“Thinking has, many a time, made me sad, darling; but doing never did in all my life….My precept is, do something, my sister, do good if you can; but at any rate, do something.” ~Elizabeth Gaskell
1. Remember that over-thinking does not lead to insight.
You want an understanding of which decision will be best. For this, you need a level of insight into what each decision will lead to. That being said, it is pointless to think about this.
For what reason? Because unless you experience something, you can never, ever know what it will be like.
School, college, moving home, getting married, ending a relationship, changing career paths. However much you imagine what these change will be like, you will be surprised by what you discover when you actually engage in these activities.
Knowing this, you can move forward with a true understanding of what would be best. Acting, therefore, leads to clarity. Thought doesn’t.
2. Know that your decision will never be final.
Over-thinking often comes from the notion that you will make a grand finale decision that will never change and must be correct.
It won’t happen. And that’s a good thing. Would you want to live through your entire future if you could forecast it with perfect accuracy?
It takes away all the flavor of life, in my opinion. You have to understand that no matter how much careful thinking you put into a decision, you can be mistaken.
True inner freedom and tranquility come from accepting that you might be mistaken and realizing that your understanding of a situation and your opinions about it will change over time.
3. Learn the reasons why over-thinking is harmful and let it motivate you.
Studies have shown rumination to be strongly linked to depression, anxiety, binge eating, binge drinking, and self-harm.
In one study, 32,827 people from 172 countries showed that life events were the largest predictors of stress, followed by family history, income and education, relationship status, and social inclusion.
The study did, however, also demonstrate that stress was only triggered by an individual's negative over-analysis of the events; those who refrained from doing so did not feel the same levels of stress or depression, "even if they'd experienced many negative events in their lives."
So, worry about your problems if you wish. So don't claim that nobody alerted you!
4. Keep active throughout the day and tire the body out.
Would you like to know one of the primary causes of your over-analysis?
You can do it because you have the time.
If one spends more time than is required thinking aimlessly, then no day will be productive. A peaceful night's sleep is ensured when one's day is spent working toward admirable objectives.
So consider daily exercise—any physical activity that raises heart rate and improves health.
Walking is exercise. Sports, Pilates, and playing with the dog are too. It need not involve preparation for the upcoming Olympics. Simply move and exhaust yourself.
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