How to Calm your Mind as an Overthinker

 We all fall prey to overthinking one way or the other. For some, it’s ruminating over that one conversation with a friend, for others it’s being anxious over a paper due tomorrow. This is all completely normal and common.

 However, you are defined as an overthinker when you put too much time into thinking that it becomes more harmful than helpful. In this article, I share some tips on how you can calm your mind when overthinking. These tips are more “in the moment” kind of solutions you can do to snap yourself out of it really quick.

 

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Deep breaths

Deep breathing is one of the easiest ways to calm your mind, it forces you to be present by being aware of your breathing. It disengages you from your thoughts, lowers your heart rate, and calms your nervous system.

There are a lot of breathing techniques you can use. My favorite is the 3-3-3 pattern, this is basic so it’s perfect when you are just starting out, you breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, and breathe out for 3 seconds. Another pattern is 4-2-6, inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2, and exhale for 6 seconds. The pattern of making your exhale longer than your inhale signals the body to relax so it’s particularly helpful when your anxious thoughts are upsetting you.

Brain dump on paper

Have you ever noticed that when you are overthinking, they are basically just the same thoughts repeating over and over? Writing allows you to empty your mind and disrupt that pattern. It also helps you get clarity on the situation and make sense of the complicated thoughts.

Get out a piece of paper and write everything that you are feeling and thinking. If you are overwhelmed by tasks then make a mind map. Put your name on the center of a paper, then create a spider web of all the tasks that you have. Then prioritize them and pick one, put it on a separate piece of paper, and write down everything that’s on your mind about that particular thing.

If you are a chronic overthinker, make it a habit to write 3 pages in the morning. It doesn’t have to be organized or productive. Just write whatever comes to mind and you’ll feel much lighter during the day.

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Distract yourself

Sometimes the fastest way to calm your mind is to distract yourself and do something that will take you out of your head. Call a friend, watch your favorite show, go for a walk especially in nature if you can, play video games, etc. Don’t try to make the task productive, just do something. 

Conclusion

Overthinking can hold you back from enjoying your life, you either get stuck in the past or the future while letting the present slip by. Don’t let your life pass you by, become aware of it and work on changing it. I hope these tips helped. Let me know what your favorite tip was,

 

Until next time

xo xo

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health expert, the views in this article are my own backed by research and are sorely for educational purposes.