Overthinking is also often associated with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and borderline personality disorder. To break the habit, Carroll says a good first step is to take note of what triggers your overthinking. It might stem from a past trauma, or something in your life that's currently a source of stress.
Once you identify those triggers, Carroll says you can start finding ways to overcome them. And then, [activities] like journaling really helps them express and process the thoughts that are in their head. So any type of mindfulness activities where you're really focused on present moment can keep you out of your thoughts about the past or about the future. Search Query Show Search. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. It might even feel a little easier to identify potential reasons behind persistent thoughts in writing.
Many people find journaling cathartic. Distraction can help you manage any kind of emotional distress, as long as you use it correctly. It can help to try focused distraction or redirecting your thoughts to something specific, instead of simply letting your mind wander where it will. Some dedicated self-exploration can distract you from thoughts of whoever you want to stop thinking about.
It can also help you get back in touch with your hobbies, personal interests, and other things you find meaningful. You know, those things that so often fall by the wayside when you get wrapped up in thoughts of someone else. Believing you need someone makes it much harder to let go. Your answers can help you begin to identify a clearer path forward. Remember, nobody can fulfill all of your needs , though friends and partners provide important emotional support.
Creating some space between yourself and the other person can help you redirect thoughts more successfully. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. Mindfulness, or your awareness of the present, can improve well-being in a number of ways. Staying present in your daily life can strengthen your relationships with others. It can also boost self-awareness and have a positive impact on mental health. Find more mindfulness tips here. Still, time does seem to pass much more slowly when you want something specific to happen.
You might scoff at the idea that your pain and the intensity of your thoughts will someday diminish, but time generally does do the trick.
Maybe you go over the injustice again and again, fixate on the pain of betrayal, and think of all things you could do to balance the scales. Yet retracing this path generally only fuels more misery, while forgiveness offers a more reliable route toward healing. It becomes easier to forgive when you remember everyone makes mistakes, and many of these mistakes have no bad intentions behind them.
In therapy, you can learn productive ways to challenge unwanted thoughts and break their hold, along with mindfulness practices and other helpful coping skills. Struggling to forgive someone? A therapist can help with that, too. The mind can be a tricky place.
This can feel particularly frustrating when thoughts of someone you want to forget pop up as fast as you push them down. Other people can affect you deeply, for better or for worse. Once you get the hang of this, you can apply it in all areas of your life! Stuck in a traffic jam and feeling irritated and frustrated?
The thought, "I can't stand traffic" will send signals from your brain to your body to speed up your breathing and tense your muscles. Whereas the thought, "I can't control this, might as well relax," will send the signal to your body to calm down.
Worried about an upcoming presentation? The worried thought, "This will be awful, I am so anxious" will leave you feeling panicked and on edge, whereas the thought, "I'm doing my best, that's all I can do" will help to send signals to your body that it's okay to be calm and relaxed. We know that lesions to specific parts of the brain damage specific cognitive abilities.
This is interesting because it highlights the point that thoughts really are physical entities that both influence and are influenced by the body. Cognitive functions depend on all parts of the brain working properly; when these systems become disrupted, thinking can be affected. That's a rather long and winding examination of how thoughts influence what happens in the brain and in the body.
Justifiably so because there is still so much that is unknown when it comes to the brain. Indeed, if scientists had completely mapped out the processes of the brain, it's likely that they would be building supercomputers that could replicate the brain.
There will still be some who will argue that thoughts are entities separate from the body and that to describe how thoughts have a physical influence is absurd. While it's true that there is a lot we still don't understand about the mind, body, universe, etc.
This is the basis of many forms of talk therapy , such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. And this is a good thing—because it means that when you make the effort to change your thinking, you are also doing something that can have a positive impact on your brain and your body. And, that effect can be a lasting change, particularly if you are blazing new neural pathways that have positive outcomes. Ever wonder what your personality type means?
Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Breazeale R. Thoughts, Neurotransmitters, Body-Mind Connectio n. Cornell Center for Materials Research. How does your body move? Does the brain send it messages? Dougherty E. What Are Thoughts Made Of? Shapiro E, Shapiro D. Worrall S. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.
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Thoughts and Emotions. Regulating Your Thoughts. Changing Your Thoughts. Brain Lesions and Thinking. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up.
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