Knowing this secret will help you stop overthinking - forever

I recently wrote about how introverts can be more prone to overthinking and mental health struggles.

Overthinking can also go hand-in-hand with anxiety and I should know; I could be a medallist in the anxiety Olympics!

And a consistent theme I've seen in both my introverted coaching clients, and the members of my community who reach out to me, are intrusive anxious thoughts, overthinking and worrying on a scale that are impacting their sleep and general wellbeing.

But it wasn't until my own experience this week that I actively thought about what exactly has worked for me when I'm in overthinking mode.

The main problem with overthinking

Overthinking can have its benefits: you've often anticipated problems, and generated ways forward, based on any number of variables; it can make you more considerate of others and therefore improve the quality of your personal and professional relationships; it can help with resilience.

BUT the one main drawback - aside from how draining it is - can be debilitating.

It can get you stuck.

When we overthink, we tend to procrastinate, and when we procrastinate we're not actually doing the thing we need to do.

I know that I've made FAR less progress with my goals over the years due to how long I remained stuck in my head, or talking myself out of doing or saying certain things.

Awareness is key!

Over the years, I've done a lot of work on myself.

I've had various talking therapies, CBT, attended Mindfulness trainings and engaged in a lot of self-learning around trauma and anxiety. I have a whole toolbox of strategies and this is why, I think, I'm usually considered 'high functioning' and unless I'm mid anxiety attack, or choose to disclose my anxiety, most people have no clue I live with a severe anxiety disorder and are surprised when they find out.

But it is a life-long process; I've made huge strides in managing my anxiety and breaking free of limiting beliefs and thought patterns but I have to constantly work at it.

I don't always get it right.

I'm still going through a lot of stressful stuff on a personal level, and I've also been challenging myself in recent weeks to make daily TikTok videos to promote my digital products and expand my community (as someone who'd have panic attacks if someone as much as pointed a camera in my direction and didn't appear in a single photo for over a decade of my life, this is a BIG deal for me; it's totally different to online facilitation).

I feel like I've been failing.

In over a month of posting x3 a day, I've only gotten 146 followers and I haven't sold a single digital product.

So this has been a huge trigger for my overthinking and for the past couple of weeks I've gone from having a content calendar and batch recording content to scrabbling to record something - anything - at the time I need to post it.?

Every. Single. Day.

I told myself I could post x2 a day instead to give me more time to think.

But the reality was I spent a lot of that 'thinking time' bed rotting and doom scrolling.

Then, yesterday, it finally clicked: I became aware I was doing what I always do when I fall into overthinking.?

I procrastinate.

And the more I procrastinate the less I actually do. It becomes a downward spiral.

So, at almost midnight last night, I did the thing I knew I had to do to break the spiral and get back on track.

The antidote to overthinking

The secret to breaking free of overthinking is actually very simple.

Though that doesn't always make it easy.

You just need to take action.

Once you take action, you're moving forward and even if it's in the wrong direction you can always take the learning and continue moving forward. Rather than remaining stuck indefinitely.

For me, that meant just sucking up my discomfort, abandoning attachment to producing the 'right' content and just posting something - even if it was at midnight.

I knew if I dropped the ball, and missed posting for one day, then I'd continue to procrastinate and one day would be come three, three would become a week and then I'd end up abandoning TikTok altogether.

So, whatever it is for you, just do the thing. And do it now!

Your future self will thank you.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with anyone it may help ??

Much love,

Sam

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P.S.?Ways I can help you:

1. Download your FREE ebook, An Introvert's Guide to Escaping the 9 to 5 here .
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About Me

I'm Sam ? and I'm on a mission to change the workplace bias towards extroversion, to achieve greater, intersectional, inclusivity for introverts.

As well as help high achieving introverts to thrive without changing who they are.

Companies:

I offer consulting, training and coaching for DEI professionals, leaders/ managers and those involved in hiring.

I am also a keynote speaker.

p.s. I LOVE to travel ??

Introverts:

I can help you achieve your professional goals, feel confident in your introversion and be able to step into your power OR I can help you escape the 9-5 and achieve optimal wellbeing through financial freedom.

DM me for more information!