The mind loves to think, and it never seems to want to stop. In fact, overthinking is so pervasive that many people consider it a worldwide epidemic.
Through extensive research, psychology professor Susan Nolen-Hoeksema of the University of Michigan found that overthinking occurs mostly in young and middle-aged adults, with 73% of 25-35 year-olds identifying as overthinkers. There are also more women (57%) than men (43%) who tend to think too much.
The mind sometimes resembles a five-year-old child. That’s because it wants to have everything a certain way and never knows how to sit still. If you allow your brain to run a mile a minute without interjecting, it will only press on with the madness until you discover that your mind has slowly become a prison. Learning to take time quiet your mind, instead of distracting it, can allow you to have more mental clarity, focus, and give up the toxic habit of overthinking.
“We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It’s a death trap.”~ Anthony Hopkins
11 Quotes To Remember When You’re Overthinking
1. You will never be free until you free yourself from the prison of your own false thoughts.
2. Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try!
3. Stop worrying about what can go wrong, and get excited about what can go right.
4. Overthinking – the art of creating problems that weren’t even there.
5. There is nothing in this world that can trouble you as much as your own thoughts.
6. Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.
7. Stop overthinking. You can’t control everything, just let it be.
8. Dear mind, please stop thinking so much at night. I need sleep.
9. Overthinking is the biggest cause of unhappiness.
10. Don’t ruin a new day by thinking about yesterday. Let it go.
11. A quiet mind is able to hear intuition over fear.
Here are 3 ways to stop overthinking:
1. CONNECT WITH NATURE.
If you don’t live or work in nature, than you need this the most. Take time to get out in nature. This could mean going on your lunch break in a nearby park, or going on a vacation to get away. Anything you can do to strengthen your bond with nature will greatly benefit your mind and stop overthinking immediately.
You can focus on the beauty in the trees, a leaf, a waterfall, the sky, mountains, a lake or whatever you gravitate towards. This will immediately stop your mind. When you allow yourself to do this, you will find that you will think more clearly throughout the day.
2. REPEAT PEACEFUL WORDS TO YOURSELF.
Pay attention to your brain at this very moment…what kinds of thoughts do you observe? Most likely, you will notice that the majority of your thoughts center around what you have to do today, or what someone said that made you angry, or even degrading thoughts about yourself. Don’t feel bad, though; with so much negativity around us, maintaining a consistent positive mindset isn’t always easy. However, you can actually counter the negative words and overthinking with the repetition of peaceful words.
Anytime you notice you are overthinking or you feel anxiety or worry coming on, stop those thoughts in their track as soon as you realize it with calming words. Whatever words resonate with you better.
Some examples are as follows: Peace. Love. Light. It’s ok. Life is Good. I’m ok.
While this isn’t completely quieting your mind, it does stop overthinking, it will allow your mind to slow down and focus on what really matters at this moment. Words carry a lot of meaning and power, so use them to your advantage whenever you feel stressed out.
3. MEDITATE.
We suggest meditation a whole lot on our website, but for good reason. When you meditate, you stop the flow of overthinking and negative thoughts bombarding your consciousness every second and instead move into space where stillness takes precedence.
While you don’t have to turn off your brain to meditate, many people feel that their thoughts slow down incredibly and overthinking stop immediately.
If you try it and find you still cannot stop thinking, try a guided meditation or yoga. These practices bring awareness into the body and make it much easier to cope with daily challenges.
