In this episode, I’ll discuss 5 ways to switch from overthinking to reflecting.
We see overthinking as a bad thing right. Because it makes you anxious and pessimistic and sometimes even obsessive about controlling everything. It makes you tired and you don’t have the sense of joy in little or even big achievements in life. You wasted all your energy in thinking all doom-scenarios.
As a professional unhealthy overthinker, I decided I am going to use this energy in healthy way. Yes, you ca -over-think in a healthy way. We call this reflecting.
I have the 5 points based on my own experience ON SWITCHING FROM overthinking to reflecting. I’m not a doctor nor psychologist, professional so I would 100 recommend you talk to your therapist if you have destructive thinking
1- You start creating new neural pathways.
This one is interesting. Our brain loves to create default neural patterns. What I mean by this is, a framework of thinking. Like different recipes you can cook which has the same goal, cooking food. So, with these neural pathways you have many roads to get tot he destination. But sometimes we get in these phases of being stuck in a loop of thought. When you are continuously stressing about what to do, what to say, what to wear, how to act, what people will think of you, what will happen,Our brain thinks: “oh this person is trying to achieve this constant level of stress. Let me make a neural pathway for this because she often goes that way”. So, whatever comes to your way is gone through that same path and your brain think it is being rewarded by achieving the end of this path. For those who now a little bit about programming you are kind of stuck in a for-loop. Our brain thinks it is safer to put you in a perpetual state of stress. It thinks it is safer for to use it.
There is this concept called Neuroplasticity which tub e able to create/change new neural pathways. Dr Andrew Huberman talks a lot about things I really recommend watch. Listen to it.
So now that you learned this you can find immediately some sabotages that keeps putting you in the same situation. So when you start overthinking about the thig you overthink you will probably detect lot of default neural pathways that keeps you stuck. In my case it was my hunger for knowledge…..
2- Thinking helps you Detect imaginary constraints.
We don’t realize it easily but, in our subconsciousness, we create these barriers for ourselves. And these barriers are ssooooo hard to find. Most of the time these barriers are put there since the childhood or a very traumatic event that is now there steady as a rock. Let me give you examples. I so a few years ago I started a youth organization up. So, I had lot of chances to speak with young Muslim girls who were all studying. When I ask what they want to do as a job/ study I hear lot of kids saying hmm I want to be pharmaceutical assistant, lawyer assistant…, dental assistant, administrative worker… These jobs/professions are of course crucial in their industry of course but why just compromising with it. Why not being the lawyer or judge yourself or why not being pharmacist or dentist? Why do we put these constraints in their life.
As I said these constraints are not easy to fid because they are deeply rooted. So, you have to think thoroughly about any decision any goal and action you will/ want to take. Finding these is the hardest part breaking it lot of easier.
I’m curious about other imaginary constraints, let me know if you have catch one.
3- Thinking helps you Recover from blind imitation.
This one kind of builds up on the previous point. You imitations are also a very good example of imaginary constraints.I immediately think here about the Meccan pagans who pointed out to prophet Mohammed that they found their ancestors worshipping these gods therefore they going to follow them. So instead of show self reflection they choose the easiest path. Imitation. Because it was a way for them to not deal with the responsibility of their choice. When the day comes, they will blame their parents for taking them along the wrong path. So, you see, humans don’t like to make choices because it means responsibilities. I think we have to realize to if we want the mind of peace satisfied mudmain heart we have to recover from these imitations. This can only by questioning investigating, researching, ask a friend, find a mentor. Ask why. Why I’m doing this.
My case being or building a start-up why?
4- Thinking Makes time go slower.
So according to a study of Adrian Bejan. He hypothesizes that over time, the rate at which we process visual information slows down, and this is what makes time ‘speed up’ as we grow older. ageing causes our nerves to accumulate damage which slows our processing time of images. This means we are processing fewer frames per second (like in games) and time passes between each new mental image. Aging makes.
As he puts it: “People are often amazed at how much they remember from days that seemed to last forever in their youth. It’s not that their experiences were much deeper or more meaningful, it’s just that they were being processed in rapid fire.”
This brings us to the last one.
5 Not being oblivious towards surrounding
oSo, walking down a forest you see the sky and trees, right? That is a physical fact. On Scientific level you can say hmm this tree is a Pinus sylvestris. It is mainly found on poorer, sandy soils, rocky outcrops, peat bogs or close to the forest limit ba bla bla…You look at the sky then check your whether app hmm no raining yess ( …which is a rare circumstance).
o But you can look a thing with your heart. You can look to the tree and think wow this is an example of showing patience this tree went through so many storms but is still standing up straight. You look to the sky you get so humbled how tiny you are in this universe. How everything is on a balance. We call this reflection or Tafaqqur.
By looking, smelling, hearing and thinking you make use of your sense organs, and this creates this awesome product of surrounding awareness.
You could also be the exact opposite. You have eyes but you don’t see the insights of aspects in life. You have ears but you do not listen to wisdom and experience of people for instance, you have a heart but because you are under continuous stress and anxiety you don’t feel the joy and love anymore.
Conclusion
Uncontrolled overthinking drains the energy of the human. But once you put you think energy on the right places you actually get so much value from just thinking without action. There is this saying when you feel bad, enable you body go for a walk. When you feel overwhelmed sit down and think. It is okay the rest and just let these thoughts flow. Just to let you know.
So, this was the end of this episode. If you got any value from it please follow me on whatever platform you are listening from. On the thinkwork podcast we talk about rolemodels, IT, psychological theories, entrepreneurship,culture, financial literacy, and the list goes on. I hope these 5 ways help you to switch from overthinking to reflecting and help you achieve being a person with eyes that see truth, ears that listen, hearts that believe.
Next week don’t forget your chai because we’ll talk about the history of money 😊 salamaa
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