Avoiding Over Thinking and Social Comparison
Numerous studies show that over thinking worsens sadness, fosters negatively biased thinking, impairs a person’s ability to solve problems, destroys motivation, and interferes with concentration and personal initiative. Truly happy people have the ability to distract and absorb themselves in activities that divert their energies and concerns away from negative rumination. Here are a few ways to combat overthinking and social comparison.
- Distract yourself when you overthink. When you begin to over ruminate an issue or situation, find a way to distract yourself from such thoughts. Do activities that calm or amuse you. This can range from running all the way to singing.
- Make time to ruminate. We can’t always avoid our issues and sometimes its best to face it head on. As a result, it’s necessary to set time aside to think about things. By “moving” negative thoughts to a “Will Think About Later” category, you will find that the you will find less of a need to overthink when your scheduled time finally rolls around. Making time to ruminate also allows you to find a solution faster.
- Take in the bigger picture. If you catch yourself socially comparing yourself or overthinking an issue, ask yourself, “Will this matter in a year or two?” If it really doesn’t impact you that much, you’ll realize that you don’t need to put so much energy into that issue.