‘The more we think the worse we think’. This is a phrase I came across recently and it really struck a chord. It now pops into my head whenever I find myself engaging in an all too familiar pattern of overthinking. When I sit down to work on something, usually a piece of writing, I sometimes struggle to compose my thoughts and put words on the page. Rather than take a break to clear my head I have a tendency to agonise over the task at hand, often getting increasingly agitated. I know what I want to say but I can’t seem to say it despite continuing to think about it.
This pattern is not new for me. All through school and university I would often sit down to write an essay and find myself struggling to compose my thoughts. I would force myself to plough on, worried about the impending deadline, yet getting increasingly stressed and agitated at my lack of progress. What is new for me, however, is an increasing awareness of how unhelpful and frustrating it is to persist when my mind is in overdrive.
I’m finally learning that it is far more productive to take a break and do something to calm my mind before returning to the task at hand. Doing so, however, is, strangely, much harder than it sounds. In the grip of agitation taking a break seems unthinkable. My mind tells me with great urgency that the task needs to be done NOW, there’s no time for a break! I am, however, learning that I can’t necessarily trust my alarmist mind. I am practising stepping away from the computer and either doing some meditation or something physical such as going for a walk or run. I haven’t once regretted doing so. My mind calms down and ideas start to bubble up to the surface.
Many of us get stressed because we think too much. We often try to solve problems when we don’t have the mental energy to do so and can get trapped in mental replays and catastrophic thinking. The emotions behind habitual thinking patterns – usually worry, annoyance, desire – stimulate the body’s flight or fight response by sending signals to the adrenal glands asking for more energy in the form of adrenalin and cortisol. Thinking literally fires the body up.
Of course, it goes without saying that we couldn’t live without our thinking minds; they are capable of extraordinary things. However, when our minds go into overdrive the quality of our thinking becomes compromised and we can feel compelled to continue thinking which isn’t always in our best interest.
Next time you find yourself agonising over something see if you can fight the impulse to continue thinking about it and take a break. A great way to get out of your head is to engage your senses – you could sit quietly and do some deep breathing, focusing on the rise and fall of your chest and belly; you could stop and listen (really listen) to a piece of music; or you could go for a walk paying attention to your surroundings. You’ll be glad you did!
