# Tips to stop overthinking [[Overthinking kills your happiness]] ## Struggling against a recurring thought and obsessively worrying about something The struggle steals our attention and energy - Look at your thoughts instead of through them - [[Thoughts are not reality. They're just creations of our mind]]. We can choose if we want to hang on to them or change them - [[Cognitive defusion]] - [[Cognitive fusion]] - Identify implicit/unconscious internal rules - Like "I'm not allowed to make others feel bad — ever" ## Tips from UpSkillYourLife - Change the way you talk to yourself - Stop the negative chatter - Create positive thoughts "yes thoughts" - Let go of the past - Avoid "I should have", "I wish", ... - The past is the past. It cannot be changed - Learn your lessons and don't repeat your mistakes - Live in the moment - Focus on the present - Notice the world around you - Focus on how you feel right now - Make each moment worth living - Challenge your thoughts - [[Thoughts are not reality. They're just creations of our mind]] - [[Don't believe everything the voice in your head is saying]] - Write negative thoughts down and throw those away - Focus on what you can control - It's useless to spend time on things out of your control - Identify and recognize your fears - Irrational fears need to be noticed - Those make you suffer more than reality does - Take action to get rid of those fears - Write down solutions - Help your brain focus on solutions instead of problems - Write down the problems and think about solutions to each - Manage your stress - Overthinking leads to stress and stress leads to overthinking - Vicious cycle - Relax if you feel overwhelmed - Take a walk, exercise, unplug - Challenge yourself - Set time limits to adapt your pace and avoid [[Parkinson's Law]] effects - Keep yourself on your toes