If you have a habit of overthinking, constantly replaying the past and rehearsing the future in your mind, you may feel anxious, troubled, and even suffer from insomnia at night. In response to this, experts have shared methods on how to channel this habit towards a positive direction, transforming overthinking into your ultimate superpower.
American psychologist Mark Travers wrote in Psychology Today that overthinking is a cycle of two habits – reliving the past and anticipating the future. Both of these habits stem from an overactive nervous system that prevents you from relaxing, keeping your mind in a loop of thoughts.
As a result, even long after the triggering events have passed, the brain continues to analyze and repeatedly revisit the same experiences, as if rethinking them over and over again, leading to a solution finally.
Behind this pattern of overthinking, there often lies an elusive sense of unfulfillment or unresolved issues. When a certain feeling becomes uncomfortable or hard to grasp, people tend to find it safer to use their cognitive abilities rather than directly facing those emotions. This initial instinct for self-protection gradually evolves into a maladaptive coping mechanism.
Those who grow up in environments where the cost of mistakes is high or uncertainties cause anxiety often learn to mentally prepare for every possible outcome. Over time, to avoid being caught off guard, their thinking becomes highly vigilant, constantly seeking risks even when there are none present. This childhood strategy that once protected them can develop into a habit of overthinking in adulthood.
Once you understand the reasons behind your overthinking, you can begin to guide it, rather than resist it. Here are three methods to effectively utilize this habit:
When your thoughts are caught in a loop, the quickest way to break free is to externalize them. For instance, you can imagine actually “extracting” these thoughts from your mind and placing them where you can see them.
Simply jotting them down or breaking them down into simple questions like “What am I trying to figure out?” or “What small steps can I take?” can help clarify your thoughts.
This simple practice is an example of cognitive defusion. When you maintain enough distance from your thoughts, you can receive the messages they are trying to convey, rather than viewing them as commands you must follow.
A recent study found that individuals who excel at maintaining distance from their thoughts (viewing thoughts as psychological events rather than absolute truths) perform better in using memory, insight, and self-awareness to solve problems.
One major reason why various problems and hypothetical scenarios keep surfacing in our minds is that unresolved issues intensify self-doubt. The most effective way to halt this process is to fill these gaps thoroughly. Instead of repeatedly pondering “What if I fail?” in your mind, interrupt this pattern with a simple “And then what?”
A study conducted in 2023 revealed that the timing of the “final decision” when faced with uncertainty has little to do with having a completely clear solution. This study attributed such sudden decisions to individuals’ choices at a metacognitive level, signaling a halt to deep contemplation. The mental pressure brought by significant decisions prompts individuals to decisively end the cycle of overthinking and move forward in uncertainty.
If overthinking revolves around the same fears, it can be harmful. However, if it guides us to progress, it holds significant power. Research on cognition indicates that the human brain innately possesses the ability to simulate various possibilities for the future – known as anticipatory thinking.
In other words, we observe sudden signs, imagine potential scenarios, formulate plans based on them, take preparatory steps, and later utilize these preparations when the situation arises. A typical example is when you step out of your house and see dark clouds, prompting you to anticipate rain and instinctively rush back home for an umbrella.
The difference between harmful and beneficial overthinking lies in intent. If your thoughts aim to control, they will likely cause confusion. However, if your thoughts aim to understand, they will bring clarity. Those who effectively harness overthinking can distinguish between valid and invalid messages, responding to their inner selves with a charitable rather than confrontational attitude.