Overthinking is bad. Overthinking is the biggest cause of unhappiness. 10 ways to stop overthinking and start living..
Ok, we all get the picture. Overthinking is the latest action, to be thrown under a bus, as a bad idea. A nifty buzzword used to lump everyone together and give them generic and impersonal advice, to fix non specific problems or areas of life. This current cap on overthinking, was last decades, claptrap on the Positive Mental Attitude. A one size fits all ‘stop doing that and start doing this’ life saver.
‘Thinking is hard work; that’s why so few do it’ – Albert Einstein
Thinking it through, used to be the sensible approach to most things. Think about your plans, course of action and possible outcomes; be prepared. School coursework was all about the thesis, the experiment, probabilities and results. We have all been told, at some point, to just think about it. Sleep on it. Take some time and mull it over.
Overthinking leads to unhappiness. Unfortunately, unhappiness is also caused by thoughtless and reckless behaviour. Many times, I have waded into a situation, without thinking, to my detriment. As I have got older, I think about things much more and I love that. I think all the time about the big events and smallest of occurrences. So am I overthinking? Is overthinking bad?
Overthinking – To think about something too much, in a way that is not useful.
I was born in the Era that spawned the tagline ‘The mind is a terrible thing to waste’. That line always resonated with me. Using my mind to think, reason and work things through, is who I am. My personality and individuality, is all my mind and my thinking. Without my mind and the thoughts contained in it, I am just a sack of organs, walking about.
Overthinking is just thorough. It only becomes an issue when your thinking stops you from living or moving forward. Is that thinking…or is that fear?
Fear can be paralyzing. It can stop you moving on, going forward, living. Can over thinking? Depends on your thought process I guess. What if you are rationalising, some very good questions. Pondering some very enlightening points. What if your thought process, makes you see things, in a completely new way.
Overthinking can cause delays. You may think yourself in and out of a situation. You may weigh up all the pros and cons, of an idea, before pursuing it. You may play out possible scenarios, in your head, before jumping in. Is that wrong? A waste of time? A waste of your mind?
Are you just being prepared for all eventualities or over thinking, perhaps procrastinating?
Procrastinating – To keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring
So in terms of over thinking, who determines the level of useful to a person thoughts?
In procrastination, who decides if the next contemplated action is boring?
The individual. You. Me.
Am I over thinking? No I am using my brain the way I was meant to. In a way in which I enjoy being able too. Am I procrastinating? Well, now that depends on the action. At work I used to power through the mundane jobs, to get them out of the way. Now I’m at home, if something has to be done, I will do it – boring or not. However, if it’s boring and I can leave it…I will do that too. Procrastination or free will?
So think on my friends. Think however you want for however long you like. Or don’t think at all. Don’t analyse, just go for it. Take that leap of faith and boldly make that step. I do think a lot but I have also quit my job with nothing to go to. Packed up my life and moved to a new city for love. Said I do, more than once. Totally winged situations, where the only thought in my head was showing up.
Overthinking is only bad, if it prevents you from taking action, in a situation where you should or need too. Not thinking is only bad, when you or others are harmed in the process. The vast galaxy of space, between these two points, is all ours to think about.
The mind is strong, it’s beautiful and ours. So if you choose to clear your mind today or clutter it, enjoy the simple ability of that action. I will no doubt do a mixture of the two, several times today – because I can. I overthink and enjoy it.