Overcoming Overthinking

Hi, everyone, and welcome to my first blog of 2024. This is your year for everyone whose birthday is 29th February; make it count.

Before I start, I wanted to announce that I haven’t made any New Year resolutions for the rationale I’ll explain later, but for some unknown reason, I stopped drinking on Christmas Eve. I’ve no idea why I’ve gone alcohol-free, as I’m not a massive drinker, but let’s see how long it lasts. I also read an article over Christmas suggesting that coffee drinkers live longer.  That’s it, then; I’m immortal.

Moving on, I’m going to chat about overthinking.  This is my specialist subject, and, in a nutshell, it’s the art of creating problems that weren’t even there.  Mostly, I have 99 problems, and 92 of them are completely made-up scenarios in my head that I’m stressing about for no logical reason.  When I worked in the City, an old boss said, “Andrea, work and stress go hand in hand. If you aren’t stressed, you aren’t working”.  I’m not sure he’d get away with that now 😊 and no, I definitely couldn’t give up alcohol in those days.

If you’re an overthinker, your mood often depends on how people respond to you. You’re so sensitive to people’s emotions that you notice slight changes in their behaviour and think, if the changes are negative, it’s your fault.  I’m definitely guilty of 2 of these traits, do any of them resonate with you? If so, keep reading.

 ✔Imaging the worst-case scenario or outcome

 ✔Dwelling on past events or situations.

 ✔Second-guessing decisions you’ve made.

 ✔Replaying your mistakes in your mind.

 ✔Recalling conversations and hoping you said the right thing

 ✔Fixating on things you can’t control, change or improve.

People overthink for lots of reasons, and you create an endless cycle of worry. It plays havoc with your peace of mind and hinders your ability to sleep. 

And I haven’t finished yet! 

For me and anyone else who suffers from autoimmune disease, because overthinking causes stress, the hormone cortisol is released in the body, which in turn weakens the immune system, exacerbating existing problems and placing us at higher risk of suffering from allergies, infections, and diseases.  The list is endless.

Because I’m a serial overthinker, I’ve had to devise techniques to try and manage this flaw in my personality, and if you’re an overthinker, perhaps they can help you, too.  I appreciate that these techniques are always banded around in self-help books, but this is because they really do work.

1 – Distraction. If I find myself overthinking, I’ll do “something” to distract myself from my thoughts.  I love reading, writing, yoga, and exercise; any hobby or pastime you enjoy will help.

2 – Upbeat music. It makes me dance, which is the best distraction ever.

3 – A power walk.  It calms the mind-chatter, especially if you’re short of time. It would be best to walk quickly, even though it looks a bit daft.

4 – Mindfulness. Yes, I know! I used to mock it until I started to practice it.  Try YouTube videos to learn techniques. There are loads of free ones to get you started.  Sometimes, I only have 5 minutes to spare, but it makes a difference.

Before I sign off, regular blog readers know that I’ve always had a life plan. I officially started it in my 30s. It’s iterative, and it’s an important part of my life.  I don’t make resolutions for the New Year because they don’t work; you need to visualise an outcome and plan how to achieve it. You will never accomplish your dreams if you don’t have a plan. I’ve always set specific goals and worked hard to reach them.  I’ve learnt to visualise success and positive outcomes and always practice gratitude.

2024 is the year Jamie and I may achieve a goal we’ve been working towards for a long time, and I’ll keep you updated on our progress, but for now, I wish you a New Year filled with joy, laughter, and endless possibilities.

Until next time….. xxxx