Dear Katie: How can I stop overthinking all the time?
Dear Katie,
How can I stop overthinking all the time?
Anonymous.
Dear Reader,
Your own headspace and thoughts can be a tricky thing to navigate. Sometimes our brains go into overdrive which can lead to us overthinking every single little decision and choice we make. It isn’t something to worry about as it happens to the majority of people. If you find that it’s getting out of hand and you can’t control it, talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or guardian, and they might be able to help or they might be able to find a professional that can help.
However, before resorting to such extremities, there are lots of simple ways you can help yourself, which I have listed below:
- Try yoga or meditation to relax your mind
- Take a walk in the fresh air to clear your head
- Listen to relaxing music
- Try exercising
- Make plans with friends or family to get yourself out of your own head
- Learn a new skill or take up a new hobby – having activities to focus your mind on will help to control your overthinking
- Surround yourself with good friends that you can share your thoughts with. They may even feel the same or have the same worries and stresses as you do. Remember, a problem shared is a problem halved
- Try turn your overthinking into a positive thing. If it’s making you feel like you’re obsessing over something, make sure it’s something positive. Obsessing over schoolwork or hobbies isn’t a bad thing, it just shows that you have high standards and you like to set goals for yourself.
- Be nice to yourself. Try your best to be positive because you’re the only one that can hear your thoughts.
If your overthinking persists, consider speaking to someone about it. We all overthink sometimes, it can be hard to get out of our own heads. The best thing you can do is occupy your mind with other things, to give yourself a break from your thoughts.
I would also advise that you sit down, either by yourself or with a trusted adult, and see if there’s something in particular that’s bothering or worrying you. If so, that may be the root of your overthinking. Once you have recognised this, it will be much easier for you to either get help with the situation or it might even ease your mind and stop you overthinking so much.
Love,
Katie x