How to Stop Overthinking and Eliminate Negative Thoughts

Overthinking has became an issue experienced by many people these days. Probably with the rise of challenge and pressure to face everyday. Apart from those, low self-esteem and self-doubt could lead to overthinking as well.

Negative thoughts and worries keep popping up in mind when you’re trying to do something. For instance, fear of the risk when doing business or worry to post content on social media. A little worry might do you good but it’s another story when it’s overload. And instead of finding the solution, you just keep dwelling on it.

Many confuse overthinking as the process to solve a problem. However, it is not. What really happen is we are getting in some sort of loop. Questions stay unresolved, solutions are far from reach and eventually lead to a more stressful situation. It’s easy to overthink on anything regarding business and what the future could hold. That’s why, overthinking is not just ineffective but could hurt your business real bad. Here are some reasons why.

1. It limits creativity

There’s no denying that creativity plays a significant role in business success. An out-of-the-box creativity requires your brain to calm down in order to perform fluidly. To put it simple, how can you manage to think creatively when your mind is totally occupied?

2. It creates ineffective leadership

It’s a common sense that growing a business requires a great deal of thought. But overthinking every details could slow down your productivity. It’s getting even worse when decision is often take too long to achieve. It can also affect your confidence and how your team perceives you.

3. It makes you unhappy

Even when happiness is not imperative to business success, it certainly holds an indirect impact. Happy people have higher self-esteem, favorable relationship with others and better opportunity to reach goals.

Those above are enough to drain out your energy and make your business struggle. However, with enough practice, you can train your brain to think differently. Here are four ways to stop overthinking and eliminate negative thoughts.

1. Notice the “loop”

In some ways, overthinking can be considered a habit. You won’t even notice when you’re doing it. When you’re replaying the event repeatedly, remind yourself that it is not productive.

2. Focus on problem-solving

To overcome a problem, focusing on solution is essential. Pay attention to your thoughts, stay aware and focus your mind on problem-solving.

3. Be mindful

You know that it’s impossible to go back to the past or rush forward to the future, so why should you worry yourself? You would rather stay calm and practice mindfulness to help you reduce overthinking and lead a better life.

4. Schedule a me-time

Cultivating overthinking for a long period of time will affect your mind and bring anxiety. No, I don’t think you would want that either but things could get out of control sometimes. You may want to schedule a me-time for brief reflection. Let yourself think freely. You can let yourself worry, regret, ruminate or mull over things. Also acknowledge that recognizing self-potential could help you realize the quality you have.

To sum up

Overthinking may be a symptom of mental health problem, similar to depression or anxiety. It does more harm than good. That’s why everyone should learn to control it.

It may be difficult to change the destructive thinking patterns, but I hope the tips above could give you a brighter solution to stop overthinking and eliminate negative thoughts. Let me know if you have any comments.