How To Stop Overthinking, Worrying, and Doubting Yourself
Being in a constant state of worry can cause you to over-analyze every decision you make and create tremendous self-doubt. With worrisome thoughts ruling your mind, you will find it incredibly difficult to realize your goals, dreams, and aspirations. After all, how can you motivate yourself towards action if you are in a perpetual state of doubt?
Therefore, it’s important that you put your worrying mind at ease with these practical techniques:
Stay in the present: Anxiety is created when we are constantly looking to a future that has not yet arrived. While it’s always important to plan for the future, this is vastly different than constantly worrying about the future. In the wise words of the great spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, “Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be. ” If you keep this notion at the forefront of your mind, you will quickly come to understand that there are no problems in the present moment.
Give yourself a reality check: Think about how much time you have spent worrying about things that never actually happened. If you get honest and real with yourself, you will probably find that many of the hours you’ve spent in turmoil over what could go wrong never did go wrong. So, when you find yourself in worry-wart mode look to your personal experience as a reminder that most of the things you have worried about never actually came to pass.
Monitor your thoughts: Disrupt your negative thinking and stop being overly critical of yourself. It’s like putting dirty gasoline in a car and expecting it to run effectively and efficiently. To create a better sense of who you are in the world, you must fill your mind with positive thoughts about yourself. Stay consciously aware of your thoughts and if you find yourself being critical then shift the thought to a kinder, more compassionate thought.
Take one step at a time: When you are feeling overwhelmed by a task or project, create a list that will allow you to see what you need to do and take action. Anxiety and worry often stem from the nagging feeling of knowing that you have been procrastinating. Creating a list of action steps unburdens your mind from holding that list, but the key here is to take small steps on a consistent basis to accomplish what is on your list.
Keep things in perspective: If you find that you are afraid to move forward on an idea, goal, or dream because you are afraid to fail, remember that not trying at all is the real failure. If you try something, and it doesn’t go well the first time, then it’s an opportunity to learn and improve for the next attempt. This shift in perspective will help you realize that you really can’t fail.
-Cynthia Santiago, empowerment and founder of Latina Wellness