Thinking too much is harmful, but how can you stop ruminating? The problem has a name (overthinking) and, fortunately, a solution – actually three.

Those who suffer from overthinking continuously think, rethink, and think again, in a vortex of words, sounds, memories, and expectations that can eventually lead to psychological issues and cause many physical ailments as well.

Here’s how to understand if you are a victim of overthinking and how to stop thinking too much with some simple psychological techniques.

How to Stop Overthinking: 3 Remedies for Overthinking

What is Overthinking and How to Know if You “Think Too Much”

The English term “overthinking” literally means “thinking too much” and refers to a mental state typical of contemporary society, afflicted as it is by multitasking, 24/7 connectivity, and parallel lives on social media.

Constantly, intensely, and ceaselessly thinking, without ever reaching a conclusion, is not a good thing. Some of those who suffer from overthinking say they don’t suffer from it at all, believing that thinking a lot is positive, almost a symptom of intelligence.

Unfortunately, this is not the case: overthinking leads to rumination, a fierce enemy of serenity, highly detrimental to one’s psycho-physical well-being.

One thought turns into a thousand thoughts that follow each other madly, causing confusion, headaches, stress, and anxiety.

Risks and Consequences

Ruminating (thinking about negative things without any perspective or hope of change) is one of the leading causes of depression and anxiety.

It is also linked to uncontrolled eating disorders and many other self-destructive behaviors, from drug use to alcoholism.

Moreover, it causes insomnia and affects the quality of the little sleep one manages to get.

In short, overthinking is highly damaging and heavily interferes with the most important human survival instinct: problem-solving.

Thinking too much does not help solve problems; on the contrary, it further complicates the situation and prevents the mental clarity needed to make decisions.

How to Stop Thinking with the Focused Attention Method

Overthinking can be defeated, you just have to want it.

The most lethal weapon? Focused attention.

When you feel your mind wandering, trapped in the labyrinthine maze of your brain without an exit, try to describe the place you are in objectively and without embellishments.

Cataloging. An example? “White wall, painting of a lake with boats, wooden table, gray floor, pink chairs.” Period.

By “period,” it doesn’t mean “a few things listed”: you can go on listing objects indefinitely; the important thing is that the tone is dry and devoid of opinions.

You must focus your attention solely on basic information, without expressing anything more. You can also write down what you see in a notebook, as writing helps to focus and anchor you in the present (we will see this shortly with the “thought diary”).

Try the focused attention technique for three minutes.

How to Stop Ruminating: Find a Mantra and Repeat It

Otherwise, there’s the mantra technique. The most famous and popular one is Ohm, a real cliché of meditation that, however, really works.

It is a magical word with religious connotations, but anyone can adopt it, repeating it in a loop just to empty the mind and relax.

There are many other famous mantras, such as “I am I,” but you can use any word, phrase, movie title, or even nonsense. Find the mantra that suits you best and repeat it endlessly (so to speak).

Just 2 to 5 minutes are enough to dispel thoughts, lighten the mind, and finally return to the present, here and now.

Follow Your Mind and See Where It Leads You

Now that you have learned two effective remedies for overthinking, try an experiment that will tell you a lot about yourself and your deep inner self.

Wait for the thoughts to resurface (they will, don’t worry) and let yourself be carried away by them.

Follow the wandering mind, do it for 5 or 10 minutes (maybe set an alarm) and investigate as if you were detectives, discovering where your mind has led you. Surely into the future (causing anxiety) or into the past (causing nostalgia, regrets, remorse, and ruminations).

Record every stage of this mental journey by writing it in a kind of “thought diary.” Then return to the present, aided by focused attention or mantra repetition.

Stopping Overthinking Helps You Become Happier

Many studies reveal something absolutely disturbing: humans spend between 46% and 60% of their time thinking about the past and the future. So only 40% of life is spent in the present.

We are absent for almost half of our existence, which is crazy. Therefore, managing to return to the present becomes one of the most important things for a human.

To do so, it takes very little: you simply need to stop doing everything, pause, and look around.

Describe what you see without making judgments, and you will return to the present quickly, simply, and painlessly. In fact, it will be beautiful, and you won’t be able to do without it.

What is Flow and Why It’s Your Goal

Flow is a mental state where you find yourself in a moment of intense focus without consciously thinking about what is happening.

Everything happens around you effortlessly, without the need to concentrate on every little detail, as if you were the one pulling the strings of the universe.

Flow allows you to experience something magical: you are relaxed even if you are doing something intense, difficult, or tiring. Meanwhile, the mind speaks little or even remains silent.

You can achieve flow with focused attention techniques, mantra repetition, and some of the suggestions we will explain shortly. It is essential to learn to cultivate flow because it is the sine qua non of serenity and fun.

Have you ever had so much fun that “time flies”? That’s flow.

Easy Psychological Techniques to Stop Overthinking and Cultivate Flow

Meditation is the enemy of overthinking. “If you are depressed, you live in the past; if you are anxious, you live in the future; if you are at peace, you live in the present.” Lao Tzu teaches.

Humans are perpetually inclined to think about yesterday and tomorrow, avoiding the only moment when they can truly live: today.

Meditation helps to be aware and live in the hic et nunc (the here and now), particularly mindfulness but also autogenic training.

Otherwise, just breathe: the breath is an anchor that allows us to stop and ground ourselves in the present. Lie down, inhale deeply through the nose, and then exhale through the mouth, repeating for 10 minutes.

Engaging in a hobby that keeps the body and mind occupied with creative activities and learning is also a good solution. The same goes for physical exercise, which always proves to be the best way to relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and eliminate toxins, not just physical but also mental ones, namely negative thoughts.

The Mountain Metaphor

Now that you have the basic tools to bring your mind home, docking it in the safe harbor of the present, you also have the clarity and serenity to understand what an absurd trap you were caught in.

Suffering from overthinking is like standing at the foot of a mountain with the goal of reaching the top.

Instead of starting to climb to reach it, you keep looking at it and thinking about how nice it would be to be up there.

But it’s far away, how do you reach it? What if I took a shortcut? No, that wouldn’t work. What if I waited for them to build a cable car? Yes, but how long would it take? Maybe a hot air balloon. Or a helium balloon.

Meanwhile, you remain exactly at the starting point and are still very tired, even though you haven’t taken a single step. Mental fatigue is more devastating than any physical exhaustion.

Returning to the helium balloon, the human mind is precisely that. A balloon that wants to fly away, constantly; that’s its nature. But it’s enough to understand how to hold it firmly and bring it back to the ground when you want, that’s the way to live happily.

This article first appeared on Grazia.it – Author: Camilla Sernagiotto