
There is a precious line within our thoughts that marks the spot between thinking and overthinking. It’s a line that many of us do not perceive and thus dance across more than we realize. Some have strolled so far across the line that they no longer know which way leads back, becoming lost within a sea of circling thoughts.
If you are someone who has come to label yourself as an overthinker, you’re not alone. In fact, I would rank myself among some of the top overthinkers in the world...the thoughts just never end. But in all of my overthinking, I’ve come to realize that there are many lessons to be learned from the process of overthinking. Many lessons, that when embraced, can help us find our way back to the line between thinking and overthinking.
1. Sometimes the best solution is the first one that comes to mind.
While overthinkers may claim to have solved countless problems through the process of overthinking, is that really true? Personally, I know I could have avoided numerous problems had I just kept myself from overthinking. The problem with overthinking is that you never know if you have the right solution. There could be a better solution out there, so you keep thinking about it. As a result, precious mental energy is spent considering a problem that could have been solved hours or days ago. Meanwhile, other problems have arisen or increased because we were stuck looking for the perfect solution.
When it comes to certain problems, it can be best just to pick a solution and go with it. It may not be the perfect solution, but guess what, there will never be a perfect solution. Life is not perfect, and the best solution can sometimes be the first one we come up with. Of course, you want to approach delicate situations with caution and have well-thought-out plans, but there is a line between thought out and utterly exhausted.
2. Action is the only way to make a change.
Thinking is necessary in life. In order to grow and dream and many other things, we must retreat into our minds. However, thoughts are just that...thoughts. They have no substance or form without the actions that go with them. If life were spent just thinking, we would never go anywhere or accomplish anything. We would sit in a chair all day and mull over everything. Action is required of us as a follow through with our thoughts. The best intentions and the biggest dreams are meaningless unless our own actions back them.
3. Sometimes you just have to start.
Even if we know thoughts must be backed by action, it can be challenging for an overthinker to start. We may not have thought through every possibility, problem, angle, opportunity, and option before us, leading us to wonder if there is more to consider. We become unable to move because our mind is left spinning like a top, keeping us from chasing our goals, living life fully, embracing adventure, and making the most of opportunities. This may indeed be the biggest challenge an overthinker will ever face: starting. In order to begin living a life of action, we have to begin with small, incremental steps by executing small decisions that may not have a significant impact to begin with. Practice taking action with the little things so that you're better prepared to jump in when you get to the big things. Caution is a virtue. However, the inability to act will lead you to an unfulfilled life that you will start to regret. You’ll never be fully prepared to begin, so just start where you are.
4. Our feelings are often right.
When we get locked into this process of overthinking, our feelings fall by the wayside. We trample over them with our weighty thoughts and forget to draw counsel from the beauty of those feelings. Our feelings are often softly-spoken thoughts that can guide us when our minds are far too chaotic. Yet we drown them out because it’s idiotic to follow feelings when thoughts are deemed more sound. But when thoughts swirl, and we cannot make a decision, sometimes the only way we can find the right course is to listen to what our hearts are whispering. We may know how we feel about something long before we know what we think about something. So lean into your feelings when your thoughts become too active and allow them to guide you.
5. Life needs to be lived.
Thinking can keep us from living. It gets in the way of us enjoying life and enjoying that which is in front of us. While it is no easy task, quieting our minds may be the only way to enjoy life because we cannot expect to live a wonderful life if we are constantly giving in to our nagging thoughts. Life is meant to be lived, not thought about. The past has already burned through its allotted time, and the future will have its chance to shine. Now is the only time you have; try not to waste it by being consumed by the ever-present swirl in your mind. Instead, focus your attention on the physical world: things you’re feeling, smelling, tasting, and seeing. By engaging our other senses, we begin to turn our minds towards the present moment rather than our thoughts. Life must be lived in the outside world and not through the mind’s eye.
6. Fantasy will put a damper on reality.
How often do you daydream about how certain days or events are going to go? All these little dreams and fantasies set up expectations that life will fail to meet again and again. Life is nothing like a fantasy, and nothing goes the way we expect it. Sometimes it is best to try and distract yourself from these daydreams to avoid building up false expectations. Life is incredibly beautiful and has thousands of wonderful moments ready for you to experience, but when we become so consumed with how we think it should go, we miss the beauty of what happens on the way. Try not to build up expectations for a life that will never turn out how we expect.
Overthinking is a problem many of us face, but over time we can begin to reign it in through action, feeling, and actually living our lives. There is beauty all around us if we could just turn off our thoughts for a second and learn to enjoy it.
- Lillian Merrit
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