To the one whose mind is always accelerating,
It may be tiring to always have this ball of thoughts coming in at the speed of light. So many thoughts, so many emotions, so many directions, so many perceptions, all at once. How do you do it, buddy? With the good comes the bad, I get it, but do you ever give yourself credit?
You get a two-word text and your brain extracts every possible meaning out of it. You never stop reading other people’s mind. If someone doesn’t call you back, your brain convinces you, it’s probably your fault and you should maintain your distances. But when they ask what were you thinking, you say, “nothing at all.”
Pardon your brain, it’s designed to protect you and your heart. Your brain is not letting you get blindsided and it’s putting all the red flags in a folder for you because it would rather make you see the danger than allow anything to catch you off guard. While it is thinking “what if…” it is paying too much attention to details. Even a slight change in tone from a loved one triggers you, right? It makes you feel like you did something to upset the person but no, they are probably just a little tired.
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Your brain has no intentions of settling for less. It knows what you deserve. Hence, always keeps you ready for things to go wrong like a soldier in attention. It may make you misunderstand others at times, but try not to misunderstand your brain. It’s just protecting your heart that has experienced pain before. Once someone fully has your trust, you wouldn’t overthink.
Your mind feels like an atlas unfolded on your bed. It has pinned spots, some spills, connecting lines and one-ways that sometimes lead you in the wrong direction. There are mountains made out of molehills, rivers that part ways and look like broken promises by dear ones. At times, the compass on that map seems broken with a lost sense of the north and the south. So, you choose a random destination. The idea of being lost makes you obsess over every single detail. Do you still feel you’re weird? How about attentive, into the details or someone who is just being smart?
Do not try to control your mind without understanding it. Understand the fact that you cannot stop thinking about an embarrassing moment because, at the backend, something has fiddled with your self-confidence. So when your brain comes to a conclusion that your partner is better off without you because you made a teeny-tiny mistake, talk to them. Let them know what you’re thinking and give them a chance to share their opinion.
When you plan more than you act, it also shows that you have the capabilities of a perfectionist. You can always consciously brush your skills. You may feel exhausted by the day’s work, but when your mind keeps you helplessly awake at 3 am and plays the reruns of an incident that affected you in the morning or a future event that you have no control over, take as many deep breathes as it takes for your mind to calm down. Practice meditation (a five-minute session doesn’t sound like too much work right?).
The thought of happiness may scare you, but remind yourself that it is normal to be happy and it’s normal to not be happy. Insecurity may keep visiting you, but the moment you start respecting yourself, understand your value, it will leave.
You cannot control your thoughts, but you have the power to modify, improve them. Train your brain to create positive visions and thoughts. You can do it over a period of time. Say, if you’re thinking, “what if this relationship doesn’t work out? What if I keep calling this person now, they’ll hate me?” Change it to “what if my partner and I always spend good moments together? What if we are actually perfect for each other? What if the job I have done is actually perfect?” Create a vision board with positive pictures around you – a beautiful scenery, a happy couple, bright light or a healthy diet, whatever makes you feel calmer, put it in your vision board. Your subconscious mind will come to your rescue and you’ll witness a more relaxed version of yourself in some time.
Let go and embrace the value of your present. Past has done its job. Future will do its job. And if you smile right now, your job for this moment is done.
Don’t ask your brain to stop thinking because it can’t, just use its power for good. Relish that what makes you an overthinker, also has the potential to make you smarter!
With love,
A Fellow Overthinker
Featured Image Source: YouTube
Also Read: Are Positive Affirmations The Magical Spells You’ve Been Missing Out On?
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