How to Reduce Stress and Overthinking

A Story of Meera’s Awakening

Her chest frequently felt tight, her sleep was interrupted, and her smiles felt forced. Meera was drowning in a sea of overthinking and stress, and she was unaware of it as she sat by the window, her eyes scanning the quiet street below while her mind raced through a hundred different scenarios — thinking about work, her family, her future, and even things that hadn't happened yet.

Aarav, her younger brother, paid her a visit one afternoon. He was serene, playful, and strangely constantly happy, which was the exact opposite of Meera. He discovered her in her typical spot, lost in concentration and gazing out the window.

He gently chided, "You've been in the same place since I arrived." "Are you considering saving the world once more?"

Meera let out a sigh. "Aarav, I just can't turn it off. My thoughts are constantly racing. What if I make a mistake? What if I overlook something crucial?"

Let me tell you a story," Aarav said as he took a seat next to her.

He started. A farmer once had a cart full of merchandise to sell at the marketplace. He was concerned as he rode past the village. What if everything is ruined by rain? What if my horse happens to trip? What happens if nobody purchases anything? He was so preoccupied with "what ifs" that he failed to notice a large boulder in the road. When the cart struck it, it flipped over. Everything he had poured. He missed what was going on because he was preoccupied with potential outcomes.

Meera chuckled a little. "It sounds like me."

"That's right," Aarav said. Stressan overanalysingg only serve to keep us paralyzed by fear. However, there are strategies to quiet that inner fury. Do you want to listen to them?

She gave an enthusiastic nod.

Aarav advised taking deep breaths first. It works, even though it sounds too easy. Your brain receives a signal from deep breathing that you are safe. Try it right now.

Meera inhaled deeply, then exhaled through her mouth and nose. After a few repetitions, the tightness in her shoulders gradually began to release.

"Secondly," Aarav went on, "jot down your ideas. When your thoughts are racing, write them down. You'll begin to distinguish between what is genuine and what is merely concern.

After fetching a notebook, Meera spent several minutes scribbling. She was shocked to learn that half of the things she had been worrying about weren't real or urgent.

Aarav grinned and continued, "Third, move your body." Stretch, dance, and take a stroll. Your mind relaxes when your body moves.

That night, they strolled to the park. Birds were chirping, the breeze was mild, and Meera felt lighter, as if her thoughts had slowed to the cadence of her steps.

Finally, Aarav advised, "engage in mindfulness exercises." Remain in the here and now. Avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Life is living in the now.

For the first time, Meera genuinely understood and nodded. She started putting Aarav's counsel into practice during the ensuing weeks. She set aside time to journal at night, take long walks, take deep breaths in the morning, and concentrate on one activity at a time rather than juggling ten in her mind.

She wasn't flawless, and occasionally she reverted to overanalyzing. But every time, she recalled the farmer's tale and reconnected with herself.

She had a cup of tea and a gentle grin on her face as she sat by the same window one evening. She observed the outside world calmly rather than anxiously. Meera had discovered that stress and overanalyzing could be subdued by relaxing the mind within the world, not by manipulating it.