Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.

PROJECT OF THE WEEK

Can Overthinking Be Your Superpower?

In my experience, one trait that many successful individuals have in common is the characteristic to overthink situations.

Overthinking is often associated with being disadvantageous, resulting in fear, self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep.

With so many disadvantages to overthinking, I bet you’re wondering how can it be a superpower.

Believe it or not, there are advantages to overthinking. There is a lot of power in reframing our thoughts. This includes rethinking the habit of overthinking (see what we did there?!) and harnessing the profound impact that reframing our thoughts can have on our mental health.

Overthinking situations can lead to:

Researching solutions
Taking time to reflect
Asking trusted individuals what they would do or have done in the same situation
Not making impulsive or short-sighted decisions

If you can see the value in overthinking, then you are more likely to not try to fight it.

It's often our negative self-talk that exasperates the ruminations and leads to increased anxiety, depression, and sleep issues.

Getting Started

How can I reframe my habit of overthinking?

The best place to start is by taking a few moments to reflect on a situation where you remember feeling completely overwhelmed and overcome with stress. Think about what happened. What was your original reaction? What were your immediate thoughts on what you should do or say?

If you are an overthinker, you likely didn't react in the moment. Instead, you likely spent the next day or week ruminating about the situation and the best solution.

When you finally decided how you were going to respond to the situation, what did you decide?

Was the solution different than the solution you thought of at the time the situation occurred?

If the solution was different, was your final choice a better solution than your original?

In my experience, allowing our minds to run through situations over a few days, or a week, leads to better decision-making.

Making better decisions is how overthinking can be your Superpower.

The next time you are blind-sided by a difficult situation, tell yourself and the person involved in the conflict, that you are going to take a few days to think about the situation before responding.

This has two benefits:

This will give you the time you need to make a thoughtful decision, based on facts and experience, not emotions.
This will give your brain permission to take the time it needs to process the situation.

By reframing the habit of overthinking, you will likely experience fewer of the disadvantages, while continuing to benefit from the advantages.

Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks

What if reframing my habit of overthinking isn't enough?

While reframing "the story you are telling yourself" is valuable, it is likely only a part of the solution.

What further steps can I take to minimize the disadvantages of overthinking?

I recommend taking the time to write down the thoughts that are swirling in your head. It's amazing how a thought can re-run in your head 50 times, but once you write it down, the re-runs stop. (This is also true when feeling overwhelmed due to uncompleted tasks. Write down the tasks you need to complete - or utilize your new app - and plan accordingly.)
Schedule a time each day to just "think". If the thoughts pop into your head, at a time that's inconvenient, tell your brain that you will think about it later. This is especially powerful if you are having trouble sleeping.
It may sound corny, but thank your brain for taking the time to think through this challenging situation. By doing this, you will minimize your feelings of depression and anxiety over your thoughts.
Consider starting a meditation practice. A valuable lesson of meditation is learning how to see your thoughts, notice them, and then let them go. You are not your thoughts!
When negative self talk starts, talk back. Respond with a story that supports your highest self.
Create a "List of Advisors". Call the advisor that you feel would be best to talk through the situation. If you don't get what you need from them, call someone else. You might be surprised by who gives the best feedback and support.
Give your brain a deadline. Usually it's best to wait between 48 hours and a week to respond, depending on how complicated the situation is. After a week, the benefits of thinking through the situation are diminishing and the disadvantages are likely starting to take over.

A Note from Happy Spaces

The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:

Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.

We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.

Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®

Sincerely,

Sarah Weingarten

Meet Sarah

Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.

Is Overthinking Your Super Power?