The Dark Ink

Catastrophe of Overthinkers;

We play a horror movie in our minds, before it happens in real.
Regrets? We are too fast for that.
We imagine the worst, jump to terrible conclusions,
We live in our minds the most, waiting for our nightmares to come alive.

Now, anyone who reads the title and thinks to themselves “Umm.. I am not an Overthinker”, you are DELUSIONAL. Straight-up delusional. For those who are in denial, you just don’t know yet, your mind has possessed you like a ghost showing you all kinds of nightmares there can be.
Overthinking is that one skill (talent for some) built into our DNA. It induces Stress, Anxiety, and Insomnia. There is no helping but to bend rather than dive down into it. The most toxic trait a man can possess is overthinking.
Nothing is more vicious or treacherous than a man alone with his mind. It can kill.

What is Overthinking?

Let’s try and keep it short, although I promise no such thing;
Overthinking is a habit. Turns into addiction if ignored. A human mind functions based on thoughts, a train of thoughts that makes an imaginary picture, and pictures together make a story. We don’t stop there, no, no, we believe in destruction, better, and in Self-Destruction.

Overthinking in layman’s language is the process of over-imagining, analyzing, and dwelling on unimportant matters. Thinking about outcomes, creating different scenarios, and playing the roles of others in our minds. Holding on to something that is out of our control. Overthinking becomes a habit first, gradually turning into a disorder. It is like a never-ending nightmare, a world of hell created in our heads. To what extent do we let it hurt us?

Signs of overthinking :

If you are wondering whether you are an “over-analyzer” or a chronic overthinker, here are a few signs you can look for. Let’s decode the habit of overthinking, shall we?

1. Inability to focus on one particular task.
2. Constant nervousness and worry.
3. Negative thoughts and negative talk.
4. Indecisiveness. Inability to make a decision or even stick to one.
5. Self-Doubt and negative self-talk.
6. Burnout. Feeling mentally exhausted.
7. Replaying a past or future situation in the mind.
8. Imagining the worst-case scenarios in every situation.

These are the general and most basic signs of overthinking making them the most important signs. These actions are sneaky in nature, they blend in so perfectly making us think it is “natural” to imagine and feel such complex circumstances and emotions. Overthinking is an uncontrollable action that makes or breaks a person’s entire mindset. It starts with the transfer of power, from us to our minds. It ain’t no rocket science to complicate; it suggests extreme ends. Flight or Fight. Do or Die.
(Do not gasp now, I don’t mean to literally die, just hypothetically. You get the point!)

According to an article in Forbes Health, about 73% of people who are between the ages of 25-35 overthink chronically, and about 52% of people aged between 45-55 overthink persistently.

The day we lose control of ourselves, mentally, is when we lose our spirit. Surrendering to our inner strength is one end but caving into the mind’s control is next to self-destruction. You see when our mind has the power to control us, it is blinded by power, and anything that is blinded by power leads to destruction eventually. In this case, it takes us to destruction.
So, How do you take the power back? How do you take the charge?

How to control your habit of overthinking?

When we talk about ‘Habits’ they ask for consistency.
Now, we all know about our consistency levels, those never grew an inch above the ground, do they? Well, jokes apart, while habits ask for consistency, consistency asks for discipline and willpower; both being hard yet most powerful tools known to mankind that decide whether you win or you lose in life. Can you see a string of correlations in your mind? All the pieces come together to build you, as a person.
We will talk about each topic separately, meanwhile, let’s learn a few practical ways to control this addictive habit of overthinking;

1. Power of Now. There is nothing more powerful than being fully present in the moment, and experiencing what life has to offer. The power of Now is unknown to most of us. We live in the comfortable bubble our mind has created for us, veiling us from the actual world. `Being fully present in the moment, with all 5 senses open to exploration brings us the ultimate pleasure of being alive.

2. Meditate. Meditation opens all our sensory organs and pulls them together to serve one purpose, that is to FOCUS. Meditation introduces us to our inner spirit, and to the universe. Improves the concentration level, brings ease to the stressful mind for adults, and increases the focal power of students to ace their exams. Ironically, the smallest act of meditation holds the power of conquering the universe.

3. Write your thoughts. Pick up a notebook (preferably a cute one) and record the train of thoughts that overwhelm you. When it is out of your mind and on paper, read it. You will come to a realization of how impractical and unrealistic your thoughts are, reserving about 70% of your brain activity. Self-Realization; Giving a face, an appearance to your thoughts brings clarity.

4. Motto. “Less Thinking More Action.” Swear by it. Live by it. For those who cannot bring themselves to meditate, write down their thoughts, or do the ‘physical work’ required to put themselves out of this never-ending cycle of overthinking, inject this motto into your blood.
The intention behind this is a busy mind has no space to absorb unnecessary thoughts.
Works only temporarily.

5. Train your mind. Now, this takes dedication, takes work but it paves the road to success 100%. Take over your mind. How to do it? Practice Self-Acceptance. Work on your reaction to past events, your regrets, mistakes, negative talks, or self-doubt. Find your faults and work on them. Accept your imperfections, and change what you have to, for your sake. Focus on self-growth.

6. Remind yourself. Remind yourself to take a breather from overwhelming yourself to the brink. Shout if you have to, but try to pull yourself out of your own personal hell. Life is too short to live in the imaginary world. Too much to see and experience out there, while we brine ourselves into pickles.
So, wake up from that nightmare and start living!

Remember –
Do not breathe air into stereotypical or silly narratives in your head.

I am an overthinker, I admit it. I try to keep it at bay and not give in to the narratives cooking in my head. I will say it is hard sometimes to distract, but what helps in such situations is, my passion, my love for writing.
Pick up a hobby and use it for days when you feel nothing’s working in your favor. Know that a day has only 24 hours, be it good or bad. Make it worthwhile.

I tried to keep it an informative and action-inducing blog, and a lite read at the same time.
Let me know in the comment section below how do you like this style of writing?

I hope your wildest most impossible dreams become your truest reality.

Until next time, keep your inner child alive and insane.
Stay Positive! Stay True! Stay You!