Learn to stop overthinking

Is it better to think or not to think? That is the question. It is true that the mind is a great instrument, but it is also true that it works continuously from sunrise tonight without taking breaks. Every mechanism or engine needs a period of rest to allow it to function properly, and the same is true for the mind.

The mind is similar to a machine that operates continuously. It involves always thinking, analyzing, comparing, and evaluating, as well as discussing and making remarks. It's constantly occupied with some project or another. It is preoccupied with anxieties and fears, and it often invents issues that do not exist before attempting to address them. Allow me to ask you a question: do you turn off your car's engine when you get to your location, or do you leave it running? No, you always make sure to turn it off.

Do you switch off your car's engine when you park it to go to work or when you go back home from work? No, you do not leave it running while you are away. Despite this, you keep the engine of your mind running at all times, even when there is nothing particularly interesting to ponder about. The process of thinking continues indefinitely. Because you have gotten used to this procedure, you may not even be aware that it is taking place.

When did you first become aware that your mind was continually processing information? When do you notice that your thoughts are interfering with your ability to concentrate? This occurs when you have to study, work, or pay attention to details, or when you have to concentrate on anything that takes your whole concentration. The restlessness of the mind becomes apparent at this point.

Should you allow your mind to be active all of the time? Isn't it healthier and wiser to take a break from thinking from time to time and allow your mind to rest? Is there anything to be gained by obsessively obsessing about minor matters?

Learn to be the master of your mind, to be the one who determines when to think and when to stop thinking, what to consider and what to reject, and you will be considerably more successful in life.

Permanently focused thought reduces awareness, impairs creativity, causes worry and indecision, and inhibits you from broadening your consciousness and seeing life and the world from a more expansive viewpoint.

I'm not saying that you should quit thinking totally. Thinking is a helpful and beneficial activity that everyone should engage in. You need it for a variety of activities such as studying, working, carrying out tasks, and managing the day-to-day concerns of your life. Also necessary for decision-making and goal-setting is the ability to communicate effectively.

However, there is often an excessive amount of thinking or overthinking. The mind is constantly flooded with unimportant ideas that flow through it at all times of the day. Like a leaf swept by the wind, these ideas squander your energy and time by directing your attention in the wrong direction.

The issue is not whether or not to think at all, but rather how much to think. It is more about limiting the quantity of "unproductive ideas" that you have in your head. You must learn to put your thoughts aside when there is no compelling reason to do so.

Make an effort to be mindful of your ideas. Learn how to concentrate your efforts. Focus on your ideas by doing concentration exercises at certain times of the day. Reading books and playing brain games like Sudoku helped me tremendously. They soon become fun and you even start to release dopamine by practicing concentration.

Meditative practices can help as well. My favorite is “candle gazing” as it keeps your attention trained on one object. Slowly but surely you start to build a resistance to distraction and overthinking. As they say: A wavering eye is a wavering mind.

Trying to observe your mind dispassionately, and learning to show detachment from your thoughts can be a game changer. One that will allow you to bring focus into everything you do, and improve yourself on all levels.

The combination of all of these measures would go a long way toward decreasing, if not completely eliminating, pointless thinking. This would be a significant step toward inner peace and more control over your ideas, feelings, and attention.

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