Learn to separate yourself from things that happen to you. Instead of assuming bad things only happen to bad people, realize that bad things do happen every day and it is up to you how you react. You can look at the negative as just an experience that you can learn from. Don’t take the event personally about who you are overall and move forward.
This type of negative thinking can give you very real physical pain, may lead to trouble sleeping and other issues. It is important to find a way to work past the fear and live without these symptoms. [3] X Research source
A good way to start to look at triggers is to keep a journal and write down each time you fall into this behavior. In the moment, record what thoughts or experiences started the process and this would be a trigger for you. [4] X Research source An example of a trigger could be a visit from your mother-in-law. If you share a rocky history, you may obsess over her next unannounced visit because you fear it will end badly.
For example, if you tend to worry a lot about emergencies, take some time to get yourself prepared so you know even in an emergency you are OK. Put your thoughts to good use and take it a step further by helping others prepare for these events as well. It is a great distraction from running the worst case scenario in your head over and over.
Understanding that you have a tendency to overthink things is a huge step towards being mindful because you can attribute much of your stress to this habit and not to actual events. Awareness relating to the outcomes of the stress will also help in learning to not let the stress hurt you physically.
Set aside 30 minutes each day to sit down and write about what is worrying you. Remind yourself if these worries come up during the rest of your day that you will think about the stressor only during that worry period. [6] X Research source
Taking a long brisk walk to get the blood flowing or sweating for an hour at the gym is a solid distraction and also a way to cleanse the body of toxins. Many people see sweating as a freeing process as well as it is also a natural high.
Treatments for rumination can include counseling, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and behavioral interventions. There are also prescription drugs one can take to calm obsessive thoughts.
Learn to spot perfectionism in yourself. Do you often have trouble meeting your own standards or only do so with immense time and effort? Do you frequently feel down in the process of trying to meet your own standards? You can adopt a more realistic perspective by reminding yourself with certain phrases like “Everybody makes mistakes!” or “I’m only human!” Try doing this when you make a mistake or fall short of your expectations. Over time, you will be less hard on yourself.
Work with friends and family to explore ways you can let go of triggers you tend to want to control. Having support of loved ones can be nice and it also adds another level of accountability.
Take time each day to write down three things that were really great or happy about your day. Take the time to share these “wins” with loved ones and make it a priority. You can also ask them to participate and start to have more positive conversations.
This can be as simple as wear a rubber band on your wrist and snapping it each time you catch yourself thinking about it when it is not time to do so. [13] X Research source .
