Don’t worry…I’m not going to tell you the cure is “just don’t worry”!
The problem with overthinking is that we’re stuck in a thoughts-emotions loop without escape. Thoughts about what did or could go wrong cause emotional reactions that feed further, related thoughts that stir up more worry and anxiety that causes further, more outrageous thoughts…
How do we break the cycle? Externalization and action.
Step one is to externalize the thoughts. Yes, literally write them down. This forces two things: getting the thoughts out of your head and articulating what you’re thinking or worried about. More subtly, once on paper, we often realize that the big, bad worry isn’t so big or bad.
Step two is to act on what’s within your control. There’s a third part to the loop that successful people add: action. Instead of getting stuck in the thoughts-emotions parts, people who avoid overthinking start acting on what’s within their control. They don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough or just getting started. They’re willing to start because they know starting gives them valuable feedback, and they leave enough room for flexibility to adapt based on that feedback.
So, the next time the loop begins, break it by grabbing a pen and paper, writing down what you’re concerned about, and identifying the next physical, visible action you can take to move something within your control forward. Bonus points if you identify the desired outcome you want to be true.
This is the essence of proactive behavior. It’s always driven by reality-based, externalized, objective, outcome- and action-thinking.
Get it out of your head and get it started…the cure for overthinking.
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