Overthinking is usually a pointless activity, so why not
turn that energy into structured thinking and then
action?
When your thoughts are cluttered, do something
positive that will distract you from negative thoughts.
Just about anything that requires some brain power
and focus will do the trick, but we suggest you take
mindful action?action that focuses on your values,
goals, or priorities 먹튀.
A quick way to do this is to define your goals, which is
something we discuss in the next section. In fact, one
of the first mindful actions you could take is to define
your values and priorities for the next year.
Some other ideas that you might try include:
Writing
Practicing an instrument
Constructing something by hand
Painting or drawing
Working on a complex problem
Studying
Memorizing something
Practicing a speech
Designing something from scratch
All of these activities require focus and some level of
mental challenge, which helps prevent you from falling
back into random overthinking or worry.
#4. Set a Worry Timer
You can’t completely break the worry habit. There will
be times when you’re flooded with such powerful
negative thoughts that no amount of self-talk or
distraction works.
But even during these times, you don’t have to fall
headfirst into the quicksand of negative thinking. You
can limit the amount of time you spend in your head so
you don’t sink so far you can’t easily get out.
Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and allow yourself to
stress over whatever enters your mind. Get it all out!
Take this time to express all of the bottled up feelings
and thoughts. In fact, during your “worry time,” you
might even write down your thoughts in a journal.
Writing in longhand helps you process your thoughts
and can often lead to a creative solution to your
problem.
When the timer goes off, get up and do something
distracting (as suggested in the previous strategy) to
help you taper off of this worry time. If you find one
worry session isn’t enough, plan for one early in the
day and one later in the afternoon. When you start to
get back into your head in between sessions, remind
yourself to hold off until the next one.
Final Thoughts on Decluttering Your
Thoughts
You may not use all of these strategies for training your
mind to work more constructively, but they give you an
arsenal of tools to choose from so you’re prepared.
Barrie has found the ability to challenge thoughts and
recognize how they don’t always reflect reality to be
particularly helpful in reducing worry and
overthinking.
You’ll discover which of these practices work best for
you and the mental clutter that often occupies your
mind. Don’t get discouraged if you find yourself falling
back into old patterns. With any new behavior, you
have to practice regularly before it becomes more
automatic.
Now, let’s switch gears by talking about the importance
of identifying your “why” and how it can eliminate
many of the mental obstacles that occur and
streamline your life where you focus on what matters
most to you.