Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present (The Path to Calm Book 1)

by Nick Trenton

mindset. The first is to focus on what you can control and not on what you can’t. If you can control something, do it. But if you can’t, there’s no use worrying about it. In the end, there’s nothing you can do and the best strategy here is to simply accept that and move on. The second is to focus on what you can do, and not on what you can’t. This is similar to the first, but more specific. What are specific things you can and can’t do in certain situations? The third attitude is to concentrate on what you have, and not on what you don’t. We often forget to appreciate all the good things we have at our disposal while focusing overwhelmingly on what’s missing. However, we can correct this by consciously thinking of the good things in our life. Similarly, home in on what you need and not what you want, because the things you want will never end and will never be entirely achievable. This will help you focus on things that are absolutely necessary. Lastly, live in the present, not the past or the future, because what ifs are the best way to fall prey to overthinking. Rumination is anxious, unproductive overthinking. Like other types of anxiety, it can be addressed with awareness and psychological distance. Label thoughts as thoughts and personify or externalize old stories, and get into the habit of asking whether what you’re doing is genuine problem solving or just rumination.