Latest news with #overthinking
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
David Squires on … moving scenes and mind games as Crystal Palace win the FA Cup
Our cartoonist on the joy, emotion and overthinking that made the Wembley final captivating for once
Forbes
18-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
7 Strategies To Stop Thinking About Work (Or Overthinking)
It is possible to stop thinking about work. When work is stressful it's natural to obsess, overthink or over-process. But so much rumination can actually result in more stress. And this can create a doom loop, leading to even more overthinking. But it's possible to stop thinking about work and put your thoughts on a more positive path. You're wise to manage your stress, because stress is rising all the time. You're also smart to manage your thinking, because it has a huge impact on your overall wellbeing. What you give focus to tends to consume your energy. As Epictetus said, 'You become what you give your attention to.' In addition, the words you use and the way you think about things can impact on your belief system. This is referred to as linguistic determinism, and it's a reminder that managing your thoughts is one of the primary ways to positively affect your beliefs and behaviors. So how can you manage your thinking and reduce the amount of time you spend processing or obsessing about work? First, you can adjust your thinking. It's healthy to consider your day and identify ways you can improve. We all have an instinct to matter. We want to do a good job and generate credibility. In addition, it's natural to get a sense of identity from your job. Of course, your identity is also based on your roles with your family, friends and community as well, but caring about the work you do is also constructive. All this is to say that it's natural to continue to think about work beyond the boundaries of your day. Manage your thinking by giving yourself permission to think about work outside of your working hours. You might reflect during your commute home or ponder a problem while you're walking your dog. This thinking process is okay and can be helpful in advancing your ideas about a challenge you're facing. Another great way to adjust your thinking is to be sure you're not just ruminating about a problem, but figuring out how to take action and improve things. If you're just processing what's wrong, what's not working or things that are out of your control, it can be disempowering and depressing. But if you can shift your thinking to focus on ways you can take action, you'll get a big payoff in your wellbeing. Consider the role you play in the issue that's bothering you. If you have a conflict with your colleague, in what ways can you empathize with them, reach out or talk things through? If you feel over your head on a project, in what ways can you build your skills or find someone who can give you coaching or advice? If your efforts failed, in what ways can you improve your approach for the next time? Manage your thinking by determining the role you play. Focus on how you can empower yourself to take responsibility to improve the situation or solve the problem. All of these will contribute to positive wellbeing, because they can restore your sense of perspective and control. Stop thinking about work by establishing boundaries and routines Another brilliant way to stop thinking about work is to limit your thinking. You can also reduce overthinking by setting and protecting your boundaries. It's hard to stop thinking about work if you're always on or always checking in. Let colleagues know how you prefer to be contacted. Some people are comfortable with texts, while others prefer email they can choose to check or not. Let others know your communication protocols. But also ensure you're taking personal responsibility for how much you check in. Turn off notifications. Set limits for yourself on when you'll look at your messages. Also be flexible. If you're in the middle of a huge project, others may need you to be especially responsive, but overall, you can take ownership to make decisions about when you're checking in. Manage your thinking by reducing your exposure to work-related content, so you're not unintentionally driving a pattern of over-involvement or over-processing. Another super-effective way to reduce the time you spend thinking about work is to establish routines that help you disconnect. These are especially effective because they cue your brain that you're transitioning to something different. For example, you can listen to your favorite music (with the volume up!) during your commute home, or stop at the fitness club to work our on the way home. You can take a shower or change clothes immediately after getting home. You can also make time to play with your child when you walk in the door. Even drinking a large glass of water can remind you to turn off the work-thoughts and liberate yourself to focus on everything else. Manage your thinking by creating routines to disconnect and cue yourself that it's time to stop thinking about work. Another way you can stop thinking about work is to change the content of your thoughts and to get active. Sometimes it can be tough to stop doing something or thinking about something. Neurologically, we are better at replacing the thoughts we want to stop with other thoughts we can focus on instead. You can choose to give your attention to other topics. Perhaps you want to build your knowledge of investing or managing your finances. Or maybe you want to consider your parenting style or how you're creating the conditions for a positive family life. Or maybe there's a community project that you can put your thoughts and energy into. Manage your thinking by filling your mind with non-work topics that you're passionate about, that interest you and that you feel are important. With this strategy, you'll occupy your brain's capacity with new thoughts and areas of focus. Another surefire way to reduce the time you spend thinking about work is to get active. Spend time on a hobby that requires your attention and energy. Go for a walk and listen to an audio book. Work in your garden. Go cycling. Play pickle ball. You can also get away from overthinking about your work by investing in social time. Go out for coffee with a friend, ask questions, listen to how they're doing and offer support. In addition, you can invest in your community based on the many reasons to volunteer. Donate your time with your local organization packing sack suppers for kids that face food insecurity, drive for meals on wheels or take your dog to the airport to greet veterans who are returning home. Contributing your talents and providing for others is a great way to get out of your own head and expand your perspectives. Manage your thinking by filling your time with activities, socializing or volunteering. You can also manage your thinking with tried and true techniques that help mental health, wellbeing and the quality of your thinking. Spend time in nature. There are multiple studies that show the power of nature and its beneficial effects. One, in particular, published in People and Nature finds that spending time in nature changes your perception of time. You are more likely to flow between thoughts of the past, the present and the future, and reduce the likelihood of obsessing about the past or worrying too much about the future. You also tend to perceive that you have more time, when you spend time outdoors. You can also do deep breathing or meditation. Doing a cold plunge has also been shown to reduce stress and clarify your thinking. There is also evidence that spending time with pets can reduce stress. And if you love to take a weekend nap, that is also proven to be beneficial, based on research published in Sleep Health. In fact, napping can improve cognitive function and brain volume. And napping boosts health, happiness and performance. Manage your thinking by employing techniques that can help you de-stress and improve your opportunities for focus. There is an old saying, 'Change your thinking, change your life,' and it's apt. Spending some time thinking about work and taking responsibility is healthy and empowering, but you don't want to overdo it. Manage where you place your focus and attention, and you'll surely enhance your wellbeing and happiness.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
3 Types Of Overthinking (And How To Break Free From Each)
In today's high-stakes business environment, overthinking opportunities are endless. From dissecting market trends to scrutinizing client communications, or wrestling with employee feedback – leaders frequently find themselves trapped in mental loops. With unprecedented access to information and escalating demands, it's no wonder that 50-75% of adults admit to excessive thinking. In my decade of coaching professionals at leading global companies, I've noticed a consistent pattern: Many outwardly successful individuals tend to overcomplicate matters, adding unnecessary layers to their decisions and deliberating far beyond what's productive. This tendency is especially common among what I call Sensitive Strivers — people who are naturally wired to process experiences more deeply and typically serve as their own harshest critics. The cost of this mental churning extends beyond personal exhaustion. When overthinking becomes habitual, it creates organizational bottlenecks. Decision-making crawls, opportunities slip away, and risk-aversion can become embedded in company culture, ultimately stunting growth. While the need for practical solutions is clear, addressing overthinking requires understanding its three distinct forms: rumination, future tripping, and overanalyzing. By recognizing these patterns, professionals can develop targeted strategies for lasting change. Here's how to recognize and overcome each type. Rumination is a mental loop of dwelling on past events, particularly negative ones. Think of it as being caught in a whirlpool of regret, guilt, and "woulda, shoulda, coulda" scenarios. Those who ruminate often review what went wrong, typically turning to self-blame. The defining characteristic? Being stuck in past events, unable to move forward. Counter to intuition, scheduling "worry time" can be remarkably effective. Instead of letting rumination hijack your entire day, contain it to a designated 15-30 minute slot. Choose a specific time (avoid bedtime) and location – whether it's a particular chair, room, or outdoor spot. During this time, categorize your concerns: This scheduled approach means you're not constantly fighting these thoughts – you're simply postponing them. When rumination surfaces outside your designated time, remind yourself: "Not now, I'll address this later." This simple practice helps build awareness and regain control over your thought patterns. While looking ahead can be beneficial, future tripping takes anticipation to an exhausting extreme. This form of overthinking centers on uncertainty, potential failure, and fear of the unknown, often paralyzing current progress. Turn your forward-thinking tendency into an advantage through temporal distancing. Consider Maya, a marketing manager facing a challenging product launch. With tight deadlines, high expectations, and mounting team pressure, she's consumed by concerns about strategy, workload, and customer response. During lunch, she finds a quiet space and envisions herself five years ahead. From this senior position, she sees the current launch as just one of many successful projects in her portfolio. While important, it's not career-defining. She acknowledges that while some aspects didn't go perfectly, her team adapted and grew stronger through the experience. This perspective shift reduces the immediacy of concerns, allowing for clearer present-moment focus. You can also practice "selective ignorance" by reducing your exposure to unnecessary stressors. Be intentional about the information you consume, especially from news sources and social media. Identify triggers that escalate your future-tripping, such as updates about constant market fluctuations and industry predictions or constantly checking KPI dashboards or financial accounts. If certain updates or data don't impact your day-to-day work or decision-making, they might not be necessary. Prioritize information that you can act upon. Unlike rumination (past-focused) and future tripping (forward-looking), overanalyzing is about depth. It involves diving extraordinarily deep into a topic or situation, often beyond what's useful. While this can occasionally yield valuable insights, it typically results in getting lost in details that may not matter. Embrace "satisficing" instead of pursuing perfection. This approach means moving forward once a decision meets your established criteria, even if better options might exist. Research shows that maximizers – those who examine every possibility and perpetually search for better alternatives – are more prone to overanalyzing, less satisfied with their decisions, and more likely to make unhealthy comparisons. Key decision criteria – principles, standards, or requirements – help you focus on the most important factors influencing a decision. These can be professional or personal. For instance, if you're caught in analysis paralysis about launching a new product feature, your criteria might include: cost, profitability, effort, risk level, or impact. Or consider a personal decision, like evaluating a job opportunity. Your criteria could include: alignment with your strengths, compensation package, or fit with career aspirations. Choose three criteria maximum, with one taking priority. In group situations, collaborate to establish these criteria together. It's important to remember, the goal isn't to eliminate thoughtful analysis, but to prevent it from becoming counterproductive. Recognizing which type of overthinking affects you or your team is the crucial first step toward breaking free – especially in today's environment where swift, yet intelligent decision-making is essential.
