If you accuse someone of overanalyzing things, then it is very likely that they will come back in defense with a response that negates your statement. Would it be a response that is true to the reality? Probably not.
The reason for this is that most of us live our daily lives in such a daze that often times we do not pay heed to things we do on a subconscious level. Think about it. How many times do you find your mind drifting about during the course of a day?
Since humans are introspective animals by nature, these wanderings of our mind often lead us into a state of over-analysis where we judge and question things that have happened to us, things that might happen and things that others might have said about us.
What does it get us in the end? Nothing but loads of stress. So today we will take a look at some ways in which you can cut down or even completely eliminate this bad habit of constantly overanalyzing situations.
The Past Doesn’t Deserve Your Attention
Bad things that have happened to you or undesirable situations that you might have been in the past do not deserve even a second of your attention, unless the focus is on the lessons you have learned from them.
Let’s face it. You cannot change your past or the things that have happened before. Trying to constantly stuff your brain with negative emotions emanating from days gone by is like trying to draw water out of a stone. It doesn’t serve any purpose at all and the outcome is always disappointing.
Letting go of the past is very important if you want to stop overanalyzing it. A good way to do that is to talk to someone who cares about you or a professional counselor and get the bad energy out of your system. Or you could simply start a journal and write out all the feelings and frustrations that have plagued your mind for far too long. Forgive, forget and move on.
Stop Being Anxious About the Future
Just as you did with the past, so must you do with the future. Being anxious about the future, worrying about what might happen and constantly dwelling in such over-analysis will cripple you in the present moment.
Just like the past, you cannot control your future. You can simply use the current moment to take the right decisions, execute the right actions and work hard for a better one. But instead, if you constantly wonder about what might be in store for you in days to come, it will only prove to be counter productive.
Most importantly, whether you worry about the future or spend time dwelling in the past, you are missing the present and the wonderful moments that escape your attention simply because you were not present.
Often towards the end of the year you hear people saying something along the lines of “this year went by so fast.” Wrong.
The year went by as it always does, it is you who were not living in the present. The best time of your life isn’t in the past, neither is it waiting for you in the future. The best time is right now! As the famous Buddhist saying goes,
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
Use Self Talk to Keep Yourself in Check
We talk to ourselves all the time. It is often referred to as being inside your head and it is also what we do when we overanalyze things. But what if you could change the way you self-talk to completely eliminate over analysis?
Think about it. If some people are giving you a weird stare there are two ways in which you can react.
1- “Those people are looking weirdly at me. Do I look funny? Oh god! I must get away from this place without seeming awkward.”
2- “Those people are looking weirdly but why do I care? Am I such a wuss that I can’t stand a bunch of people glancing at me for 5 seconds?”
The latter might seem weird but it works wonders. Poke fun at yourself and your monkey mind will give up its fight to make you feel worse. As a result of this, your tendency to overanalyze situations will disappear.
Meditation is The Best Solution
So earlier we talked about being in the present moment and not indulging in time travelling forwards or backwards. While it might make sense to you on a theoretical level, how do you put this into practice?
Well, meditation is the easiest way to do that. This is the primary reason why monks indulge in hours of meditation everyday and so do many of the most successful people in the world.
It is important to remember that meditation is not a religious practice. It is simply an exercise that aims to bring peace and calm to your mind.
Simply sitting in once place, closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing is a meditation in itself. A quick YouTube search on meditation will lead you to countless guided meditations that you can listen and follow along.
There are also freemium apps like Calm and Headspace that can ease your transition into the world of meditation. Researchers have proven that, even meditating for five minutes everyday can bring about beneficial changes in your brain.
So let’s not sugar coat it and call it what it is. Over-analysis is a stress disorder that if not quelled, can lead to serious problems like crippling anxiety and even depression. Stop fretting over small things, put an end to the mental stress you indulge in constantly and eliminate the habit of worrying.
Believe that you can do it. If you still have any doubt, then go back to the top and read this again. I assure you; all your answers lie here within.
Check out more stress management techniques.