Get out of your own head… How mindful practices help stop overthinking
“Overthinking: the art of creating new problems out of ones that never existed in the first place.” ~ Anonymous
Have you ever started to think about a problem and immediately as you start thinking about it that problem sends you down a rabbit hole where suddenly you notice you have a long list of problems? Or at least you think you do. In reality, as we all know, those problems are all just thoughts we are thinking.
Those problems aren’t real. They don’t exist, except in your head.
How do you know when you’re overthinking a problem? You know you’re overthinking if you get to a point where you can’t stop thinking about something even when you’re supposed to be doing something else. Another word for this is rumination.
We can think so much about a problem that we develop a loop of continuous negative thoughts. That leads to doom-spiraling and the “what if’s”. I’m sure you’ve experienced that scenario.
Here’s an example:
Your boss hasn’t responded to an email you sent yesterday about a request.
Thought: I wonder why she hasn’t responded? And then the worry sets in…..
One response is to feel annoyed and/or to get angry. But when you’re feeling vulnerable and not quite so confident, instead of soothing yourself with the plausible explanation that she’s been busy and will respond when she has time, here’s a possible doom-spiraling scenario that I’ve seen happen many times:
I’m not important.
She doesn’t like me.
I’m not good at my job.
What if I lose my job? (That thought sends you down a whole other path….)
….and so on.
You get the idea.
Your thoughts may not be as dire, but I bet you’ve awakened in the middle of the night with a thought that you simply can’t get rid of and you play out all sorts of scenarios in your head.
What’s the solution? It can really help to bring your thoughts back to the present moment and what you actually know to be true. In the example above, all you know right now is that you haven’t had a response yet. Instead of anger and/or self-doubt, when you bring mindful awareness to the situation, you can then come up with more positive next steps. With mindful awareness you are able to see a problem with more clarity and are more likely to respond in a more productive and meaningful way to any problem that you have.
Here’s a mindful Grounding practice that will help you return to the present moment.
Grounding in the Present Moment
Whenever you find yourself ruminating about a distressing thought, try this short breath practice to break up the unhelpful thinking pattern.
Sit, stand or lie down in a comfortable position and gently close your eyes. Feel into the places where your body touches the surface beneath you. Begin to notice your breath and send your breath to any areas of the body that feel tense.
Allow the uncomfortable thought to be there, acknowledge your feelings and then gently move it aside in your mind. You don’t need to let go of the thought, just leave it be for a moment or two.
Notice your body sensations as your mind gently temporarily releases the thought. You can even say to yourself, “I notice I am thinking…” and then put the thought aside. Breathe deeply.
After you’ve taken a few breaths noticing body sensations, expand your awareness to encompass the rest of your surroundings. What do you hear? Can you smell anything? Gently open your eyes and notice what you see all around you.
As you become aware of yourself in the present moment, begin to allow yourself to notice your thought once again. Can you see a new perspective? Is there a new way to approach the problem?
I encourage you to give this practice a try. With regular practice, it will become easier to bring your mind back to the present moment when future-based ruminations take hold.
I love doing this practice as a walking meditation as well. When we get out into nature and notice our surroundings it does wonders to keep us in the present moment.
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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
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