Overthinking may not sound bad on the surface but deep below, it causes many problems. It makes you spend too much time in the negative and makes our judgment cloudy. Therefore people are now starting to realize the importance of execution rather than just planning.

But if you are caught up in overthinking in your head, you need to consider ways how to change things around. Following are the ways that can help you when you are overthinking in your life.

1. Pay attention to your thoughts:

You sometimes do not realize when you are in a state of overthinking. Pay attention to your thoughts as how you feel, think or act. This is the stage when you are unable to get anything done.

2. Focus on the positive:

When you get caught up in your thoughts, it gives rise to negativity. Start focusing on what is positive and make a list of things that can go right.

3. Get distracted:

When you start obsessing over one problem, try to shift your thoughts by distracting yourself with something else. This will give your brain a break and it will find other ways to solve your problem.

4. Let go of fear:

Fear is the biggest obstacle that can stop you from moving forward. It makes you stop in your tracks and you cannot achieve your goals. But people who constantly work on their fear, they get amazing results.

5. Solve problems from a different perspective:

When you start obsessing over one single problem, than it is time to look at the problem from a different perspective. Place yourself in other person’s shoes to that what you would have done? How you wanted the problem to be solved?

6. Making progress is important rather than achieving perfection:

When it comes to working life, perfection isn’t important. It is more important to move forward rather than getting stuck in an idea and finding ways for perfection.

7. Don’t predict:

You overthink because you assume things that could happen in future. Future cannot be predicted so avoid making future judgments. Just live in the moment and then move on to next thing.

8. Set a timer:

If you feel you are unable to get out overthinking a problem, set a time to move past a problem. Focus on that problem for that period of time and then let go of it. It will help your whole day from getting wasted.

9. Acknowledge your efforts:

Take time out to acknowledge what you have achieved. Be happy at your small achievements and let go of the negative thoughts.

10. Practice gratitude:

When you get caught up with overthinking, think how grateful you are to have a problem that could have been so much worse. Solve the problem thinking that it might have saved you from facing a very bigger issue.

Via: Hack Spirit