How to Start Managing Overthinking
Here are 5 practical things you can do to start managing your overthinking that may be sabotaging your Clutter Clearing Success.
1. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a powerful tool to reduce overthinking by grounding yourself in the present moment.
Start with simple exercises like focusing on your breath. Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths in for 5 counts, followed by exhaling for 5 counts, just like we do at the start of Group and Private sessions. This helps interrupt negative thought patterns and regain control of your mental space. As you breath, engage your senses—notice the sounds and smells in your environment, and how your body feels.
By focusing on these things in the present, it takes your brains attention away from the past or the future, which helps reduce the mental clutter associated with overthinking. Incorporate short mindfulness sessions into your daily routine to build resilience against spiralling thoughts.
2. Set Time Limits for Decisions
One common trigger for overthinking is the fear of making the wrong decision. We manage overthinking while we’re on our Journey by setting time limits for our decision making during our Clutter Clearing Sessions.
Specifically, during a Clutter Clearing Session, we only give ourselves a few seconds to decide which category to put something in. That way we avoid overthinking the decision. If after a few seconds we haven’t decided which category something belongs in, we put it in ‘not sure’ category and check-in with it again later. This rule forces you to trust your gut feeling and your subconscious brain instead of your conscious brain endlessly overthinking and second-guessing you. This strategy can be applied to both your clutter, major life choices and comparatively minor everyday decisions.
3. Get Physical
Overthinking thrives when your mind has nothing else to do or focus on, which results in your brain having the freedom to constantly wander. Physical activity works like a reset button for your brain, providing a distraction. Simple actions, such as taking a brisk walk, stretching, or doing a quick 10- minute workout, can disrupt the loop of repetitive thoughts. Exercise also releases endorphins, which improve mood and counteract the anxiety that often accompanies overthinking. It’s why fresh air and physical activity is a great reward after you’ve worked on your Journey, when you are at risk of overthinking what you learnt or did. Whatever you do, keep it short and simple so you can easily build it into your daily routine.
4. Challenge Your Thoughts
One effective way to stop overthinking is to challenge the validity of your thoughts. When you notice a pattern of negative or excessive thinking, pause and ask yourself: “Is this helpful? Is it true? What evidence supports this thought?” Reframing your perspective can make a significant difference.
For instance, if you struggle with a particular exercise and overthink the impact of not doing it ‘perfectly’, remind yourself that it’s OK to be perfectly imperfect. Remind yourself that the perfect thing to do is to ask for help or clarification, either in your private session or one of my Surgery slots. Mistakes are an essential part of the learning process, and taking action by asking for help helps train your brain to question overthinking instead of automatically accepting it.
5. Engage in Focused Distractions
Sometimes, the most practical way to manage overthinking is to redirect your mental energy into something engaging and constructive. Your rewards are the perfect tool to ensure you don’t overthink what you do in your Journey videos or Clutter Clearing Sessions. Choose rewards that require your full concentration, such as solving puzzles, reading, painting, or cooking a new recipe. These tasks demand attention and prevent your brain from dwelling on unproductive thoughts.
You can clear your clutter FAST, or you can clear your clutter FOREVER, but you can’t clear your clutter FOREVER FAST.
To find out how Clare can help you clear your clutter Forever, without the need for an expensive home visit, click here now: https://www.clutterclearing.net/clares-help-centre/
