Friday Fix: An Exercise That Will Help You Stop Overthinking and Feel Better
#030 Friday Fix: An Exercise That Will Help You Stop Overthinking and Feel Better
Do you ever get something stuck in your head and you can’t stop thinking about it? When it’s something like a song it might just feel a little annoying.
But when it’s an unpleasant event that you keep rehashing or a catastrophic outcome that you keep imagining, overthinking will take a toll on your mental health.
Thinking about negative things can cause you to feel bad. And the worse you feel, the more likely you are to keep dwelling on the negative. It’s a vicious cycle that can be hard to break.
So in today’s Friday Fix, I’m sharing one of my favorite exercises from my therapy office that can help you stop overthinking. This quick exercise can help you stop ruminating and it can improve your mental health.
So if you tend to replay conversations in your head over and over again or you overthink an email to the point that it takes forever to hit send, this episode is for you.
Quotes:
“Thinking about things you can’t change and ruminating on bad things that happened to you makes you feel bad. And the worse you feel, the more likely you are to think more negative thoughts.”
“Overthinking, worrying, and ruminating is really bad for your mental health. It’s linked to higher levels of emotional distress and increased rates of anxiety and depression.”
“There’s no evidence that says the longer or harder you think about something, the more likely you’ll be to develop a better solution. In fact, studies show taking a break from thinking about something is actually linked to better solutions.”
Links:
Facebook: facebook.com/AmyMorinAuthor
Instagram: instagram.com/amymorinauthor/
Twitter: twitter.com/AmyMorinLCSW
Books:
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do
13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do
My TEDx Talk – The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong
Resources:
If you want more information about how to develop healthier self-talk, visit Verywell Mind. They offer tons of free resources and articles that can help you learn how to calm yourself in a healthy way.
If you’re interested in talking to someone, try BetterHelp. They can connect you with a licensed mental health professional who you can talk to via messaging, phone call, live chat, or live video.
I may receive compensation from BetterHelp or other sources if you purchase products or services through the links provided on this page.