How to Stop Overthinking Every Little Thing

1. Challenge negative thoughts

Do you have a tendency to jump to the worst-case scenario? Like thinking one small work mistake means you're going to lose your job and then become homeless. To the overthinking brain, these leaps don't always seem unreasonable, which is why it's important to take a step back when you notice your thoughts are starting to spiral out of control. Challenge your brain. Is it really that bad? What evidence do you have that the worst will happen? Pressing pause and reflecting on your worries can help you turn your attention to solving them. Which leads us to...

3. Set a time limit on worrying

It's not so easy to stop worrying entirely, so allocate yourself 'worry time' each day. Choose a time when you have nothing else you need to be doing, and put a limit on how long you're allowed to think about it. This should be no more than 20 minutes. Then, if a negative thought comes up outside the 'worry period', tell yourself you have to set it aside for later. When that time comes around, you might have even forgotten about what was bothering you.

4. Try mindfulness practices

Mindfulness practices, like concentration meditation, aren't for everyone, but you lose nothing by giving them a try. Especially as YouTube is full of free meditation videos. So, in times of stress, why not set aside 30 minutes to embrace mindfulness? You can even keep active in the process with walking meditation or a yoga session. If it doesn't work for you, then that's okay. But if it does, you've found a new way to calm your mind and stop overthinking.

5. Log your overthinking pattern

Try to break the habit of overthinking by tracking your triggers. When you find yourself ruminating, jot it down in a journal, including:

• The date and time.
• What you're worrying about.
• What caused it.
• How it's making you feel.
• How long you've been thinking about it.
• What you want to/should be doing instead.

After a while, you might start to spot patterns in your overthinking. For example, it could happen more when at certain times of day, when you feel you should be doing a particular task, or even when you watch a specific TV show that triggers unwanted emotions. When you find these patterns, you can start to break them by adding new habits and distractions to your day.

6. Find a good distraction

Sometimes, to stop the vicious cycle of overthinking, we turn to negative distractions (think overworking or doom-scrolling). Before you go down that hole, find good, healthy distractions instead that keep you busy and, above all, happy. It could be a new hobby, like painting, walking, crocheting, cycling or cooking. Or it could be trying self-care, like giving yourself a massage or a facial each night. Side note: if you go down the massage route, try the CBD Muscle Balm and these massage tips. Not only will they keep your mind distracted, but they'll help you work out tension from all that stressing too.

8. Do an act of kindness

One of the very best distractions is a good deed. By helping someone else, you not only quieten down a busy brain, but you also get that feel-good boost of a job well done. So, try an act of kindness – big or small. It could be something simple, like sending a nice message to a friend who needs a pick-me-up, or something bigger, like taking part in volunteer work to support your local community.