Overthinking causes us to spend too much time thinking, getting stuck in a loop of inaction, and turns positive reflection into debilitating worry. Stop worrying and start growing. Here are 11 mental tricks to dash the dissecting and stop the overscrutinizing.1. Stop thinking about every decision or scenario
Reopen the door only when new information knocks
Overthinking goes into overdrive when we keep revisiting decisions we make, refusing to close the door on a call that has been made
- Believe that you’ve done your due diligence, and revisit something you’ve already decided only when you’re presented with new information
Know that overthinking and problem solving aren’t the same thing
Constantly ruminating and going over scenarios and possibilities often disguises itself as problem solving
Get outside and play
Stop spending so much time in your head. Get outside it and switch gears to connect with what’s going on around you so you can take joy in it
Remember the 90-10 rule
This is a ratio for how you should calculate how you value yourself based on 90 percent self-worth, 10 percent assigned worth
- Ninety percent should come from your self-acceptance and self-appreciation, and just 10 percent from that occasional sliver of external validation we all need.
Evaluate the true impact of being wrong
When you can lower the stakes, you raise your ability to get mentally unstuck.
- So don’t overthink it, take the inspiration here and run with it. Without looking back
- Scott Mautz is the CEO of Profound Performance and an adjunct professor at Indiana University.
Assume Good Intent
Overthinkers read too much into things
Embrace uncertainty
When we don’t know something, we fill in the blanks with garbage assumptions
