Understanding Overthinking: A Deep Dive
Overthinking is nothing but a rush of negative thoughts. To truly understand overthinking, we first need to understand how our mind functions.
By default, our mind is designed to protect us. It wants to avoid pain, so it constantly tries to steer us away from painful situations or develop strategies to deal with them in advance. To achieve this, the mind generates all possible circumstances that could harm or hurt us, preparing us to face them—just like a soldier on the battlefield. It remains on high alert, never resting, which creates immense stress and discomfort.
However, studies suggest that 90% of what we overthink never actually happens, and the remaining 10% is easily manageable when it does.
What Should We Do?
Whenever we find ourselves caught in a spiral of overthinking that causes stress, we need to remind ourselves that this is just the mind doing its job. It is generating all possible scenarios, most of which have a very low probability of occurring. And even if some do happen, they are meant to help us grow—to teach us lessons and make us stronger. Instead of resisting, we should trust the universe’s plan and focus on what we can do in the present moment.
Recommended Practices
- Observe Your Thoughts – Simply watching your thoughts without reacting to them helps reduce their intensity. You’ll notice that most of them don’t even make sense.
- Take Deep Breaths – Deep breathing calms the mind, signaling that everything is alright. This helps shift from a state of stress to a state of peace.
By practicing awareness and mindfulness, we can break free from overthinking and live more peacefully
