ptoday_19_11_02_HowToStopOverthinking

How to Stop Overthinking

You’re missing out on what’s in front of you

整合自己想法的总结

• 不要过度思考，不要认为不思考就是不好的

• 过度思考，会让你过于负担，而偏离自己的目标，这里我认为是：人的精力是有限的；

• 无论是积极方面的思考，还是消极的思考，都不要过度思考，过度的思考，只会蒙蔽你对全局的了解，导致最后都不了了之

• 思想上的自由，需要自己做思考的抉择，哪些是需要忽略的，哪些是需要摈弃的

• 开始观察自己的思考方式，知道自己想什么，怎么想，做第三者审视自己，这样子大脑才会有更清晰的了解

• 控制好自己思考的时间，一方面是更高质量的思考，更重要的是减少过度思考

• 享受自己的时间，比如和亲人在一起时间，打球运动，与爱的人浪的时间等等都属于重要时间，这个时候就要放开心思好好enjoy

• 打心底的树立“不要过度思考”的观点，养成习惯最好

• 引用小结：I don’t think about my goals, failures, or things I have to do tomorrow. I’m just here.
  Right now. Just like the moment that you’re taking to read these words. When it’s gone,
  it’s gone forever. Realize that on a deeper level, and you’ll never even dare to leave the present.

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How many hours per day do you think?

“I never thought about that,” you’re probably saying. So let me get this straight: You’re thinking all the time, and yet you never consider how much time you spend thinking. That sounds like an addiction to me. I know, because I’m addicted to thinking, too.

Overthinking is a common problem, but when it gets out of hand ,it can lead to sleep disruption, “analysis paralysis,” and even threaten mental health. It’s also a difficult one to diagnose, let alone cure.

When I eat too much, I can say, “I’m overeating. I need to eat less.” When I work too much, I can say, “I’m getting burned out. I need to stop working.” When I drink too much, I can say, “I need to stop. I need a bottle of water.” But when I think too much, it’s not enough to just say “I’m overthinking.” I need a different approach to unclog my brain.

The problem is that most people don’t consider overthinking a problem. When someone criticizes overthinking, we often assume that the problem is dwelling upon or spiraling through negative thoughts. We tend to assume, by the same token, that positive thoughts are good. But it’s a mistake to assume all positive thoughts are good.

What most self-help advice says is to scrap the negative thoughts and double down on the positive thoughts. On the surface, this sounds like good advice. But the truth is that when you overuse your brain, for positive or negative, it can get clogged just like a drain. The result? Foggy thinking. Which leads to bad decision- making.

You are not your thoughts

Thinking isn’t considered a habit to curb because it’s so closely connected to our core identities. No one said it better than Marcus Aurelius in Meditations: “Our life is what our thoughts make it.”

What he’s saying is that our lives are shaped by the quality of our thoughts. I believe in that. However, most of us assume that we are our thoughts.

We say: “Well, I can’t help but think these things. That’s just me.” No, that’s not you. You can decide what thoughts to ignore. I like how Eckhart Tolle puts it in The Power Of Now: “The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the possessing entity — the thinker.”

The only way to stop identifying yourself with your thoughts is to stop following through on all your thoughts. Instead, decide to live in the present moment — where you don’t have time to think, only to experience.

How do you live in the present moment?

Thinking is a tool. Instead of using that tool constantly during the 16 or 17 hours that you’re awake, pull it out to use it when you need it.

But how do you do that? Here’s the four-step process I’ve used to stop overthinking:

• Raise your awareness throughout the day. Realize that too much thinking leads you away from your goals, not toward them.

• Start observing your thoughts. Every time you begin a thought, don’t follow through on it. Instead, simply notice that you started thinking. When you do that, your brain won’t get carried away.

• Limit your thinking to dedicated times. For example, when journaling or setting your daily priorities, sit down and really think. Give yourself a specific amount of time — say, 15 minutes. During those moments, it’s perfectly fine to follow through on your thoughts. What we’re trying to stop is the constant thinking.

• Enjoy your life. Let go of all your thoughts about yesterday and tomorrow. No matter how much you want to achieve in the future, and no matter how much you’ve suffered in the past, appreciate that you are alive now.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you to “enjoy doing the dishes.” That’s not my style. When I’m doing something I dislike, I’ve learned to just do it without judgment.

But when I’m doing something I actually like, no matter how big or small, I genuinely enjoy it. When I’m listening to music, watching a movie, or spending time with my family, friends, or my girlfriend, that’s when I’m in the moment.

I don’t think about my goals, failures, or things I have to do tomorrow. I’m just here. Right now. Just like the moment that you’re taking to read these words. When it’s gone, it’s gone forever. Realize that on a deeper level, and you’ll never even dare to leave the present.

Are you with me? Don’t think too much about it.

英文转自： medium