When you can’t get the small voice of doubt at the back of your mind to shut up, you need advice from the experts.
Thinking ahead can help you foresee problems, proactively tackle them and lead to better planning. Overthinking on the other hand, can cause you to doubt yourself at every turn, collapse in a ball of tears and self-implode. So before you sabotage your peace of mind even further, scroll through to inspire yourself with quotes from the best.
1. Trust In Yourself
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”– Elbert Hubbard
Have faith in your ability, know your self-worth. Constantly worrying over whether you will do a job well, will kill your potential rather than let you shine.
2. Halt Your Anxiety In Its Tracks
“Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”– Arthur Somers Roche
If you’re a chronic overthinker, you’ll know that once you start worrying about something, you can’t stop and soon, it takes over your whole mind. Instead, recognize the fear, believe that you can deal with it and do something productive instead.
3. Live In The Moment
“I’m tired of being inside my head. I want to live out here, with you.” -Colleen McCarty
Being an overthinker can come in the way of you having new experiences, meeting new people and taking on new challenges. Let go of your worry and notice how much more adventurous you can be without the burden of doubt weighing you down.
4. Look At The Bigger Picture
“Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.” – Robert Eliot
The most important skill you can develop when you’re prone to overthinking, is to develop a sense of perspective. Learn to recognise the mountains from the molehills and you will be a much calmer person for it.
5. Approach A Problem At The Source
“The more you overthink the less you will understand.” ― Habeeb Akande
To be able to effectively get to the root of a problem, you need to be able to gain clarity. Overthinking can often cloud your perception and leave you at a further loss for a solution.
6. Think Less And Do More
“You can’t wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time”. – Pat Schroeder
For thought to be effective, it needs to be converted into action. Overthinking can cause you to see a multitude of problems where none exist and inhibit you from taking that first step.
7. Don’t Let Situations Control You
” That the birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.”– Chinese Proverb
Far greater than the actual hurdles you come across, is the assault on your emotional stability worrying about them can cause. Limit the effects they can have on you by maintaining a sense of perspective and having a strong support system.
8. Tackle Hurdles Only When They Arrive
”My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.” – Michel de Montaigne
If you stay up all night thinking about all the things that could go wrong, you will relate to this the most. Distract yourself from these negative thoughts by doing something you enjoy and get the most out of your waking hours.
9. Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy
“The sharpest minds often ruin their lives by overthinking the next step, while the dull win the race with eyes closed.” ― Bethany Brookbank,
Overthinking can often come in the way of you doing your best. Trust in yourself and watch as the rest falls in place.
10. Listen To Your Heart Sometimes
“The head thinks. The heart knows.” -Rasheed Ogunlaru
Sometimes you just have to go with your instinct. There are plenty of times when a certain course of action just feels right even without any evidence to back it up. In those times, you have to push aside your feelings of doubt and take a leap of faith
