Hindi ka na naman nakatulog kaka-overthink ‘no?

Baka naman kasi busy lang talaga siya kaya hindi agad naka-reply.

Chour!

What are you overthinking today, Breaker?

Maraming nagsasabi na wala namang masama mag-overthink kasi nag-iisip ka lang naman ng solutions sa problema mo…

Hep hep!

True ba talaga or na-stuck ka na lang sa mind mo at hindi maka-breakthrough?

Let us explain. Scroll down mo, dali!

Breaker, overthinking is different from problem solving.

Problem solving simply means actively looking for a solution, sabi ni Amy Morin in her article The Difference Between Helpful Problem Solving And Harmful Overthinking from Forbes. “In other words, you are figuring out how to sharpen skills, employ strategies, and take action steps. You will know that you are problem solving when you decrease your stress,” she said.

While overthinking naman “involves over-analyzing, worrying, and ruminating. These actions cause you to dwell on the problem at hand and prevent you from developing a solution,” she explained.

Problem-solving helps you move forward; overthinking keeps you stuck.

Gets?

At, eto pa.

Merong tinatawag na 2 forms of overthinking – ruminating and worrying.

Kapag sinabing ruminating, it involves rehashing past mistakes or painful memories.

Eto ‘yung, “Hala! Bakit kaya hindi niya ako pinansin kanina? Galit kaya siya sakin? May ginawa ba akong mali? FO (Friendship Over) na ba kami?”

Sounds familiar?

Kapag sinabi mo namang worrying, it’s making predictions sa future mo.

Eto naman ‘yung, “What if pagdating ng araw iiwan niya rin ako? Tapos makahanap siya ng mas gwapo or maganda, mas mabait, mas matalino. Paano na ako? Tatanda akong mag-isa.”

Ayorn! Relate ka ba, Breaker?

So, ang tanong na ngayon, paano ka magbe-breakthrough if you’re stuck in your mind?

Breakthrough tip #1: Distract yourself.

Bakit?

Kasi “the more you try to avoid the thought from entering your brain, the more likely it is to keep popping up,” sabi pa rin ni Amy Morin in her other article 6 Tips to Stop Overthinking from Psychology Today.

‘Di ba?

For sure, you have tried na pigilan ‘yung thoughts mo pero wa epek. Lalo ka lang na-stress! Lalo ka lang na-stuck!

So, what you can do is to distract yourself, not with alcohol or binge-eating kasi hindi ‘yan good for you. Unhealthy coping strategies kasi ‘yun.

But, busy yourself with exercise or calling or chatting your friend or family and talk about something not related sa ino-overthink mo. Puwede rin working on a project or any healthy activity.

“A brief distraction can give you a break. And it may get your mind focused on something more productive. And, your brain might even develop a solution for you when you stop thinking about the problem,” Amy Morin said in her article How to Know When You’re Overthinking by Verywell Mind naman.

Speaking of solutions, here’s…

Breakthrough tip #2: Solve the problem.

Imbis na ma-stuck ka sa thoughts mo, challenge it.

Parang ganito…

From “I can’t believe this happened” change it to “What can I do to prevent it from happening again?”

From “I don’t have good friends!” to “What steps could I take to deepen the friendships I have and find new ones?”

Oh, ‘di ba?

Pa-ravan!

Advice ‘yan ni Ryan Howes, PhD in an article Psychologists Explain How To Stop Overthinking Everything by Thomas Oppong of the Medium.

Eto pa.

From “Never na ako makaka-move on sa ex ko!” change it to “Babasahin ko ‘tong Dealing with Breakup? 3 Tips on How to Move On from your Ex to help me cope.”

Gustomoyon?

Pero, Breaker, seryoso “once a ruminative thought becomes repetitive (or starts out that way) we need to catch it and convert it into a useful problem solving task — by posing it as a problem that can be answered as opposed to one that cannot be,” sabi ni Dr. Guy Winch in an article How To Stop Overthinking Everything, According To Therapists by Ryan Howes, PhD BuzzFeed contributor.

Breakthrough tip #3: Schedule your “thinking time.”

Cool ‘no?

Pati pala thinking time puwede ma-schedule sabi ni Amy Morin.

Nakakaubos kaya ng oras ang mag-overthink!

So ganito ang gawin mo, Breaker. Carve out 20 or 30 minutes of thinking time in your daily schedule tapos doon mo ibuhos lahat!

“Let yourself worry, ruminate, or mull over whatever you want. Then, when the time is up, move onto something more productive.”

If you find yourself ruminating or worrying outside your dedicated time, i-remind mo ‘yung sarili mo na “Hep hep! Hindi mo pa time mag-overthink. Bukas pa ang schedule mo.”

Ganern!

These tips require practice kaya it is important na maging consistent hanggang sa maka-breakthrough ka from your overthinking habit.

At, one more thing, Breaker.

Please do seek professional help because overthinking “may be a symptom of a mental health issue, like depression or anxiety. On the flip side, it may also increase your susceptibility to developing mental health problems,” says Amy.

Kailangan mo ba ng help with this?

Text mo lang kami sa 0999-227-1927 or call 8-737-0-777.

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