How To Stop Overthinking Everything using Psychology

Summary

This video offers practical solutions for managing overthinking in our complex modern lives. It delves into the root causes, often linked to fear and emotional reasoning, and suggests both short-term and long-term strategies. Techniques include daily journaling for self-awareness, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness practices, and visualization of positive outcomes. The script encourages viewers to implement these methods to break free from negative thought cycles and promote mental well-being.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Overthinking is a common modern issue where people are constantly juggling multiple aspects of life, leading to mental fatigue.
• 🔄 Overthinking is an evolutionary response that has spiraled into a cycle of unnecessary worry, often driven by underlying fears.
• 🔑 The key to breaking the overthinking cycle is awareness and identifying triggers that lead to these thought patterns.
• 📓 Daily journaling can help process emotions, improve sleep quality, and reveal patterns that lead to overthinking.
• 💭 Cognitive restructuring involves techniques like labeling thoughts and asking 'why' to understand and separate from them.
• 🌿 'Leaves on a stream' is a visualization technique to detach from thoughts and observe them objectively.
• 📅 Scheduling worry time can help manage overthinking by setting aside specific periods to address worries consciously.
• 🙏 Practicing gratitude can refocus the mind on positive aspects of life, reducing the tendency to dwell on negative thoughts.
• 🌱 Training the brain to refocus energy on positive outcomes can counteract the habit of imagining worst-case scenarios.
• 🧘‍♂️ Mindfulness practices, such as mindful breathing and body scans, can help ground individuals in the present moment and break the cycle of overthinking.
• 📝 Scenario journaling involves writing down thoughts, worst-case, best-case, and most likely scenarios to rationalize and reduce obsessive thoughts.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is addressing the issue of overthinking and providing strategies to manage and overcome it.

Why did humans likely have fewer thoughts to process 10,000 years ago compared to today?

Humans 10,000 years ago probably had fewer thoughts to process because their main concerns were finding food and ensuring survival, whereas today's complex society brings a multitude of responsibilities and distractions.

What is the evolutionary purpose of overthinking according to the script?

Overthinking serves as an evolutionary response that allows humans to consider multiple possible scenarios and choose the one most likely to ensure survival.

What is the primary driver of overthinking as mentioned in the script?

The primary driver of overthinking is fear, which can stem from concerns about the future, past actions, making mistakes, or taking wrong decisions.

What is 'cognitive fusion' in psychology as discussed in the script?

Cognitive fusion is a psychological concept where individuals have difficulty separating themselves from their thoughts and feelings, perceiving the world through the lens of their thoughts instead of recognizing them as separate from their identity.

What are the two types of solutions provided in the script to deal with overthinking?

The script provides long-term solutions that involve reframing one's mindset and addressing the root of the problem, and short-term solutions that help in the moment to break the cycle of overthinking.

How does daily journaling help in managing overthinking?

Daily journaling helps in managing overthinking by allowing individuals to reflect on their day, process emotions, identify patterns and triggers leading to overthinking, and improve sleep quality.

What is the 'leaves on a stream' strategy and how does it help with overthinking?

The 'leaves on a stream' strategy is a visualization technique used in acceptance and commitment therapy where individuals imagine their thoughts as leaves floating down a stream, helping them detach from their thoughts and observe them without becoming emotionally entangled.

What is the purpose of 'scheduling worry time' as a technique to manage overthinking?

Scheduling worry time helps manage overthinking by training the brain to focus on worries during a designated period, reducing the immediate need to act on anxious thoughts and allowing for a more rational approach to handling them.

How does practicing gratitude contribute to reducing overthinking?

Practicing gratitude contributes to reducing overthinking by training the mind to focus on positive aspects of life, shifting attention away from negative thoughts and fostering a more optimistic outlook.

What is 'scenario journaling' and how can it help with persistent overthinking?

Scenario journaling is a technique where individuals write down their thoughts, the worst-case scenario, the best-case scenario, and the most likely realistic outcome. This helps rationalize the situation and reduces the intensity of obsessive thoughts by contrasting them with more realistic outcomes.

What are some affirmations provided in the script to help retrain the mind and manage overthinking?

Some affirmations provided in the script include 'It's only a thought, and a thought can be changed,' 'Thoughts are not facts, thoughts are just thoughts,' and 'I have the power to choose what I think about.' These affirmations aim to help individuals recognize their control over their thoughts and promote a calm mindset.

What are the three main tasks the script suggests to start working on to combat overthinking?

The script suggests creating an anchor point, starting daily journaling at the end of the day, and starting one mindfulness practice as the three main tasks to begin working on to combat overthinking.

Outlines

00:00

🤯 Overwhelmed by Modern Life's Complexity

The video script begins by highlighting the stark contrast between the simplicity of human concerns 10,000 years ago and the overwhelming complexity of modern life. It points out the numerous aspects of life that individuals must juggle today, such as social media, work, relationships, and personal growth, which often lead to overthinking and mental fatigue. The script introduces the video's purpose: to provide solutions for breaking the cycle of overthinking and achieving mental clarity.

05:01

🔄 Understanding the Cycle of Overthinking

This paragraph delves into the reasons behind the persistent loop of overthinking, identifying fear as the primary driver. It explains how fear can stem from concerns about the future, past actions, and the desire to avoid mistakes. The script introduces the concept of 'emotional reasoning' and 'cognitive fusion' in psychology, which are mechanisms that contribute to the entanglement of thoughts and emotions, making it difficult to separate reality from perception. The paragraph concludes by outlining long-term and short-term solutions to address overthinking.

10:03

🛠 Long-Term Solutions for Overthinking

The script presents a two-pronged approach to combat overthinking: long-term and short-term solutions. For long-term solutions, it emphasizes building awareness and identifying triggers through practices like daily journaling. It also discusses cognitive restructuring techniques, such as labeling thoughts to separate them from one's identity, asking 'why' questions to understand the root of thoughts, and using visualization techniques like 'leaves on a stream' to detach from thoughts. Additionally, exposure therapy is suggested for desensitizing triggers that cause overthinking.

15:04

🧘‍♂️ Training the Brain to Refocus and Practice Gratitude

The paragraph introduces methods to refocus the brain's energy away from negative thought patterns. It suggests scheduling 'worry time' to manage repetitive thoughts and practicing gratitude to shift focus to positive aspects of life. The script also recommends 'thought thanking,' a technique to acknowledge and let go of negative thoughts by appreciating the mind's protective intent. Furthermore, it encourages visualizing positive outcomes to counterbalance obsessive negative thoughts and emphasizes the importance of consistent effort in implementing these practices.

20:04

🌱 Implementing Mindfulness and Anchoring Techniques

This section of the script focuses on short-term solutions like creating an anchor to ground oneself in the present moment and a list of mindfulness practices to alleviate overthinking. Mindfulness techniques include mindful breathing, body scan meditation, mindful walking, and mindful awareness. The script also introduces 'scenario journaling,' a method to rationalize obsessive thoughts by comparing worst-case, best-case, and most likely scenarios. The goal is to break the mental chatter and return to the present, providing immediate relief from overthinking.

📝 Actionable Steps and Affirmations for Overcoming Overthinking

The final paragraph offers actionable steps for viewers to start implementing the discussed techniques, including creating an anchor point, daily journaling, and practicing mindfulness. It also provides a set of affirmations to retrain the mind and accelerate the process of overcoming overthinking. The script concludes by encouraging viewers to share the video with those who might benefit from it and promises to return with more content in the near future.

Keywords

💡Overthinking

Overthinking refers to the act of excessively analyzing or worrying about things, often to the point of causing anxiety or stress. In the video's context, it is the central issue being addressed, with the script discussing its prevalence in modern life and offering strategies to overcome it. The script mentions overthinking as a response to various stimuli, such as social interactions, life decisions, and even past experiences.

💡Mental Fatigue

Mental fatigue is a state of exhaustion or tiredness in the mind, which can be caused by overthinking or prolonged mental activity. The script relates mental fatigue to the constant loop of negative thoughts that individuals experience, suggesting that overthinking can lead to a persistent state of mental exhaustion.

💡Fear

Fear is an emotional response to perceived threats or danger. In the video, fear is identified as a primary driver of overthinking, with individuals often getting stuck in thought loops due to underlying fears about the future, past actions, or making mistakes. The script uses the example of fear of social situations leading to overthinking about one's social skills and the judgments of others.

💡Cognitive Fusion

Cognitive fusion is a psychological concept where an individual has difficulty distinguishing themselves from their thoughts and emotions, perceiving them as an integral part of their identity. The script explains that overthinking can result from cognitive fusion, where individuals see the world through the lens of their thoughts rather than recognizing them as separate from their self.

💡Cognitive Defusion

Cognitive defusion is a technique used to separate oneself from one's thoughts, viewing them as temporary and not defining of the self. The script describes cognitive defusion as a process to help individuals recognize that they are not their thoughts and that these thoughts do not necessarily represent reality, using the practice of labeling thoughts as a method to achieve this.

💡Daily Journaling

Daily journaling is the practice of writing down one's thoughts, feelings, and experiences on a daily basis. The video script recommends daily journaling as a method to increase self-awareness and identify triggers for overthinking. It is suggested as a tool for processing emotions and improving sleep quality, with the added benefit of revealing patterns that lead to overthinking.

💡Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring is a therapeutic technique aimed at identifying and changing negative thought patterns. In the script, cognitive restructuring is discussed as a long-term solution to overthinking, with various methods provided, such as labeling thoughts, asking 'why' questions, and using visualization techniques to reframe one's mindset.

💡Gratitude

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful or appreciating what one has. The video script highlights the importance of practicing gratitude as a way to refocus the mind away from negative thoughts and towards positive aspects of life. It is suggested as a daily practice to help train the brain to seek out and appreciate positive experiences.

💡Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the current moment, without being distracted by thoughts of the past or future. The script discusses several mindfulness practices, such as mindful breathing and body scan meditation, as short-term solutions to break the cycle of overthinking and bring the individual back to the present.

💡Anchor

An anchor, in the context of the video, is a focal point or a sensory cue that helps an individual to ground themselves and return to the present moment. The script suggests creating an anchor, which could be a physical object or a sensation, to help interrupt overthinking and promote a sense of calm and presence.

💡Scenario Journaling

Scenario journaling is a specific type of journaling where one writes down their thoughts, the worst-case scenario, the best-case scenario, and the most likely outcome of a situation. The script introduces this technique as a method to challenge obsessive thoughts by rationalizing them and bringing the focus back to realistic possibilities.

Highlights

The modern world has led to a significant increase in overthinking compared to 10,000 years ago when humans only had to worry about basic survival.

Overthinking is an evolutionary response that helps us consider multiple scenarios for survival, but it becomes problematic when it focuses on non-essential matters.

Fear is identified as the primary driver of overthinking, leading to a cycle of emotional reasoning and cognitive fusion.

Cognitive defusion is a technique to separate oneself from one's thoughts, preventing them from dictating one's identity.

Daily journaling is recommended as a method to build awareness and identify triggers of overthinking.

Cognitive restructuring involves techniques like labeling thoughts to distinguish them from one's identity.

The 'leaves on a stream' strategy is a visualization technique to detach from thoughts and observe them objectively.

Exposure therapy through gradual and controlled exposure to triggers can help desensitize overthinking responses.

Scheduling 'worry time' can help manage overthinking by confining it to specific periods, reducing its impact on daily life.

Gratitude practices, such as daily thankfulness, can refocus the mind away from negative thoughts.

Affirmations and visualization of positive outcomes can counterbalance the tendency to obsess over negative possibilities.

Creating an 'anchor' can help ground thoughts and bring focus back to the present moment during overthinking episodes.

Mindfulness practices like deep breathing and body scans can provide relief from the mental chatter associated with overthinking.

Scenario journaling involves analyzing thoughts through different scenarios to rationalize and reduce overthinking.

The importance of consistent effort in applying these techniques for long-term benefits in managing overthinking is emphasized.

Homework assignments are provided at the end of the video to encourage viewers to start implementing the discussed techniques.

Transcripts

how much stuff is in your head right now

10,000 years ago the only thing that

humans probably had to think about was

finding food keeping themselves alive

and keeping their loved ones alive but

today it looks something like this keep

in tab of the 100 notifications from 50

different apps scheduling and

rescheduling all the meetings in the

week to stay on top of work making time

to work learn stay healthy be social

have a good dating life maintain

friendships and relationships be

presentable juggle multiple projects

catch up on all the shows and movies

look at other people's life on social

media feel guilty for not doing enough

try to live up to that life and try to

be mentally sane while lying in bed half

watching a YouTube video that is telling

you how to stop overthinking it's

officially too much so today we are

going to talk about how to solve this

problem of overthinking how to get out

of the loop of negative thoughts in your

head stop feeling mentally fatigued all

the time and how to get unstuck this is

everything we'll cover in the video

video it is going to be a detailed one

because I want you to have all of the

information so that you can take the

best decision for yourself so go ahead

grab a cup of coffee or tea grab a

notebook hit that subscribe button and

let's get started now given the modern

times that we live in we all overthink

stuff but it looks different for

everyone now you might be like me and

overthink big life decisions or your

social interactions like that comment

you made at a party last week and

whether people judged you for that or

you might be like my mom and over think

every single detail in your life from

the angle of your Center table to what

will happen if you don't make the right

choice today or you might be somewhere

in the middle the truth is that

overthinking happens to everyone at some

point in their life because it has

developed as an evolutionary response it

allows us to look at multiple possible

scenarios and choose one that is most

likely to ensure our survival the

problem happens when we get stuck with

the thoughts that are not necessarily

important to our survival in any way but

they keep going on in a loop in our head

and we cannot seem to get rid of them

but why does that happen why do our

thoughts keep going on in a loop inside

our heads without resulting in anything

else besides making us feel tired and

overwhelmed all of the time the answer

is fear overthinking is often driven by

an underlying fear fear about the future

fear about how the past actions might

catch up fear of making mistakes fear of

taking the wrong decision and even

negative experiences in the past that

make you fearful of of having them again

in the future and this fear makes us get

stuck in a cycle of emotional reasoning

which is basically believing that if you

feel something or if you experience an

emotion then it must be true for example

if I am afraid of social situations this

means that my brain is generating

thoughts telling me that I am awkward

and that people judge me when I interact

with them now this makes me feel

uncomfortable and Afraid of the

situation itself and because something

makes me feel uncomfortable my brain

starts believing that it is true and

that I must avoid it now this is

something called cognitive Fusion in

Psychology where we basically have

trouble separating ourselves from our

thoughts and our feelings we see the

world through the length of our thoughts

instead of treating them as separate

from our own identity so let's

understand how can you deal with this

Loop of overthinking and how you can

defuse yourself from your thoughts now

I've divided this section into two parts

the long-term Solutions and the

shortterm solutions the long-term

Solutions were to reframe your entire

mindset and basically tackle the root of

the problem while short-term Solutions

help you in the moment to snap out of

your overthinking phases so that you can

put a pause to it and think more

rationally so let's go ahead and look at

the long-term Solutions first you start

by building awareness and identifying

your triggers now you cannot begin to

stop something or solve something that

you are not even aware of so the first

step in stopping your overthinking

journey is to become aware of when you

are overthinking and also identifying

what leads to these phases of

overthinking what are your triggers and

one of the easiest ways to get started

with this is to start a practice of

daily journaling a reflective daily

journaling which means you sit down at

the end of the day and write down how

your day went in your Journal ask

yourself how you felt what went right

what went wrong what energized you what

didn't energize you all of these

questions and answer them religiously

every single day at the end of the day

day now doing this before bed basically

helps you process all of the emotions

that you might have gone through

throughout the day and this improves

Your Sleep Quality and your sleep is not

Disturbed and when you do this practice

consecutively when you do this practice

for a few weeks together you will start

to find out patterns in your thinking

you will start to find out patterns in

your day in your behavior in the people

around you in your environment that lead

to these bouts of overthinking so this

automatically makes you aware of what is

causing these bouts of overthinking

thinking and this also automatically

makes you off the periods when you are

more likely to overthink next you want

to focus on how to restructure how you

fundamentally think this is called

cognitive restructuring and there are so

many different ways to do it I'm going

to share a few that I have found

particularly helpful and I hope that

these will help you as well first is

labeling your thoughts now this involves

recognizing thoughts as thoughts and not

as your entire identity you are not your

thoughts your feelings are not facts

your thoughts are not necessarily

reality and this exercise of labeling

them helps you identify that for

instance let's say that I didn't get a

job that I applied for and my brain is

telling me that I am a failure so now

instead of right away believing that

you're a failure you take a pause and

then you rephrase this sentence you

label this thought as I am having the

thought

of this so I am having the thought that

I am a failure this does not mean that

you are a failure you not identifying

yourself as a failure you're identifying

that you're having a thought that you

are a failure you can also write it down

if it helps and this little change of

labeling your thoughts as I am having a

thought that can help you see your

thoughts as separate from your identity

it's a process called cognitive defusion

we talked about cognitive Fusion where

we see ourselves merged with our

thoughts so this process basically helps

you defuse your thoughts from your

identity it of course takes practice so

you want to do this again and again

whenever you have these thoughts keep

reminding yourself that it's not me who

is this thing it's a thought that I'm

having next you want to start asking why

this is again a journaling practice you

can also do it without a journal if uh

that is plausible for you personally I

think it works better with a journal so

let's say that you have a thought that

I'm a failure right first you label it

as I am having a thought that I am a

failure and then you continue asking why

you are having this thought in the first

place to get yourself to the root of the

problem you're just asking these why

questions to yourself so why am I having

this thought in the first place oh

because I did not get that job that I

applied for so why did I not get that

job because a maybe they wanted someone

with a different skill set or B because

I was not prepared for the interview oh

I was not prepared for the interview and

that gives you a clear answer now this

means that you're not a failure you just

need to prepare better for the interview

and that is something that is easily

achievable and that also helps create

that identity shift where you stop

seeing yourself as a failure and you

start to recognize that it's probably an

action that led to that outcome that

made you feel this way another thing you

can try is something called leaves on a

stream strategy this is a visualization

technique used in act or acceptance and

commitment therapy where you visualize

yourself sitting by a stream so you

close your eyes visualize yourself that

you're sitting next to a stream and

there are leaves falling in the river

that are floating by and each of the

thought that occurs in your mind you

assign that to a leaf that is floating

by and then you just watch it Drift Away

now this exercise particularly helps you

detach from your thoughts and simply

observe them you understand that you are

a third party observing your thoughts

you are not your thoughts if you don't

want to imagine leaves you can also

imagine clouds in the sky and it works

the same way you can also think of your

thoughts like TV channels I personally

find that analogy quite helpful because

you can decide which channel to stay on

and you can decide which channel to flip

away from

another thing you can try is something

called exposure therapy now this is

specifically for when you have

identified your triggers when youve

identified what triggers the onset of

your overthinking so basically gradual

and controlled exposure to whatever

trigger is causing this B of

overthinking can actually help you

become desensitized towards it and then

it does not cause the same wave of

emotions in you that it does now so

let's say that going to social

situations or parties triggers

overthinking about your self-esteem and

your self worth worth now you could

completely avoid such parties and that

means that your social life comes to a

complete stop or you can practice

gradual exposure which is start by going

to smaller Gatherings or start by going

out with one single friends interacting

with them and seeing how that impacts

you come back and journal and try to get

an objective view of the situation and

remind yourself of how your thoughts

don't necessarily reflect reality now

all of these exercises basically help

you detach from your thoughts and

observe them in instead of view reality

through them now coming to the next

thing that you want to do which is

training your brain to refocus its

energy now mostly when we overthink we

end up being stuck in a negative Loop

Imagining the worst case scenario or the

worst aspects of a past decision or

event but we can actually train our

brain to snap out of these thoughts and

also look at the positives so that over

time our dwelling on the negative

thoughts actually reduces so the first

thing you want to do here is start by

scheduling worry time this technique has

been found to be quite helpful for

anxious and overthinking people

basically you just set a time in the day

it could be 15 minutes 30 minutes an

hour hour and a half whatever works for

you and you block that time out in your

calendar and basically that is the time

when you can sit and worry about

whatever you want to worry about when

you can overthink about whatever you

want to overthink about and whenever you

start getting these repetitive thoughts

throughout the day you pause take not of

them in a journal or in your notes app

and tell your mind that you are going to

worry about them or you're going to

think about them between the time of 5:

and 6:00 p.m. let's say that's the time

that you've set right and when you do

this this basically signals to your

brain that you are not treating your

thoughts lightly and therefore your

survival is not threatened and you train

yourself to not give into your triggers

immediately most of us when we get these

you know negative thoughts anxious

thoughts we tend to act on them or we

tend to keep spiraling down and keep

feeling bad about ourself but when you

schedule this time you train your brain

to understand that you have time for

this and you don't need to immediately

act on that emotion the next thing you

want to do is practice gratitude taking

time out every single day to become

thankful for the good things in your

life this is one of my favorite things

to do and it can be the smallest things

like being able to drink coffee in your

favorite mug or it can be something huge

like having a roof over your head I

personally do this every single morning

where I just list down five things that

I'm grateful for that day and that

automatically sets the tone for my

entire day like I always go throughout

the day with a feeling of gratitude in

my mind and when you do this over time

it trains your mind to look for things

to be grateful for instead of dwelling

on things that are probably not so great

one more gratitude practice that certain

therapists use for overthinkers is

asking them to thankk their thoughts

itself this technique basically involves

acknowledging that your mind is

attempting to help protect you by giving

you those negative thoughts the purpose

of negative thoughts thoughts is for

your mind to be able to protect you so

when you actually take the initiative

and thank your mind for having these

thoughts it becomes a lot easier to get

over them for example if your mind tells

you something critical like you're a

failure you might respond with thank you

mind for trying to keep me from making

mistakes but I'm going to take a

different direction it's like having a

dialogue with your brain itself I

personally have found it to be

particularly helpful so I really want

you guys to give it a try and the light

in the video has suddenly changed

because the sun has gone behind a cloud

or something so please ignore next we

come to visualizing positive outcomes

now this is another one of my favorite

techniques and this basically involves

creating positive visualization spirals

for things you otherwise obsessed over

so let's say that you constantly

overthink your career or what you are

going to do after college I want you to

dedicate 5 to 10 minutes in the morning

to sit down and visualize your life in a

way that everything has worked out for

you

visualize yourself living your best life

in relation to that particular thought

so if you're afraid that whatever choice

you make today is going to lead to an

XYZ outcome just sit and imagine that

you've taken this decision and your life

is the best life you are living this way

you're basically contrasting your

negative thoughts with positive ones and

when you do this every day it keeps on

becoming easier to do it becomes much

easier to believe that reality the

positive reality instead of just

obsessing over the negative outcomes now

all of these practices take time they

take consistent effort and if you are

really bothered by your overthinking you

have to be willing to put in the effort

towards improving your mindset and your

mental health but at the same time you

also need quick fixes or quick hacks and

practices that help you break that

overthinking loop on a day-to-day basis

so that you can actually get to these

long-term practices so here is what you

do one create an anchor to bring you

back to the present so an anchor is

essentially focal point that helps you

ground your thoughts and return to the

present moment when you find yourself

drifting into a spiral of overthinking

there are several different things that

you can use it can be an actual physical

object like a small stone or a fendant

like I have it have one right here it

can be a bodily sensation like the

feeling of grass beneath your feet or

the sensation of cold water on your neck

or the sensation of deep breathing and

feeling that air in your lungs it can be

a picture or a visual queue as well or a

sound or a musical queue right whatever

you feel comfortable with personally

whatever you feel most ins syn with

choose that and once you have that thing

that you want to call an anchor for me

it's the sensation of breathing and this

pendant I want you to spend time

building an association of that anchor

with a calm state of mind so basically

you are doing classical conditioning

here where you're conditioning your

brain to treat that anchor as something

that calms you down instantly and how do

you do that you take that sensation or

you take that physical object let's say

that this is the pendant that I've taken

now I will sit and meditate and calm

myself down and all the while I will

keep you know like let's say rubbing

this pendant between my fingers now what

that does is over a period of time when

I am associating this pendant

continuously with my meditations with

that feeling of calm even if I'm not

meditating and I touch this pendant it

will instantly bring that sense of

calmness to my mind right now it will

bring me back to the present and this is

extremely helpful when you are stuck in

that bout of overthinking so let's say

I'm daydreaming suddenly touch this

pendant I realize that I am overthinking

and I come back to the present the next

thing you want to do is create a list of

mindfulness practices now mindfulness

has been proven time and again to help

with overthinking with anxiety with any

sort of mental health issue honestly but

here are a few things that you can do

specifically for overthinking the first

thing is mindful breathing I absolutely

love this I do this from time to time

and this is a fundamental practice where

you just sit Focus solely on your

breathing so you uh become aware of your

inhales your exhales how that feels

inside your body and that helps bring

back your attention to the present now

this is a fundamental mindfulness

practice where you focus solely on your

breath sit in a comfortable position

close your eyes and pay attention to the

Natural flow of your breathing notice

the air entering and leaving your lungs

and the rise and fall of your chest

chest or the expansion and contraction

of your stomach now when your mind

Ponders gently bring your attention back

to your breath it is as simple as that

another thing you can do is a body scan

meditation where you just sit with your

eyes closed and start becoming aware of

each part of your body starting from one

side I usually start with my right toe

and then move it up my leg and you know

on the right side of my body and then

come back down the left side of my body

as you focus on each part you start

noticing any sensation any tension or

disc comfort you start to release that

and this practice helps you become more

attuned to the physical Sensations and

less caught up in your mental shatter

another thing you can do is mindful

walking where you turn a simple walk

into a mindful exploration so you do

this by focusing on the sensations of

your body like your feet touching the

ground or the rhythm of your steps The

Sounds around you and the feeling of air

around you and this practice can be

particularly helpful for people who

don't like to sit in one spot and

meditate and like can't sit still for

very long right so you can just walk and

observe things around you and that makes

it a lot easier to be mindful and be

present rather than just be in your head

all of the time you can also practice

mindful awareness which is becoming

aware of something in your current

surrounding that you didn't notice

before for example if I'm sitting here

and I challenge my brain to notice five

things that I can see that are red so I

see the inside of my cup I see a

thumbtack I see a plug and this

basically forces me to come out of that

mental jail and start focusing on things

in the here and now now these practices

basically allow you to break all of that

mental noise that mental chatter that

continuous loop of thoughts and come

back to Here and Now one more thing you

can try as a part of your short-term

Solutions is something I like to call

scenario journaling I like to do this

particularly for obsessive thoughts that

will just not go away no matter what

I've tried right and this is something

that you have to do when you are having

this thought so your daily journaling

practice is something let's say that you

do at bedtime but this is something that

you will need to do when that thought

comes into your head so what you do is

create four columns on a sheet of paper

or your iPad or whatever wherever you

want to take notes and in the First

Column is for your thoughts the thoughts

that you are currently having whatever

thoughts you want to list the second

column is the worst case scenario of

those thoughts the third column is the

best case scenario of those thoughts and

the last column is what is most likely

to happen realistically now there was

This research a long time back I covered

it in an Instagram real which says that

97% of what we worry about never

actually happens so this exercise

basically helps you realize that over

and over again till it becomes a habit

so let's say that I'm overthinking about

quitting my job what's the worst case

scenario that I will be broke for a few

months I might not find another job

right away and what's the best case

scenario that I find a job even before I

quit and it is much better paying and it

makes all of my dreams come true so it's

the best job that I ever wanted so

that's the best case scenario and what

is most likely to happen most likely I

will find another job if I start looking

right now and realistically that is what

I should do so all of that overthinking

that I have about quitting my job all of

the things that I'm thinking boil down

to this one realistic scenario now this

basically allows the rational part of

your brain to intervene and tell your

body and your mind what you are thinking

and worrying about is probably not going

to happen now I've tried covering as

much as possible in all of these points

because I want you guys to take away

from this whatever you find helpful and

start applying this to your lives right

now because these are very very

practical solutions that you can start

off with right now watch this video

again if you need to note down things

again if you need to and figure out what

is particularly helpful for you and

start there and Before I Let You Go I

want to share a few affirmations with

you as well and you can start including

these in your daily journaling practice

or your visualization practice to

basically retrain your mind and speed up

this entire process it's only a thought

and a thought can be changed it's a

thought not my identity I control my

thoughts my thoughts don't control me I

have the power to choose what I think

about I'm at peace with my past my

present and my future I embrace calmness

in whatever I do I have been through

hard times before and I'm okay I'm going

to be okay I can deal with whatever life

throws my way thoughts are not facts

thoughts are just thoughts and finally

we come to the homework so out of

everything that I've covered today I

want you to get started on these three

things in the next week first create an

anchor point it could be an object a

sensation a sound cue visual cue

whatever you want to use and start

meditating while having that anchor next

to you so that you start making that

Association in your head that this Anor

Anor calms you down the next thing I

want you to do if you've not done it

already is start daily journaling at the

end of the night look back on your day

and assess your feelings and your

triggers and I want you to do this at

least for a period of 4 weeks and

finally you are going to start one

mindfulness practice where you learn to

understand your physical cues I

personally like I told you like deep

breathing and meditation I also love

walking but you can try whatever feels

best for you and that was it for today

video so if you enjoy this video If you

learned something from it I would be

very grateful if you can share this with

your friends your family members whoever

needs it right now whoever might be

struggling with overthinking because

let's face it we all need help sometimes

and make sure you check out this video

next after you've taken a break and all

of that jazz because YouTube says that

you are going to love it and I am going

to see you guys very very soon in

another one bye