Ways to combat overthinking spirals

From setting a thinking timer to engaging in a focused activity, here are a few ways to combat spirals of overthinking.

When we have anxiety and stress, overthinking is a known evil that we deal with on a regular basis. Not understanding how to control the flow of thoughts and becoming affected by made-up scenarios in the mind is often beyond our control to stop. "Overthinking is so common and so frustrating. It causes millions of people immeasurable stress and anxiety. From an evolutionary standpoint, it was actually critical, as constant thinking leads to problem-solving. However, it becomes a problem when the loop gets stuck and nothing enters or leaves it. No progress is being made, while your energy is being constantly drained away," wrote Psychologist Kelly Vincent.

Ways to combat overthinking spirals (Unsplash)

Kelly Vincent further noted down a few ways to combat the spirals of overthinking:

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Set a thinking timer: Sometimes the brain simply wants to think or find solutions to things. We should assign a particular time of the day to that. When the timer goes off, we should promptly move on to other activities.

Engage in our five senses: Instead of ruminating about possibilities that may or may not happen, we should bring our focus to our five senses. This will help us to get in touch more with our senses.

Write: When the thoughts start to get extremely overwhelming, we can try writing them or journaling them. This often gives us the feeling of pouring our heart out and makes us feel light.

Move the body: Movement has its own pros. We should try moving the body and releasing the pent-up energy stored in the body. Exercising, dancing or simply moving the limbs can help us.