Overthinking and Daydreaming

     When at home my mind tends to go to the past - lamenting about the stupid mistakes I did and the opportunities that I missed - or the future - worrying about the uncertainty of the future and trying to find a way out from bad scenarios - that I end up not doing what I planned to do in my free time. At my 9-5 job my mind would drift to dreamland. The former is called overthinking and it makes me depressed, pessimistic, and self-doubt. The other is called daydreaming where I would be absent-minded and upset every time I come back to reality. I've searched for some ways to overcome them, and now I want to share them with you.

     Overthinking is the excessive rumination and analysis of past events and future possibilities about what concerns us. Normally this should help us learn from the past and escape the worst scenario with the least damage possible, but the problem begins when we overdo it to the point where we exhaust ourselves over things outside our control, and I want to share the basics of how to get around it:

1. Take life as it is


You cannot change the past and you can't control the future. The only thing you can do is focus on what's in your control zone.

2. Write it down

Writing my problems helps me more than I imagined - if anything it helps me vent out without bothering those around me. So next time when you find yourself overthinking something, write it all down. This would help you process it better and even find solutions for it.

3. Get outside


Apple's CEO Tim Cook says that getting outside eases his tension and reset his mentality. He also said that it's so easy and enjoyable to go for a walk that it's almost a sin not to do so - except in bad weather.

According to a 2020 paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, doctors are increasingly prescribing nature walks to patients with symptoms like anxiety, depression, obesity, etc to get better. You can have a meal outside, chat with a friend or just sit and relax.

You canalways do some stretching exercises, workouts, and meditate at home. The point is to get your body moving as this would increase your blood flow - making your body more oxygenated and rejuvenated - and to take a break from the hustle to recharge.

4. Spend some time with the Lord

Sparing a few minutes to pray always relaxes me as it's areminder that God didn't leave me alone. When I pray I don't just complain about my problems, but I pray for everything that comes to my mind: thanking Him for the blessings that He gave me, praying for the oppressed and the weak, for my family, for a better future, for forgiveness, etc. everything that comes to my mind.

     Now about daydreaming: It is a series of pleasant thoughts that occur in response to boredom, stress, or lack of stimulation - shifting your attention from the present to your dreamland. The key concept here is not to turn it off, but to use it as a source of creativity and inspiration as Gabriel Gottingen says, and to do so you have to enter the mentality of the person you're daydreaming about. For example, if you're daydreaming about becoming a muscular athlete, instead of shaking it off and going on, tab into their mentality and ask yourself: "What would he do in his free time? What food and snacks would he eat throughout the day? What would he do if he was here?" etc. If you're daydreaming about becoming a scientist then open the book and study for at least two minutes even if you don't want to.

     In conclusion, we should not beat ourselves up for overthinking and daydreaming because it's a common thing and no one is perfect. We only have to be proactive, keep an open mindset, and strive to become the best version of ourselves.


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