How to prevent overthinking
ANCHORED
Lost at sea
Do you find yourself caught up in the activity of your mind?
Spiraling into the abyss of negativity, ruminating over what someone did, or didn’t do, or circling a potential event that hasn’t even happened yet.
You get caught in these thought-loops that keep you stuck in a cycle of ‘negative’ emotions and low vibrating energy.
How do you get away from all that?
Rather, how do you return to yourself?
That’s what anchoring is about.
Just like an actual boat anchor, when the storms of life make you drift too far out to sea, you can use anchors to return back to the shores of presence.
Having habits, routines, rituals to anchor you back to your self.
Ways to anchor
1. Meditation
When you find that your mind starts to wander, or get lost in thought, return back to the breath. In this case, your breath is your anchor.
2. Pauses throughout the day
Stop what you’re doing, take a few deep breaths, and give yourself a break for a few minutes. No, that doesn’t mean check social media!
By taking a pause you give yourself an opportunity to release (the energy of) what recently happened and create space for what is yet to come.
Stop, recognise how you’re feeling, take a deep breath and recalibrate your energy before you return into your work.
3. Bodily sensations
Personally I find the best way to get out of my ruminating mind is to ‘drop’ into my body. To reconnect with my feelings and how I am, actually, physically.
4. Writing
I know this one’s not a popular one. But I have to include it as my longest standing routine. Writing down my thoughts free-flow, seems to have a therapeutic effect. Different from typing down thoughts on a laptop and phone. There’s science behind this!
Gratitude Daily – write down at least 3 things you’re blessed with.
Strengths daily, evidence based – write down at least 3 things you’re gifted with in this life, with proof!
Prevention is better
Initially these anchors help you to RETURN to yourself. To find yourself once again. To return back to the present moment when you have been lost in your own mind.
The beauty of this technique however, is that over time these anchors PREVENT you from drifting out to sea in the first place.