I frequently find, when my mind is racing (or when I’ve been ignoring my own advice and am on a doom scrolling binge!) that a little gem appears out of nowhere to stop me in my tracks. It’s ironic really, because thinking about the little gem can stop me from overthinking.
This is an example of one I found recently – it’s a poem, or rather a little ditty by Collette O’Mahony and it is so simple yet profound:
“Your heart is a palace but you live in your head; you own a vast mansion, yet you sleep in the shed.”
I have often lived in my head, over processing little details, building a huge story around a small word or gesture, and falling subconsciously into my brain’s default mode: introspecting, ruminating, worrying. But I have learned, mostly through my role now as a Celebrant, that overthinking impedes happiness. It halts progress, creates fear, and causes doubt. It prompts regret, can lead to confusion and acts as a spotlight on problems as well as a dimmer for any chink of light you may need to solve them.
Overthinking isn’t a mental illness; indeed sometimes there are benefits to it: empathising with other perspectives, considering multiple solutions…but I have seen how too much of it can lead to conditions associated with mental ill-health – conditions such as depression or anxiety.
And overthinking, at a time when you are planning a major life event can be more of a hindrance than an advantage. So, over the coming days, I am going to share with you some of the ways that I have developed to switch out from that default mode.
Keep an eye out for the series!
Latansani 