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Contents
- Overthinking and tips against it
- 7 Ways to increase wellbeing
Overthinking and tips against it
Who does not know it? The permanent thinking with never ending thoughts.
Nowadays, we are often under pressure or have lots of stress, whether at work, with children, in the family or at school. Even some children are suffering too early from too much pressure. Every person is different and individual and everybody has own coping strategies for stressful or lonely situations. One of my coping strategies is permanent thinking, also called overthinking. But if you think too much and too often about everything and everyone, it can have a negative impact on our health. Overthinking can lead to a permanent bad mood, concentration issues, limited productivity, inner tension, fatigue, or sleep problems. Furthermore, it can be a burden for you, your family or friends. I know sleep problems and a temporarily bad mood really well. Especially, the first time after moving to Australia was pretty hard for me, because of having no job or social contacts. I started to overthink and my partner was the one who was suffering from my mood as well, until we found ways to switch off or reduce my thoughts. I also had some patients with overthinking during my work as an OT.
That is why I would like to give you some tips on how to stop or reduce your thoughts.
Maybe one or the other can benefit from it😊
And finally a nice quote:
Once a professor from Chicago said: "Do not think too much, because you already know the answer." And if we are honest, he is not even so wrong.
Nowadays, we are often stressed and have a full schedule. That can have a negative effect on our health and wellbeing. So, it is important to have a look at ourselves and our wellbeing.
In the following are some tips, which can help to increase your wellbeing:
1.) Take time for yourself
It is important to take time for yourself, no matter how stressed you are or full your schedule is.
When you don´t take time for yourself, you cannot live a happy and balanced life, which can have a negative effect on your family and friends. It is not selfish to take time for yourself. 10 minutes per day are enough, if you have to much things to do. Do whatever you want during this time. For example, read a book, do sports, listen to music, be creative etc.
2.) Look in the mirror and smile at yourself
This sounds a bit weird, but try it and you will see that it can change your mood.
3.) Be active - do sports or go out for a walk
Doing sports is always a good way to increase your wellbeing and mood. Even if you don´t like to do sports, try at least a little walk with fresh air or just sit down and enjoy the nature.
4.) Learn something new or try an old interest
Learning can give us new opportunities and can increase our wellbeing, as well. Be creative! Learn an instrument, do a workshop, do crafts or try an old interest again. Every person has wishes, so think about what you would like to learn and try it!
5.) Do relaxation exercises - Yoga, Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Relaxation exercises help us to set the focus on oursleves. At the beginning is can be a challenge to focus completly on you and your body, but after a while, you will see that it can help you a lot. It helps you to get another view, calm down or just be happy.
6.) Be friendly to others or do something nice - you get what you give
Say "hello" to other people, help older people or be a volunteer. Put a smile on other people´s faces. This is good for your wellbeing and as you maybe already experienced in your life- you get what you give. If you are friendly and helpful, others will do so, as well. If you are unfriendly and don´t care about others, you will be alone.
7.) Connect with others - family, friends, workmates
Meet, connect and talk to your family, friends or workmates. Most people feel the same like you and talking about similar topics or having the same hobbies help to be happier and increase your wellbeing, as well.
Sometimes, it is difficult to find time for yourself, but it is important for a happy, healthy and balanced life. It can have a negative effect on your family, friends or workmates, if you are unhappy and unbalanced for a longer time😉
Nowadays, we are often under pressure or have lots of stress, whether at work, with children, in the family or at school. Even some children are suffering too early from too much pressure. Every person is different and individual and everybody has own coping strategies for stressful or lonely situations. One of my coping strategies is permanent thinking, also called overthinking. But if you think too much and too often about everything and everyone, it can have a negative impact on our health. Overthinking can lead to a permanent bad mood, concentration issues, limited productivity, inner tension, fatigue, or sleep problems. Furthermore, it can be a burden for you, your family or friends. I know sleep problems and a temporarily bad mood really well. Especially, the first time after moving to Australia was pretty hard for me, because of having no job or social contacts. I started to overthink and my partner was the one who was suffering from my mood as well, until we found ways to switch off or reduce my thoughts. I also had some patients with overthinking during my work as an OT.
That is why I would like to give you some tips on how to stop or reduce your thoughts.
Maybe one or the other can benefit from it😊
- Thought-stop-technique. Say loud "stop" as soon as your thoughts appear again. This sounds a bit strange, but it is an official method of cognitive behavioral therapy. Or try to be aware of the moments of overthinking and talk to your thoughts, e.g. "There's no time for you now, I'll take care of you later, go away." or something like that.
- Put the focus on solving problems. It makes no sense to think permanent about past situations, because you cannot change them anyway.
- Write down your thoughts. This can help you free your mind. You can create an extra notebook for your thoughts or write them on a piece of paper, which you can throw in the bin afterwards. Throwing away your thoughts can help you to get rid of your thoughts and can give you a feeling of relief. Another method is the traditional writing of a diary.
- Think positive! Yes, I know, that is not always easy. Most of all, because we often tend to think negatively by nature. So do not spend too much time on things that could go wrong. Think better about things that will work out in any case.
- Take deep breaths. Focus on your breathing or count your breaths. This helps you to get away from your thoughts.
- Set a time limit or integrate planned thinking times into your everyday life. These time limits should be between 5-10 minutes, depending on the size and importance of your thoughts. Try not to put these thinking times before going to bed.
- Put tablets and smartphones aside before going to bed. The blue light wakes you up and can lead to sleep issues. That in turn can lead to overthinking again.
- Learn to relax. Learn relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, imaginary journeys (suggestions are also available on youtube), meditation or yoga. You can try these tips either on your own or with the support of a professional. Furthermore, there are special books or apps, as well.
- Talk with others about your thoughts and problems. These can be friends or family members, but also professionals like psychologists or therapists. Decide what suits you best.
- Do not think too much about the future, because nobody knows what the future will bring.
And finally a nice quote:
Once a professor from Chicago said: "Do not think too much, because you already know the answer." And if we are honest, he is not even so wrong.
7 Ways to increase wellbeing
Nowadays, we are often stressed and have a full schedule. That can have a negative effect on our health and wellbeing. So, it is important to have a look at ourselves and our wellbeing.
In the following are some tips, which can help to increase your wellbeing:
1.) Take time for yourself
It is important to take time for yourself, no matter how stressed you are or full your schedule is.
When you don´t take time for yourself, you cannot live a happy and balanced life, which can have a negative effect on your family and friends. It is not selfish to take time for yourself. 10 minutes per day are enough, if you have to much things to do. Do whatever you want during this time. For example, read a book, do sports, listen to music, be creative etc.
2.) Look in the mirror and smile at yourself
This sounds a bit weird, but try it and you will see that it can change your mood.
3.) Be active - do sports or go out for a walk
Doing sports is always a good way to increase your wellbeing and mood. Even if you don´t like to do sports, try at least a little walk with fresh air or just sit down and enjoy the nature.
4.) Learn something new or try an old interest
Learning can give us new opportunities and can increase our wellbeing, as well. Be creative! Learn an instrument, do a workshop, do crafts or try an old interest again. Every person has wishes, so think about what you would like to learn and try it!
5.) Do relaxation exercises - Yoga, Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Relaxation exercises help us to set the focus on oursleves. At the beginning is can be a challenge to focus completly on you and your body, but after a while, you will see that it can help you a lot. It helps you to get another view, calm down or just be happy.
6.) Be friendly to others or do something nice - you get what you give
Say "hello" to other people, help older people or be a volunteer. Put a smile on other people´s faces. This is good for your wellbeing and as you maybe already experienced in your life- you get what you give. If you are friendly and helpful, others will do so, as well. If you are unfriendly and don´t care about others, you will be alone.
7.) Connect with others - family, friends, workmates
Meet, connect and talk to your family, friends or workmates. Most people feel the same like you and talking about similar topics or having the same hobbies help to be happier and increase your wellbeing, as well.
Sometimes, it is difficult to find time for yourself, but it is important for a happy, healthy and balanced life. It can have a negative effect on your family, friends or workmates, if you are unhappy and unbalanced for a longer time😉
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