How to Overcome Overthinking

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Every week, I carefully curate inspiring articles and share my thoughts, accompanied by motivational quotes. I hope you enjoy this edition of my Monday Motivation, and I eagerly anticipate your feedback and suggestions for future topics.??

Today, I'd like to address a topic that's likely relevant to everyone: the challenge of grappling with information overload. Many of us find ourselves periodically overwhelmed by the sheer volume of inputs bombarding us. This inundation can lead to what's commonly known as analysis paralysis, where we lose sight of the primary goal of discussion: reaching a decision and taking action. While overthinking is often viewed as a single, insurmountable obstacle, in today's article, 3 Types of Overthinking — and How to Overcome Them, we look at three distinct categories: rumination, future tripping, and overanalyzing. The author offers valuable insights on recognizing and managing each of these patterns of overthinking. Understanding which type of overthinking afflicts you or your team is the crucial first step toward breaking free from its grip — especially vital in environments demanding swift yet deliberate decision-making like today.?

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Here’s how to spot and handle each of the three types of overthinking.?

Rumination.?

Rumination is best described as a mental loop where you dwell on past events, particularly negative or distressing ones. Those who ruminate are often caught in a whirlpool of regret, guilt, and “woulda, shoulda, coulda” scenarios. They review what went wrong, often blaming themselves. One crucial aspect of rumination is its fixation on the past — often leading individuals to become stuck in that timeframe. Here are some signs to watch out for:?

• You fixate on negative feedback.?
• You often bring up past failures, setbacks, or slip-ups in conversation with others.?
• You’re overly cautious, perhaps double or triple-checking your work, because you want to avoid mistakes.?

Counterintuitively, scheduling “worry time” can be helpful in managing rumination. Instead of allowing rumination to consume your entire day, allocate a specific and manageable time slot — typically lasting 15 to 30 minutes. Choose a time of day that suits you (but not right before bed) and pick a specific place for your worry time. Divide your worries into two categories: those you can control and those you cannot. For worries within your control, brainstorm possible actions or solutions. For instance, if you’re concerned about meeting a deadline, your action steps could involve declining another commitment. When faced with uncontrollable worries, try visualization techniques. Imagine placing the worry in a balloon and releasing it into the sky or on a leaf and watching it float down a river.?By setting aside a designated time to address these thoughts, you’re not in a constant battle to push them away; instead, you’re simply postponing them to a more convenient time. If rumination crops up outside your designated worry time, gently remind yourself, “Not now, I’ll tackle this later,” to bring greater awareness and control to your thought patterns.?

Future Tripping.?

Individuals who engage in future tripping are preoccupied with what lies ahead, rather than being stuck in the past. While some level of anticipation can be beneficial, future tripping can escalate to the point where it becomes inhibiting. The uncertainty of potential outcomes, the fear of failure, and of the unknown can make it a challenging form of overthinking.?Signs to watch out for include:?

• You spend excessive energy planning for every possible scenario to feel prepared for any eventuality.?
• You find it hard to celebrate your successes because you’re always thinking about what’s next.?
• You often feel restless or agitated, driven by thoughts of outstanding to-do items.?

Leverage your ability to look forward to your advantage. Mentally projecting yourself into the future, beyond the point of your current worries.?There is a strategy, known as temporal distancing, that can reduce the immediacy and intensity of your concerns, helping you focus on the present with a calmer, more balanced mindset.?Be intentional about the information you consume, especially from news sources and social media. Identify triggers that escalate your future-tripping, such as updates about constant market fluctuations and industry predictions or constantly checking KPI dashboards or financial accounts. If certain updates or data do not impact your day-to-day work or decision-making, they might not be necessary. Prioritize information that you can act upon.?

Overanalyzing.?

While rumination and future tripping are constrained by time — one dwelling on the past and the other fixated on the future – overanalyzing is focused on depth. It involves delving excessively deep into a topic, thought, or situation, often to the point of excess. While this approach can occasionally yield profound insights, more often than not, it leads to becoming mired in irrelevant details. Signs to watch out for include:?

• You procrastinate or delay taking action to research further.?
• You frequently seek out others’ approval or confirmation, because you lack confidence in your own analysis.?
• You have difficulty distinguishing between high-priority and low-priority tasks, leading to a backlog of decisions.??

Instead of striving for the perfect choice, consider adopting a strategy known as satisficing. This approach entails selecting an option that meets established criteria and is satisfactory, even if a potentially better alternative exists. Compare this to maximizers, who examine every option and keep searching for better alternatives, deals, or outcomes — to their own detriment. Of the two decision-making types, maximizers are more prone to overanalyzing, less likely to feel happy with the results of their decisions, and more likely to negatively compare themselves to others. Key decision criteria — principles, guidelines, or requirements — help you prioritize the most important variables weighing into a decision. Your decision criteria can be professional or personal. Select three criteria at most, with one that outranks the others. If you’re in a group decision-making situation, have everyone brainstorm and agree on the criteria together.?

There’s no shortage of situations to overthink in today’s work world. Whether it’s fretting over the implications of a new market trend, agonizing about the tone of an email to a major client, or losing sleep over an employee’s reaction to feedback, the opportunities for leaders to get trapped in their own heads are endless.?As we have access to more information and higher demands than ever before, it’s no surprise that half to nearly three-quarters of adults confess to thinking too much.?Constantly churning thoughts can be exhausting, and if left unchecked, overthinking can contribute to anxiety and burnout.?Clearly, there’s a pressing need for more effective solutions to overcome overthinking in the workplace and I hope that this framework is helpful to you.?

Stay on the beat with me and have an amazing start to your week ???

Yours,??

Mark?

?Source

Wilding, M. (13 February 2024). 3 Types of Overthinking — and How to Overcome Them. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/02/3-types-of-overthinking-and-how-to-overcome-them?