Written by: Lach Ravelo

5 Reasons to Stop Extreme Overthinking and Anxiety

Self-Development

Do you constantly worry about things that might go wrong? “Don’t think about it too much” should be your mantra. Here are some reasons why.

Many of us are so focused on reaching success that we often overthink, so much so that we spend an entire evening (or evenings!) worrying about the future. Or even worse. 

Some even obsess over recalibrating plans for days, sacrificing precious time and energy, recalling past mistakes, and ruminating countless “what ifs.”

But the harsh reality is this: If you are pursuing success by overthinking things that you can neither change nor control, you could be simply setting yourself up for failure. 

To help you steadily move towards success, you should stop extreme overthinking and anxiety. And here are the top reasons why: 

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When you’re not anxious, you make better decisions. 

stop extreme overthinking and anxiety

In your journey towards success, you will find yourself in many situations that require you to decide. 

Most times, it can be a simple decision that will not have a huge impact on your life; 

But what if you’re presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where a single decision can make a life-changing impact?

Overthinking can take a toll on your performance. It can get in the way of your ability to concentrate and pay attention. Above all, it uses significant brainpower and energy, so much so that it leaves you stressed even though you haven’t done anything significant to keep you moving forward towards your goals. 

Remember that it would be more difficult for you to come up with the best course of action when you’re overthinking things. This also means that you might end up wasting precious hours that are better spent working towards your goals. 

You might believe that by overthinking, you are crafting a perfect way to achieve your goals. But take it from clinical psychologist Helen Odessky: overthinking is counterproductive

Odessky believes that overthinking traps you in a vicious loop that’s constantly creating problems. 

And get this: these problems? They’re not supposed to be there in the first place. 

In other words, when you overthink, you dedicate so much of your time and energy to things that don’t actually even matter. 

So, our advice? Don’t waste time on extreme overthinking and anxiety. 

Weigh your options, then decide on the best course of action given the circumstances. Just move on and carry out your decision. 

When you stop doubting your decisions, you’ll be a step closer to success by getting things done.

Don’t think about it too much and you’ll soon notice improved health. 

don't worry about it meaning

In case you haven’t noticed yet, overthinking has negative effects on your physical and mental health

It’s common knowledge that sleep is critical for our brain to function at its best. As it turns out, sleeping actually changes your brain in ways that positively affect your mind and life in general.

When you spend time worrying, especially late at night in bed, it’s difficult to get enough sleep. This is because extreme overthinking and anxiety before sleep push your brain to go into overdrive, taking away peace and calmness from your mind.

When you lack quality sleep, you might feel your energy draining throughout the day. Or even worse, you might end up nursing a headache. 

But there’s one more thing that you need to keep in mind. When your brain lacks the rest it needs, it cannot operate at optimum capacity. And if this continues for a long time, the entire ordeal could end up ruining your chances for success. 

So, just be reminded from time and time again: move on from extreme overthinking and anxiety.

By setting things aside by the time you go to bed, you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep and have the energy you need to keep winning. 

You get even more creative when you’re not overthinking things. 

don't worry and think about it too much

Obsessing over the perfect solution to a problem does not bring you a step closer to solving it. 

In fact, it takes you several steps backward as extreme overthinking and anxiety can lead to “analysis paralysis,” a state wherein the overactivity in your prefrontal cortex suppresses your creativity. 

Additionally, with insufficient sleep, your ability to focus on tasks decreases, preventing you from making creative solutions to problems. 

When you don’t think about it too much, you can develop innovative ways to address a problem or conflict.

You gain clarity when you set your worries aside. 

don't think about it too much and gain clarity

Let me break it up to you: overthinking makes it harder for you to focus on your goals. 

When your mind is occupied with worries, doubts, and unnecessary thoughts, you tend to focus more on what has gone wrong and what could go wrong. This hinders you from seeing the bigger picture.

As a result, this keeps you from setting clear goals and reaching them. 

When you take control over extreme overthinking and anxiety, you empower your mind to develop a clear vision of what you want, what you need, and what you need to do to reach success. 

By overcoming extreme overthinking and anxiety, you begin to feel happier. 

get happier by not thinking about it too much

Constant thinking affects your overall happiness. 

When you change your mind countless times, it’s hard to get things done. 

Even more so, not accomplishing anything causes guilt and regret — two powerful emotions that can discourage you along the line. 

Furthermore, constantly ruminating on your thoughts may trigger other negative emotions such as sadness and despair. 

Thinking about the past can be beneficial as it allows you to learn from your mistakes. However, fixating on things that you don’t have control of does more harm than good. 

You have to realize that spending hours thinking about “what’ if’s” will not improve your circumstances; it will just make you feel bad about yourself and hinder you from taking action. 

And if this continues for so long, you might find yourself — yet again — trapped in this cycle of rumination, low productivity, and lack of outcomes. And it gets worse as it progresses, too. 

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Living in the present moment is key to achieving happiness. 

When you get past extreme overthinking and anxiety, you free yourself from fears, regret, and worries. This freedom provides you the inner peace you need to feel happy. 

Happy people tend to set and achieve more ambitious goals than those who aren’t. They have a better opinion of themselves and their capabilities, too. Above all, they empower themselves to persist in difficult situations.

Stop extreme overthinking and anxiety. Take action today. 

don't think about it too much

By stopping unnecessary thoughts from occupying your mind, you become more aware of opportunities. You also get to enjoy life more by relishing the present moment. 

No one wants to be stuck in the vicious loop of extreme overthinking and anxiety. And yet, numerous people can’t easily do away with this habit. 

That’s why you need to make a conscious decision to stop the pattern once and for all. 

Stopping yourself from extreme overthinking and anxiety cannot be done overnight, though. Much like achieving success, it is a long process. 

However, if you want to reap the benefits mentioned above, you need to lessen anxiety and doubts to keep you from reaching your growth and success.

That’s why I encourage you to tell yourself, over and over again: “don’t think about it too much,” so you can skip extreme overthinking and anxiety.

Every day you go out to hustle is worth trying. Sooner or later, you’ll find more value in your actions than your thoughts, and you’ll be able to see your dreams materialize through your continuous effort.

Got something on your mind? 

Did I miss anything? Do you want to add something to this list? 

Or, do you have any questions? Need to clarify anything?

I’m all ears! Leave your comments below. 

I try to personally respond to each one!

 

don't think about it too much

Disclaimer:

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