get in the habit of being aware of what you’re thinking about, especially when making decisions. Replace those thoughts with positive affirmations. “I’m fully capable of making decisions.” “I got this.” “My thoughts do not control me, I control them.” Trust yourself and know that you are capable of making decisions.

2. Tell yourself to stop. Vocally!

There were times where I literally had to tell myself to stop. As soon as I catch myself being over analytical I focus my thinking on all of the possible positive outcomes to making the decision. The decision is then made and I don’t go back to think about it again. Sometimes I even tell my mind out loud to shut up! Yes, that might sound silly but I can assure you I’m not crazy and it works.

3. Remind yourself that there are no risk free decisions

I had to remind myself that there is absolutely no such thing as perfection and risk free decision making and we will never get everything right. That doesn’t mean that you shy away from making the decision. Realize you can’t avoid every problem or outcome and they are often necessary for your personal growth and learning experiences. I think of all of the great things I could be missing out on if I don’t follow through with making a decision.

4. Try to avoid making assumptions

Sometimes my indecision to do something is based on the fear that a past unfavorable outcome will happen again. We coaches call these assumptions. It’s a limiting belief that keeps you from moving forward. “I tried that before and look at what happened!” I can’t do that again. Wrong! It’s helpful to remember that just because an outcome was less than favorable in the past doesn’t mean that it will be the same outcome all over again. If at first you don’t succeed…well, you know the rest.

5. Count down from five

I learned this one from spoken word artist and entertainer Prince EA. Before I do something I’m really nervous about and thinking about every possible thing that can go wrong I count to myself, 5,4,3,2,1 and then I get up and just go and take action. I try not to think and I just get up and go do whatever it is I have to do. And guess what? It actually works! Fear doesn’t have a chance to set in because you’re not sitting around pondering. Just get up and go!

6. Do a Brain Dump

Writing in a journal and doing a brain dump in the morning or before bed is a great way to get your thoughts out and be aware of what it is your thinking. It can even be a great sense of stress relief.

7. Meditate

Of course meditation has to make the list. It’s a great way to let go of present thinking, clear you mind and increase overall awareness. I found that meditations specifically geared towards thought awareness, self-love and faith are very helpful.

Controlling overthinking is not something that happens overnight and takes real awareness, practice and time. By recognizing it for what it is and by following the necessary steps to control it, you are already on your way to increasing self -confidence and peace of mind.