Slip Out from the Chains of Overthinking: Practical Steps for Mental Clarity

As we dive into “Slip Out from the Chains of Overthinking: Part 2,” imagine taking a moment to breathe deeply and acknowledge the weight that overthinking can impose on your spirit. You are not alone in this struggle; many people find themselves caught in a whirlwind of thoughts that often spiral out of control. However, the good news is that with awareness, practical strategies, and a focus on what God is doing in your life, you can break free from this exhausting cycle. Here, you will begin to recognize the catalysts of overthinking and learn effective techniques for transforming your mindset. By embracing the possibility of change, you can cultivate a more peaceful inner world and grow into a closer relationship with God, who desires nothing less than your well-being.

Embracing Awareness to Move on From Overthinking

You have the power to sidestep the mindless habit of overthinking. Remember, a significant number of thoughts can come into your mind uninvited, like guests stomping in with muddy shoes, disrespecting your mental space. These unwelcome thoughts are usually negative and stem from faulty thinking patterns that have been reinforced over time. If you want to disrupt this cycle, start by observing your thoughts for just one day, as if you were a scientist studying a test subject. When intrusive thoughts invade your space and start cycling rapidly, take a moment to watch them. Just watch them and ask the Holy Spirit to come in your mind with you as you observe these thoughts. Don’t attempt to solve or suppress anything; just observe. Understand that fighting these thoughts often ends up causing more chaos. By simply observing, you’re allowing the thoughts to lose their energy, ultimately watching it fade away (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). Simply asking the Holy Spirit to help you focus on a helpful perspective seems like it would be easy, but what makes it seemingly difficult is when the Holy Spirit asks you to begin releasing your grip on controlling conditions around you and focus more on self-control.

Assuming the role of an observer means noticing your thoughts as they are, rather than battling against them (Kross & Ayduk, 2011). You will not win the battle with intrusive thoughts; the cognitive process of battling them overwhelms your emotions, and this is what empowers them all the more. Observe the emotions tied to these intrusive thoughts as they are welling up at the core of your overthinking. The instinctual push to run or fight is your subconscious trying to protect you from perceived threats. It is quite the dilemma when your emotions are allowed to do your thinking for you, or overthinking for you.

We all have areas where we feel incompetent. When faced with our limitations, your ego may emerge defensively, often pointing fingers at others instead of recognizing your own role in creating undesirable conditions. If you find yourself ready to unleash your frustration on someone, pause and ask yourself, “Who am I really fighting with?” You may discover that you’re projecting an unresolved inner conflict onto others. Recognizing this can release you from the cycle of blaming. Does this mean that you adapt to a cycle of blaming yourself? Certainly not! It simply means taking responsibility for your actions.

With practice, you can become adept at observing your thoughts (Baer, 2003). You’ll learn about the underlying emotions tied to these thoughts and the impact these emotions are imposing on you. This practice will reveal that thoughts often come reflexively and run automatically. While you may have solid reasons to believe negative narratives, the grim perceptions they create can distort reality, thus, creating a grim reality. As you gain more awareness about your overthinking, you are likely to uncover that your subconscious emotions have been controlling your conscious thoughts. That is an inverse relationship between your conscious and subconscious mind; this is a diametrically opposed relationship dynamic. Recognizing this will help you exhibit more self-control over emotionalizing your thoughts. Now that you’re aware of the nature of these intrusive thoughts, let’s explore why they keep popping up.

Recognizing the Catalysts of Overthinking

Understanding what triggers overthinking is essential for maintaining your emotional well-being. Overthinking often roots itself in negative experiences or fears, steering clear of positive life aspects. You may find yourself scrutinizing how threats are closing in on your most vulnerable parts of yourself. To break free from this cycle, it’s helpful to identify what evokes strong negative emotions like fear, anger, or sadness. Triggers can vary from words spoken by others to specific situations or actions you observe. Recognizing these catalysts is crucial, as they can spark a chain reaction that leads to prolonged overthinking.

3 Common Triggers to Overthinking

Past Trauma: Events from your history can resurface through similar stimuli—things like sights, sounds, or smells can offer an emotional flashback. For instance, if you suffered abuse as a child, seeing parents speaking sternly may trigger that trauma. Similarly, someone who lost a loved one to smoking might be adversely affected by the smell of cigarettes. These triggers can indicate unresolved trauma that can be tackled through therapy and by developing healthy thinking patterns.

Conflict Over Beliefs and Values: Your beliefs shape your thoughts and actions over time. Coming up against conflicting beliefs—whether in religion or social issues—can trigger a wave of intense emotions. Your beliefs offer a sense of security, and when they’re challenged, it can feel like a personal assault.

Preserving Self: Your ego encompasses your sense of self, influenced by various factors like thoughts, values, memories, and desires. It aims to maintain your identity and shield it from threats. When significant threats arise, your ego may react defensively, leading to various responses, from heated disagreements to extreme aggression. A well-balanced ego, however, helps you connect with others and see their value. Practicing introspection and acts of kindness can nurture your ego, making it easier to manage triggers and reduce overthinking tendencies. Remember, these catalysts stem from your subconscious reactions, shaping your reality and imagination.

Transforming Your Mindset to Overcome Overthinking

Getting caught up in overthinking can feel like a small, fierce Chihuahua gnawing at your ankles, making you feel hopeless. But you can begin reshaping your thoughts and emotions, rewriting the harmful scripts that play on repeat in your mind. By shifting your approach from resignation to realization, you’ll start noticing ways to make your mind less appealing to intrusive thoughts. Placing your aim on resolving these inner conflicts will help you identify where they originate. Keep in mind that anything you consume via the 5 senses can contribute to the arrival of intrusive thoughts.

“If you want things to change in your life, you are going to have to make some changes in your life.”

Consider these two questions on a scale of 1-10: What is your willingness to learn, and what is your willingness to accept change? A high willingness to learn new behaviors and communication styles is vital for signaling to intrusive thoughts that they’re not welcome. As you become more aware of overthinking triggers, you’ll notice that your choices might inadvertently inviting these intrusive thoughts to come back. Yes, change is necessary! If you want to change things in your life, you are going have to change some things in your life.

Reducing Information Overload to Reduce Overthinking

In today’s world, you’re constantly bombarded by excessive information. Overthinking often stems from the relentless flood of data from TV, the internet, and social media platforms (Brosschot, Gerin, & Thayer, 2006). This constant influx can shape how you think, even if you’re not aware of it. Much of the media can carve deep grooves of insecurity and doubt into your subconscious, leading to exhibit fear and conflict inside your mind. This ongoing tide of information fills your mind with trivial details, distracting you from what truly matters and causing you to dwell unnecessarily on irrelevant issues.

I had a client who is a mountain bike instructor. He tells his students to focus on the path around obstacles rather than the obstacles themselves. This advice applies to life: pay attention to where you want to go, not what’s in your way. By minimizing information overload, you can concentrate on your goals and the person you desire to become.

Appreciating the Present as an Alternative to Overthinking

Ruminating can detach you from the engaging with world around you, preventing you from fully experiencing the value of being with others. You might think, “I don’t want to connect with people anyway.” Yet, practicing social skills in a relaxed and open manner can help (Shapiro et al., 2006). Those who overthink often project their fears onto their surroundings. You may feel hurt, craving reassurance while you worry others are judging you. This inner conflict makes it difficult to appreciate the present moment.

To counter this effectively, acknowledge your tendency to overthink and actively take steps to reconnect with the world. When you shift your focus outward, you might find yourself becoming curious about new experiences. Seeking to broaden your horizons will offer you a variety of positive thoughts, breaking the cycle of rumination.

It’s important to accept your reality, which can bring calm and help you approach challenges more objectively. Dwelling on negative thoughts won’t yield positive results; it’ll only amplify feelings of anxiety and insecurity. By shifting your focus outward, you can learn to appreciate life more and lessen overthinking (Hofmann et al., 2010).

Transitioning from Negative to Positive Thinking

Embracing positive thinking can help you reframe thoughts that limit your engagement in life (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Actively reframing negative thoughts before entering new experiences can lead to better outcomes (Ochsner & Gross, 2005). For example, if you recently lost your job and fear supporting your family, rather than sinking into thoughts like “Why me?”, consider the possible benefits of this situation. Ask yourself, “What can I do with my newfound time?” or “How might things turn out positively?” This shift enables you to focus on what’s possible, rather than what feels impossible, steering you towards constructive thinking.

Utilizing Rational Self-Dialogue Against Overthinking

Overthinking often arises from fears of incompetence, as your ego generates endless scenarios fearing negative outcomes. When you catch yourself spiraling into negativity, engage in logical self-dialogue to unpack those thoughts (Wells, 2009). Questioning and analyzing them can help you assess their validity. When you pinpoint that your fears are largely fueled by insecurities, a calming realization can replace the turmoil.

Establishing Psychological Distance from Negative Thoughts

Creating space between yourself and intrusive thoughts changes your relationship with them. You learn that those thoughts don’t necessarily reflect reality and don’t always originate from your mind. Humans often mistakenly view thoughts as consciously crafted, failing to recognize them as mere words and images seeking attention. This misunderstanding can lead you to overly identify with these thoughts, which can spiral downwards.

By recognizing that you aren’t your thoughts, you can regain a sense of control (Kross et al., 2011). There are subtle changes you can make to detach from negativity. For instance, instead of saying, “I’m a total failure,” try, “I notice I’m having the thought that I am a failure.” You may find this adjustment seems trivial, but changing how you communicate with yourself can create profound shifts in how you relate to others. This new perspective enables you to see your thoughts as separate entities, allowing you to preserve emotional distance from them.

While you’re at it, pay attention to how often you say “need” or “should.” When was the last time someone told you, “You need to do A, B, or C…” and you thought, “Wow, thanks for sharing!” Most people don’t enjoy being told what to do, even by themselves. Instead of saying, “I need to…” or “I should…,” try “I want to…” This simple change can motivate you, clarifying your intentions. For example, rather than saying, “I need to change my child’s diaper,” you could say, “I want to change my child’s diaper because I want them to feel comfortable.” This shift in language can lead to meaningful updates in how you interact with your thoughts.

Making the Mindset Shift

Now it’s time to make that shift. Keep these strategies close:

1. Keep Your Expectations Realistic: Overthinking often arises from unrealistic expectations of yourself or others. Setting attainable goals allows you to relieve the pressure that triggers overthinking.
2. Accept or Change: A negative mindset will only heighten overthinking. Challenges are a part of life, so you can either accept situational realities or establish boundaries to lessen their impact.
3. Stay Engaged with Life: Finding healthy outlets for your thoughts can challenge overthinking. Engaging in activities that draw your focus away from negativity can be therapeutic. Even if you feel unsure, it’s okay to start learning something new.
4. Recognize What’s Beyond Your Control: It can feel comforting to control every aspect of your life! Instead, zoom in on the things you can control—your actions, your choices, and your communication. Cultivating self-control empowers you to take charge of your life (Bandura, 1997).

Final Thoughts

As this two-part exploration into the of overthinking comes to a close, I wonder how you might feel empowered to take actionable steps toward reclaiming your mental clarity. Remember, it’s all about making small, consistent changes that reflect your willingness to learn and your willingness to accept change. By recognizing and addressing the catalysts that fuel your overthinking, you can steer your thoughts towards a more authentic perspective. Trust that God is coming alongside you in this journey, providing wisdom and understanding as you transform your mind and heart.