How can I control my anxiety and overthinking?

Overthinking itself, is not a mental illness but can be a symptom of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Overthinking can happen when you need to make a tough decision, you are dealing with uncertainties or many other reasons. When making important decisions it is normal to think carefully about the situation first. Overthinking, on the other hand, is unproductive, which is where it sounds like you may be currently.

The first step to getting through these behaviors and thoughts is to begin therapy. Talking about your problems with a professional can increase your quality of life and help you get to the root cause of your overwhelming and intrusive thoughts.

There are things you can do on your own to help with overthinking. One thing is called the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. When you begin to feel anxiety or begin to overthink, stop and take a few slow, deep breaths. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Remember that these breaths need to be slow. Name five things that you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. 

Another thing that can help, is recognizing your triggers to overthinking. For example, if I have increased anxiety when I hear a notification on my phone alerting me to news on social media, and the news has become a sense of stress, especially with the pandemic being so prevalent, I can understand that the notification sound is a trigger to my anxiety. Perhaps, since I now know this is a trigger, I can silence those notifications to ease my sense of worry. 

Another tool I like to recommend is called Positive reframing. This is looking at a situation in a strength-based way. You can see and appreciate the negative in the situation but ask yourself if there is another way to think about the situation or change it. Basically, you will be changing a problem to a challenge. For example, after a break-up you could think about the things you learned from the relationship, and the appreciation you feel for the time you spent with the other person and the thoughts of getting to meet new people, while still mourning the relationship. By doing this, you are acknowledging that there is a silver lining.

Other things that can help with anxiety and overthinking are journaling, deep breathing, meditation, listening to music, self-care, exercising, limiting caffeine, practicing mindfulness, etc. There are so many coping skills that can help with these symptoms but talking with a professional will be most helpful in finding the root cause and changing these thoughts for good. The most important part of this, is that you take action to get the help you deserve.