We’ve all been guilty of over-thinking at some point or the other. This is a normal thing. We’re all human beings and we all suffer from some level of anxiety. No matter how “Zen” you might consider yourself, it’s impossible to be completely free of worry.
And the point is not to free yourself of anxiety altogether because that would be impossible. Instead, you should aim to channel all the energy which is currently going into anxiety into something productive. Here are a few techniques you could try:
Distract Yourself
You can’t just stop yourself from worrying altogether. But sometimes, you might fall into a spiral of worry. One thought leads into another until you’re imagining wild scenarios which are never going to occur.
If this happens and you know that your fears are completely unfounded, make an effort to turn your thoughts into a more positive direction. Stop what you are doing and do something else that will distract you from that source of worry.
Express Yourself
At times, distraction might work. But there are times when the same issue keeps reoccurring in your mind. In this case, it’s useless to just keep distracting yourself over and over. Instead, why not try to actually deal with the issue?
Go to a therapist if you feel comfortable doing so. If not, then write down all your thoughts and feelings on a piece of paper. Or call up a trusted friend and vent.
There are times when self-expression leads into finding a solution. If not, you’ll still feel better because you won’t be holding your feelings inside.
Take Action
Sometimes, just distracting yourself or expressing yourself isn’t enough. You might be dealing with a real-life issue that requires action. For example, if a certain employee hasn’t been performing as well as you’d like, you might need to sit down with them and come up with a solution. Or if your sales numbers are low, you might need to sit down with your sales team.
Make a list of possible actions you can take and do one of them right away. This way, you know that you’re doing something to resolve the problem, which will automatically prevent you from worrying about it.