16 Gentle Reminders to Quiet Overthinking

How to stop overthinking?

Let’s try this exercise.
I did something similar back when I was an athlete after “bad races.”

1.    First off, write down the specific mistake or failure you’ve been thinking about a lot.

For example:
→    I missed an important deadline at work.

2.    Now, reflect on how this mistake makes you feel.

Write down the emotions it brings up for you.

For example:
→    I feel “guilt”
→    I feel “shame”
→    I feel “regret”
→    I feel “anger”
→    I feel “sadness”
Just be aware of your emotions associated with that mistake.

3.    Now ask yourself:
→    How has dwelling on this mistake affected my thoughts, feelings, behavior, and/or relationships?

For example:
→    It made me feel less confident and worried about my job.

This way, you’ll be more aware of the impact of that mistake.
At the same time, you’ll be more motivated to improve your “relationship” with it.

4.    Alright! Now it’s time to challenge your negative thoughts.

Ask yourself these 2 questions:
→    What negative thoughts or beliefs do I have about myself related to this mistake?
→    What is a more balanced and compassionate perspective to this thought?

For example:
→    “I’m not good enough at my job” (Negative thought)
→    “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. This doesn’t mean I’m not capable. It’s an opportunity to learn and improve” (Compassionate perspective)
5.    Now my favorite part — stick with me!

We can learn a lot from our mistakes, right?
Great! So, let’s extract a lesson from that mistake.
“Um, how…?”

Simple! Ask yourself:
→    What valuable lessons can I extract from what happened?

For example, your lesson could be:
→    I’ve learned the importance of double-checking details before submitting work”

6.    Okay! Final step!

Let’s transform that lesson into a mantra.
“Um, a mantra?”
Yes, a mantra.

Your mantra has to be:
→    Up to 8 words long
→    Phrased positively
→    Stated as a directive

For example, the mantra extracted from your lessons could be:
→    “Double check details before submitting work!”

As you see:
→    It’s up to 8 words
→    It’s a positive statement
→    It’s stated as a directive

And guess what?
Over the next 30 days, you’re gonna repeat it every day.
So you can internalize that special lesson into your life.

At the end of the day, it’s all about perspective, right?

Those past screw-ups are really special — if you look at them with the right lens.