I have other words to describe this nonsense but no..no..there will be no swearing in this post..hehe, alright, moving on...Overthinking, honestly, is one of the most annoying things ever, it’s like that seems easy to control..you know, just stop thinking but when I tell my brain that it’s like…” No, you’re gonna continuously think about this even though it happened days ago”...How could you do this to me brain!? Okay, let’s get serious now..hehe, what is actually “overthinking”...well according to mydomaine.com:
“ Overthinking is the process of constantly analyzing and anguishing over one’s thoughts. It may include rumination, in which an individual is stuck mentally rehashing their past or present decisions and/or actions”
Sounds kinda simple huh? But many different things can trigger overthinking, some can be:
Self-doubt
Self-esteem issues
Concern about repeating past events
Traumas
And straight up...Anxiety
I feel some people may not notice they’re overthinkers or are overthinking. While doing some reading I found a list of signs and I feel like they could be helpful from Inc.com. Some signs that stood out to me were:
“I relive embarrassing moments in my head repeatedly"
"I ask myself a lot of "what if..." questions"
"I rehash conversations I had with people in my mind and think about all the things I wished I had or hadn't said"
"I constantly relive my mistakes"
"When someone says or acts in a way I don't like, I keep replaying it in my mind"
"I spend a lot of time worrying about things I have no control over”
All of that screams me sadly...I left the links above for the articles so you can have a read as well.
For me, self-esteem issues and traumas caused me to lead into the world of overthinking...I was quite fine up to around 2016. Not to get too depressing but, I lost my mom back in 2016 due to breast cancer and my whole world just turned upside, I was 14 at the time. I didn’t believe life was real for a while, I started to wonder so many things and annoyingly it made me question almost anything I did. It could be the most simple thing and my brain would go into a slideshow of “what if’s”. I would be so worried about messing up things and getting embarrassed...also..embarrassment is a feeling that I hate the most. As I got older, it just got worse, I even started losing sleep...and I’m a girl who loves her sleep. I’m happy to say since I recognized how bad it was getting, I’ve been trying different things to calm it and I want to share some with you.
Catching yourself doing it
Now, this is kinda hard to do but it is doable. Many times I caused myself staring off in the distance thinking of a situation and figuring out what different scenarios could have made the outcome better...and I could be there for a while doing it. It’s like I snap myself out of it and I’ll just get up and do something to distract myself. It’s kinda weird but it’s better than contemplating something that just drains me.
Listening to music
One of my favourite thing to do...just listen to some great music. I would just play a playlist on youtube that’s filled with all the songs I play on repeat or I play some chill or vibes playlist or lives on youtube, my favourite channel is Lofi Girl, and I have it play while I’m doing schoolwork, working on my blog or laying in my bed. I’ve been enjoying lots of RnB since this quarantine so that is my go-to. Also when I’m in the shower….gotta have some music playing or I’m just gonna stand there in my head thinking about something that happened last week. Highly recommend it...just chill with your favourite tunes.
Photo by Sofia Alejandra from Pexels
Meditating
I’ve always known about meditating but again...since quarantine, I’ve tried it out and it has been beneficial. It’s calming and I feel so peaceful right after. I usually just lay down on my bed and close my eyes….and I see all the thoughts in my head but I don’t pay attention to them if that makes sense….I acknowledge them and let them go on their merry way. I don’t sit on the thought or thoughts. I try for 15 mins, 30 mins, or even an hour…. it's a peaceful feeling that I don’t care how much time has passed. Also, I play some meditation music from youtube while I do it... There are tons of hours-long videos to choose from...I’ve I have not been disappointed once. Since University has gotten hectic for me right now, I’ve been slacking but hopefully, I can get back on it real soon...I need calmness in my life right about now. If you have a spare 5 or 10 mins, give it a try but especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed or thinking way too much.
Doing things you enjoy
Again….quarantine but I’ve always been a house rat so I find enjoyment in being home and being in my own space. I get to enjoy watching all the videos I want on youtube..whether it's video games, Gordon Ramsay videos or some random history video. Not only that I enjoy them, but It also takes my mind off things and puts me in a better mood. Working on my blog has been something I’ve seriously been enjoying...whether it’s brainstorming post ideas, making some graphics, editing my blog or even doing some research. Writing has been something that I never expected to get into...I never really thought I was a good writer or I wasn’t that ‘creative’ after being scarred with some English language tests in high school. Happy to say that it has been a safety net for me for a few months now and I honestly think it’s the best thing I decided to do. It just feels so comfortable and afterwards, my mind feels nice and calm...so if I’m not meditating…..I’m gonna find the time and write something. Once you’re doing something enjoyable, it makes life feels a bit easier….takes your head out of those dark clouds for a while.
Work on yourself
Now I honestly think to help control overthinking...you have to acknowledge that you do it. Talk with yourself….in your head or out loud...talking to yourself is perfectly fine...I do it a lot when I’m trying to organize myself. Try and figure out what’s triggering you to go in your head. If you identify what causes it, it may ease your overthinking sessions in the shower then you can take that time wasted and be more productive Anissa...I mean….hehe...it may ease your overthinking and give you back the time you lost...yeah that’s what I meant. All fun and jokes aside, I started to do this and knowing what causes my overthinking, has helped me think less...not think completely but it’s better than some months ago. It’s not the easiest thing to do but it can be a big step forward for you.
I hope this post can be helpful to you...I want to have a sense of relatability with persons with my blog because in recent months I've learnt many people may be going through similar experiences. I just want people to know you're not alone in anything you go through. Things can and will get better once you put your energy towards them. It's not gonna happen overnight but try to be positive with every little thing. You can share some thoughts below if you like...I'm curious about what you have in mind.
I’m gonna leave a few more links to some articles I found helpful while I was writing this.
Save for later!
I hope you're at your happiest if not, it's okay...I hope you're starting or working on reaching the highest peak of happiness.
- Anissa (TheQuietGirl)
Photo by Siddharth Shrivastav from Pexels
