Written by Nat Young – Clinical Hypno-Psychotherapist and Yoga/Pilates Teacher.
Have you ever got stuck in a cycle of ‘overthinking’ which has paralysed you into a corner? Overthinking occurs when we get stuck in a cycle of worrying and negative thinking within our own heads. This cycle can be really difficult to break. Worrying is very normal but did you know it’s also an evolutionary response to danger?
Once upon a time humans were hunter gatherers. We’d have to hunt and gather our own food and we’d always be on the lookout for threats such as predators. We therefore became ‘programmed’ through evolution to worry and be constantly on guard to protect ourselves from threats. These days it would be extremely unlikely to be eaten by a sabretooth tiger but our ‘worry’ response can (unhelpfully) still go into overdrive and sound like a broken record.
If you notice you’re overthinking and worrying, one thing you can do is practice stopping it in its tracks. Try this 3 step process to help with overthinking:
- Recognise you’re overthinking (this is probably the most difficult and it takes practice!) Mentally say ‘STOP!’
- Focus on facts rather than ‘what ifs’, ‘buts’ and ‘maybes‘. This can help you to make sense of your thoughts and understand if your worry is an actual problem that you might be able to do something about or a fear that’s outside your control.
- Distract your attention outside your head by doing something else. You could talk to friends/family, meditate and focus on your breathing, crack on with a hobby you love, do some yoga or exercise or, look out the window and notice the sounds of nature.
If you’re a worrier and would like a little assistance, Hypnotherapy can be incredibly helpful. Through our online hypnotherapy sessions together, I’ll help you draw on your own ‘toolbox’ of resources so you can begin to free yourself from the constraints of anxiety and overthinking.
Even better, I’m offering online hypnotherapy sessions at just £40 in January (normally £60) so why not get in touch today to get your new year off to a great start?