Overthinkers Should Write A Whole Lot More Than They Think

To tell you the truth, I am an overthinker and the only way I’ve felt sane is when I write my thoughts out. At some point, I thought it would be childlike to do so but I realized that it’s a form of freeing one’s mind. It doesn’t matter what age you are. If you’re an overthinker, this can be helpful. It doesn’t have to be a secret diary or a long journal entry (Unless you want it to be). It can simply be releasing those unsatisfying thoughts from your mind onto paper.

Will you never overthink again? No, I still do to this day, but writing is something that can help you think a lot less because you have more awareness. Those brain cells can be used to your advantage for the better and you can make room for thoughts that are more useful

Here’s why I suggest overthinkers should write

1. What’s Internal Becomes External

The same way you inhale and exhale is the same way you can take in thoughts but can also free yourself from those thoughts. Over time I had to learn that you don’t have to be a victim of your thoughts. Victory can come out of this if we are practicing ways to let go of what is hindering our minds. You can disengage with what’s internally conflicting with you by letting everything flow from you.

What is once a constellation of notions in your mind can be something else on paper. There were times when I didn’t fully realize what I was thinking until I wrote down what I felt at that moment. I jotted down every detail.

As you are writing, you are also clearing out your mind. Placing what once was in you onto something outside of you. You don’t have to hold onto the weight of your thoughts because let's be honest, sometimes it can be draining. When you overthink your thoughts begin to get a hold of you.

Once everything is written out you can even throw the paper in the trash, rip it, or burn it. By doing so, you’re getting rid of those unhealthy thoughts that don’t have to be a part of you anymore. I once saw a video with a girl who would hold onto the past. Her tactic of freeing her mind from the past was writing thoughts out on toilet paper and then flushing them down the toilet. And all of this stuff may sound unusual, but if you write you’re also giving your mind a break from that constant state of worrying. You are reminded that it’s okay to let go sometimes.

2. You’re Not Preoccupied/Distracted

Sometimes our thoughts can even keep us from the real world. It’s easy to drown everything else out. It’s those moments where we wander off into space when someone is talking to us or when we are so lost in our heads that we miss the important parts of our lives.

When you write, you’ll have a better focus on yourself and with the people you’re surrounded by. You don’t have to deal with those ongoing thoughts interrupting your course of life. You can be present in the moment when you’re not so tense and anxious.

3. Self-Reflection Becomes More Fruitful

There were times when I wished I didn’t write half of the things I wrote. There were times when I even thought, I’m a total nutcase but no, I’m a human who’s going through battles like everyone else. Truly, I don’t think I’d change anything about writing my thoughts out because it’s the utmost truth. I’ve learned more about myself from writing than I did embark on this journey of “figuring life out”

As I look back at my collection of journals, I understand more of who I am. I understand my strengths and weaknesses. I know where I’m doing well and I know where I need to improve. With the power to write, you can reflect on the things you wrote by analyzing what is true and what is not. Sometimes when thoughts are clustered in our minds we don’t realize how much we are feeding ourselves with inaccuracy than over accurate information. You can’t always figure things out in your head. The same way we were once taught as children to solve mathematical equations on paper is often a tool that can be used with our thoughts too.

You are able to visually see how you think. You are able to understand your thought patterns. You are able to perceive what is positive and what is negative. You can build yourself around these concepts, learning more about yourself along the way and growing along the way as well.

You can even ask yourself a series of self-reflection questions. Here are a few examples.

1. What problem am I trying to solve?

2. What can I do today to better my mind?

3. Where am I giving significance to that doesn’t need it?

Simple questions like these go a long way because ultimately you get to see how you respond to them. You are discovering how you think from the outside in. To think everything through mentally all the time can be a challenge. This is why when businesses do projects they use a series of graphs and charts to display their ideas. They study patterns, and data, and perform thorough research. You can do this same thing with yourself.