How do I stop overthinking and worrying?
Let me begin by saying that it’s natural to overthink things. It’s something we all do sometimes – it can feel like we’re “in our head” as we’re figuring out different options and scenarios. However, sometimes we can become stuck in those thoughts. We analyse what happened, consider what we did wrong and what we could have done differently, we worry about what the future holds. The thoughts may spiral out of control and leave us feeling worried and anxious.
When we find ourselves overthinking and worrying, there are a few things that happen to us on a physical level:
- our energy can feel like it’s outside of our body,
- we may feel disconnected from the body,
- our breath becomes shallower,
- our hands and legs may become cold or start tingling,
- it is hard to be still.
These are physical manifestations of our inner state. The energy of our thoughts impacts our bodies and through our bodies we can change or release that same energy.
On the physical level, this indicates the need to reconnect with oneself. A central part of it is building the sense of stability, or grounding in the world.
How do you stop overthinking and worrying?
While there are numerous ways to approach this, I want to share with you 3 strategies that involve working with our body.
1. Breathing exercises
From pranayama to Wim Hof, there are plenty of breathing methods. This can make it difficult to know what to choose. My recommendation is to start from simple box breathing. It’s straightforward, and effective. Check out this video to learn how to do it:
2. Moving your body slowly and with awareness
When your mind is hyperactive and busy doing lots of thinking, it can make our body want to move as well. That’s because the mind and body are connected. When we start moving our body, it creates an illusion of our body catching up with the mind. Eventually, the pace of your mind and the body may become the same. When that happens, slowing down your body may also slow down your mind.
3. Grounding yoga poses
Almost every yoga pose can be practiced in a way that’s grounding, but there are poses that will make it a little easier than others. Try these:
Warrior II 
Cobbler pose 
Mountain pose 
Yogi squat 
Forward fold 
Tree pose
Final Piece of Advice
Working with the body is only one way to find a relief from stress, tension and discomfort caused by worry and overthinking. If the above methods don’t work for you right now, there are plenty of other options.
If you’d like to explore it with me, book your free consultation here.