Let’s explore 5 Mindful Responses to our beautiful, overthinking minds. Consider: a thought is designed for action. A thought is like a seed or an acorn whose inherent function is to bloom into fuller expression. Thought is the foundation for action. So when we say we’re ‘overthinking’, essentially what we’re saying is, ‘I’m thinking irrelevant thoughts’. I’m thinking thoughts that do not translate into progressive action. Remember, nature is perpetually evolving. The theme of change is evolution and this wheel is always spinning. When we overthink habitually, we’re engaging in behaviors that are out of alignment with this evolutionary flow. When we go against the grain of evolution, we feel dissonance in our consciousness and in the circumstances of our lives. Instead of playing the victim, we have an opportunity to play the creator. Let’s take radical responsibility for our experience. It’s time to explore 5 Mindful Responses to the overthinking mind!
1. Meditation, Breathwork, & Yoga
Be with it. Our daily practices support us in building a healthy relationship with our intellect. This doesn’t mean we’re focusing on overthinking. It means we’re engaging in practices that create the space and alignment to build a healthy relationship with our thoughts. The holy trinity: Meditation Breathwork, and Yoga. These daily practices (and practices like these) will go a long way in calming your nervous system pacifying your mind releasing stress from your body and really supporting an inner spaciousness around the thoughts that come up so there’s less attachment there’s less identification you’re able to hold these thoughts at a greater distance and sense that who you are is separate from this this this ever-changing flow of of thoughts that just come and go they appear and they disappear they appear and they disappear who you are who i am is something deeper more stable and more constant than the ever-changing flow of thoughts meditation breath work and yoga ground us into these practices with which connect us to a deeper aspect of ourselves so number one is to be with it through your daily practices journaling power poses taking a walk there’s lots of different ways in which you can bring a powerful and healthy relationship mindset to all of this overthinking. Being with it is number one.
2. Courageous Action
My mom has a saying that has become locally famous and its action replaces worry or action replaces over thinking in this case so in the first one we are we are we’re facing it we’re being with it and we’re letting it kind of process and in this second strategy here we’re transcending it we’re going beyond what the thoughts are and what they’re proposing so number two is to move through the thought with action take action in spite of the thinking so this is going to ask you to move from your head space down into your heart space it’s going to ask you to tap into your inner qualities of clarity and courage and leadership perhaps leadership to yourself and you you make that decision to take action in spite of all the thinking and you know that when you do take that action you’re getting valuable feedback and at that point you can course correct take new action receive more feedback and continue forth if you don’t move for number two if you don’t move you’re oftentimes going to be sitting with analysis paralysis you’re gonna be there’s gonna be a stagnation as the mind continues to whirl so strategy 2 asks us to what sanskrit calls that sanskrit for go where you are not so if you find yourself in overthinking transcend that state and go where you are not dive into action leap into something else leave the space that you’re in through decisive bold action that’s number two
3. Notice, Shift, Become
This is a mindfulness tool that i’ve mentioned in a previous video but this is a great one for overthinking and that is to notice shift become so in that moment that you notice your overthinking take take a moment and and connect to the awareness the presence of the overthinking that’s happening so in that moment you create a distinction between yourself your presence and your mind’s activity when we go through life unconsciously we identify with the thoughts that we’re thinking we get lost in a sea of thoughts like quicksand and we completely lose our self our own sense of presence the eye of the hurricane so in this practice for number three you notice when you’re overthinking so there’s that recognition and then you shift to your desired focused or your desired activity and then you become which means you fully engage so notice the overthinking not in judgment or criticism as a practice of self-awareness self-observation just watching yourself you notice the overthinking you shift into your desired new point of focus what do you intend on creating in this next moment and become that next moment in other words you’re depriving the over thinking of energy and attention you’re saying oh i’ve become aware that i’ve been putting these thoughts on a pedestal i’ve been focusing on this overthinking so i’m noticing that i am shifting into my desired focus and then i’m fully immersing myself in that new point of focus:notice, shift, become.
4. Simplify Your Environment
Sit in the question of how can you simplify your life our our environment is a reflection of our mind and our minds our reflection of our environment so how can you simplify organize and clean your personal space such that it becomes more and more a reflection of how you’d like to experience your mind is your personal space a reflection of your desired experience of your inner world if not number four invites us to transform our environment such that it has a particular effect on our minds our environment and our consciousness are always kind of dancing together one is perpetually affecting the other so focus on having your environment be a reflection of how you’d like your mind to be and watch how that begins to influence your mental state it’s a feedback loop because once you change your environment and then change your mind that once again circles back around to changing your environment which then comes back up to change your mind it’s a beautiful feedback loop
5. Physical Health –> Mental Health
When we think about overthinking oftentimes we neglect talking about the body what we know about the mind-body connection is that they are intimately connected the mind and the body are perpetually reflecting each other both chemically as well as behaviorally they’re working in tandem they’re mirrors so what an overactive mind indicates is is a stressed body a body that is a bit out of whack is going to have reflection and activity expressed in our psyche as we start to release stress as we start to take better care of our bodies as we start to make new choices surrounding nutrition exercise mindfulness and relationships just those four not a big deal but as we start to make new life choices surrounding how we’re treating our body we’re gonna see that start to directly impact the state of our mind and the amount of irrelevant thinking think about it if you’re treating your body like crap if you’re not getting good sleep if you’re putting junk food in it if you’re around toxic people if you’re never exercising your mind is is going to be a reflection of that state so how you treat your body is also how you treat your mind it’s not possible for you to do something to your body independent of your mind they’re always reflecting so if you want to pacify your mind’s activity number five asks us to pacify the body look for ways to soothe your nervous system to relax your mind to move into your heart space again meditation breath work and yoga go a long way in supporting us with this i really hope and trust that these five strategies for overthinking were supportive for you i very much appreciate your time energy and attention if you have any questions or comments please leave them below and i will talk to you so soon!
Leave A Comment