Does everyone worry and overthink? The answer to this question is straightforward, Yes. Everyone fears; everyone overthinks sometimes or gets worried about their problems and future. The question should be how often do you deal with it.  Research by University of Michigan psychology professor Susan Nolen-Hoeksema tells us that 73% of 25- to 35-year-olds chronically overthink, along with 52% of people ages 45 to 55. Although overthinking itself is not a mental illness, it can be a major factor for different mental conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. Overthinking is more like a  vicious cycle of negative thoughts that leads you to down a rabbit hole. It also hinders your basic problem-solving skills and affects your everyday life. 

Some of the types of overthinking are:

• Catastrophic thinking: Catastrophizing is when we imagine the worst possible outcome for a situation, even when there is no evidence to support that it will happen.
• All-or-nothing thinking: All-or-nothing thinking, where we see things as either completely good or completely bad, with no middle ground.
• Overgeneralizing: Generalization is when we take one negative experience and assume that it will happen again and again in the future. This can lead to us feeling hopeless and defeated and can make it difficult to cope with challenges.

Here are some easy, unique, and homemade remedies to cope with it:

• Write down your thoughts or Journal. A relevant way to get rid of overthinking, this can help you to get them out of your head and onto paper, where you can see them more objectively.
• Set realistic goals. Setting unrealistic goals can lead to feelings of disappointment and frustration, which can make overthinking worse. Make an everyday chart or to-do list, start with 1 or 2 tasks to complete per day, and increase eventually.
• Learn to say no. Learning to say no to requests that you don’t have time for or that you don’t want to do can help to reduce stress and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.
• Take breaks. If you find yourself starting to overthink, take a break from whatever you’re doing and do something that you enjoy. For eg; while studying if you start to overthink, take a piece of paper write down all the thoughts and take a 5 min break and then continue studying
• Reward yourself and acknowledge your efforts. When you reach a goal or progress, reward yourself with something you enjoy. This will help to reinforce positive behavior and make it more likely that you’ll continue to take steps to manage your overthinking.
• Nature exposure. When you’re feeling stressed, it’s important to find healthy ways to relax. Some people find that yoga, meditation, or spending time in nature helps them to relax.
• Art Therapy: Draw your way out of it, it could be a healthy way of coping and a good distraction, and hey! drawing doesn’t mean making masterpieces scribbling counts too! 
• Listening to upbeat Music: listen to any music that you know will put you in a better mood, it can be rock, pop, RNB, k-pop, or rap! Nothing beats the funky beats and good lyrics 
• Identify your triggers. Once you know what triggers your overthinking, you can start to develop strategies for dealing with them. You can even write these down and in front of it write ways to deal with them, for future reference.
• Thought blocking or Challenging your thoughts. When you find yourself overthinking, ask yourself if your thoughts are realistic or helpful. Ask the question, “Does this thought serve any purpose in my life?” and if not then it’s not worth the time and effort, or simply just tell your mind to STOP.
• Give yourself a pep talk. If you don’t feel like talking to yourself go ahead and give yourself a pep talk, you can do this out loud (for better results) or in your head
• Focus on the present moment. Practice mindfulness and grounding. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. There are many different ways to practice mindfulness, such as meditation, yoga, walking, going out or simply taking a few deep breaths. When you worry about the future or the past, bring your attention back to the present moment.  

Not-so-unique but helpful ways:

• Talk to someone you trust. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re struggling to cope with overthinking, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend, family member, or therapist. Everyone deals with it they would be considerate about it and might even give you a new point of view. Talking about your worries can help you to process them and feel less alone. 
• Get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly. When well-rested, you’re better able to cope with stress and anxiety. Eating nutritious foods can help to improve your mood and energy levels, which can make it easier to deal with overthinking, exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Exercise included walking or jogging you don’t need to have a workout routine.
• Accept that you can’t control everything. One of the main reasons why people overthink is because they try to control things that they can’t control. Remind yourself that you can’t control everything and that it’s okay to let go.
• Be patient with yourself. Changing your thinking patterns takes time and effort. Be patient with yourself and don’t give up if you don’t see results immediately. If you’ve been overthinking for weeks you can’t expect it to get better in a day or two!
• Don’t take yourself too seriously and Remember that you’re not alone. Overthinking is a common problem that affects millions of people. Remember that you’re not alone and that there are things you can do to manage it. Sometimes, the best way to deal with overthinking is to simply laugh it off. You’re human and you are bound to make mistakes.
• Seek professional help. If you’re struggling to cope with overthinking on your own, consider seeking professional help. A therapist can teach you coping mechanisms and help you to develop a plan to manage your overthinking. Reach out to us for further details, click on this link for a session with our psychologist.

– Urveez Kakalia and Sakshi Merai.