TALKS
INTERVIEW
OVERTHINKING
BRSTPSIHOLOGIJA
We are taught that we should think before we do something. However, we almost never mention that overthinking is not always beneficial for us.
Our thoughts can be of great help and support to us, but may at the same time be the greatest obstacle and burden.
It is good if we know how to distinguish between those thoughts that stand in our way and those that support us and drive us forward.
Frequent excessive focus on ourselves leads to overthinking and overanalyzing events, situations, our lives, etc.
It is therefore important to recognize when we are getting caught in overthinking, so we can cut limiting thinking patterns and better enjoy the moment.
Thinking can be of great help, it brings new ideas, different views and perspectives. It allows us to recognize our behavioral patterns and think how we could react differently in certain cases, motivating us to move forward, make better decisions, etc.
It also oftentimes pushes us to overanalyzing, brooding, thinking about different (often negative) scenarios, and brings self-doubt and worries.
It is therefore essential to recognize when there is too much of the latter, know how to calm our thoughts and body, and surrender ourselves to the moment.
Thoughts, especially automatic thoughts, can be very persistent and keep racing through our mind, even if we try to push them away.
We all know that if someone tells us not to think about a red car, we will start thinking only about a red car.
It is hard to simply switch off a thought that crosses our mind.
It is sometimes good to accept them and ask ourselves: “Is this thought beneficial to me? Does it help me think about this or am I caught in a vicious circle? What kind of thinking would be more helpful?”
Overthinking and overanalyzing usually do not help. When we realize that, we can redirect our attention and focus on something more useful.
We can redirect our attention away from overthinking by creating art, meeting up with people, doing sports and similar activities.
It is also beneficial to introduce deep relaxation techniques into our everyday lives, such as meditation, mindfulness, different breathing techniques and similar practices.
These help us calm our body and mind. This helps us observe, monitor and change our thoughts, and recognize when we are caught in the trap of overthinking.
Creating art is one of the best ways of emotional purging and simultaneously redirecting our attention to something more productive than overthinking and analyzing.
Creating art is one of the best ways of emotional purging and simultaneously redirecting our attention to something more productive than overthinking and overanalyzing.
Working on science or math problems can also keep our mind busy with something more useful than staying in the vicious cycle of repetitive and limiting patterns.
Some people find writing a diary very helpful. Especially in the morning. They clear their thoughts with writing, put them on paper and leave them there, not returning through the day.
Someone, I cannot remember who exactly, once said that a creative mind that was not working on something creative started creating problems.
Human mind, especially if inclined to creativity, needs creative work, otherwise it quickly succumbs to overthinking and finds problems that might not even exist.
Looking for the balance between too much and too little can be a challenge for many of us.
It is good to take time for thinking on how to resolve a certain issue, which way to go in life, or how to look at the world, ourselves, others differently, to recognize what is holding us back, weighting us down and what might need changing, upgrading in ourselves, our lives, etc.
It is also (perhaps even more) important to know how to redirect our actions, to create, be active, meet with people, seek knowledge and experience, try new things, help others, know how to live and savor the moment, and not to focus excessively on ourselves.
Humans were given the precious gift of thinking. If we know how to use it well, it can be our greatest power. As well as the opposite. If we let it enter murky waters, it can become our greatest internal enemy.
“The brand’s concept is to communicate messages to people, so they think for a moment, or use them as prompts for further conversation. The message might correspond to the product, or might be a pun and carry a dual meaning.”
