Thinking Doesn’t Change a Thing

 “To think too much is a disease.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Do you ever replay the same moment in your head so many times that it stops feeling real?

For me, I replay conversations, read into the small details, and end up stuck in a rut of feeling stuck in my own head – the one place where I should feel safest.

I’ll wonder if I said the right thing in the moment, if I spoke too much or too little, came across the wrong way, or if I embarrassed myself in some way and didn’t realise in the moment.

Thoughts like these are what cause us to spiral into negative mindsets and develop anxious thinking styles. But what we forget to realise is: our anxiety is trying to protect us. Our brains are reaching out for certainty and control; something that is very common for those with anxiety disorders. The only issue is, we become obsessive and constantly strive for perfection in our lives, conversations, expressions…

This can be an exhausting habit to have, understandably. When we luck trust in ourselves and our actions, we become mentally fatigued, and drained emotionally. This can make us lack sleep, or struggle to maintain focus on things that really matter and that are in front of us, rather than in the past – where we can’t control them.

The best thing to do when we spiral? Ground yourself. Write down your thoughts and let them exist. We don’t have to solve them, but acknowledging them and letting them sit, allows us to accept them a bit easier.

Not every thought you have deserves attention. Acknowledge them, let them be, let them pass, and move on.

It takes practice, and like most things, time – but no matter how loud the noise gets, we’re going to be okay.