It’s time to break free from the chains of analysis paralysis
I admit it. I’m a huge overthinker and overworrier.
It’s a trait most of the introverts have.
It’s a good idea to think before you speak, but overthinking is much more than that.
Because of my thoughts and my worries, I have problems falling asleep. There is so much noise in my head. And it doesn’t stop because there is always something happening.
My head is never quiet.
But I found a solution: writing.
Daily Writing
When I started writing online I didn’t think about helping my mind to relax. I actually started to make money and to help people.
But what happened is it helped me the most.
Writing 30 minutes daily helps me to process all the information I’m reading and hearing.
All this input I’m getting from books, movies, series, ads, discussions, meetings, and podcasts fills my head. It’s hard to keep track and to hold important thoughts.
Writing about the topics I read about and experience helps me to clear my mind and also analyze my thoughts.
So the first thing that helped me to declutter my mind is writing online, but there are 2 more writing habits I have:
- Journaling
- Write down notes of everything
Journaling
I’m not doing it every day.
It helps if I write down my thoughts every few days, especially those that are bothering me or need to get out of my brain.
Journaling is just for you. Nobody will read it.
You can write whatever and however, you want. If you prefer to draw, you can do that too.
It helps to get your thoughts and worries out of your brain, and usually, you will get more clarity while writing it down.
If you hold too many things, your memory starts getting full and your mental performance decreases.
Just like a computer slows down when you have a lot of programs and tabs open.
As soon as you write it down you already gain clarity, and you can start organizing it.
If you are writing online you can use your organized journal entries to find topics to write about. Just like this story was a thought based on reading about writing online in Dan Koes’ course.
What I like about journaling is I can go back to my thoughts a year ago, and see the improvement I’ve made.
A year ago I complained about my boyfriend tickling me all the time. I was worried that this could affect our future together. I’m embarrassed writing about it, and that’s a good thing.
If I hadn’t been embarrassed about myself a year ago, I didn’t grow enough.
Be yourself and open in your journal. You are the only one reading it, and those are your thoughts only. Nobody is judging you or embarrassing you.
If you struggle to put sentences together from your chaotic mind I suggest meditation and quiet time.
I know it’s hard to find quiet time in our stressful lives, but I love to wake up earlier to enjoy the calmness.
This time is just for you. Relax your body and your mind, and only concentrate on your breath.
By meditating you are practicing mindfulness: to focus on only 1 thing and calm your mind.
This way you can form sentences out of your mess of thoughts more easily.
Our brain just needs a break sometimes.
Write Notes of Everything
Writing notes of everything I read and hear is one of the most precious habits I’ve ever established.
My brain remembers more if I write everything down, and I figured that out in high school. Since then I have had a system of how I study for exams: writing down everything.
Now I’m using that system to remember more from books, videos, and courses.
Did you ever have the feeling of not remembering anything after you finished a book? Or just half of it? Yeah, same.
And it’s a waste of time and good books if I don’t remember it.
As soon as I started taking notes my memory of the books exploded. Not just my brain remembers but I’ve also written it down to get back to the information.
This is a hack you don’t want to miss if you love to read and learn.
If you are motivated and have the time you can organize your notes on a platform like Notion with tags and bullet points.
Conclusion
I decreased my overthinking by writing online and journalling. And it’s a big relief.
I sleep better and I have notes now to go back to for inspiration and memories.
I want to remind you that writing in your journal shouldn’t feel like a burden. This happened to me at the beginning after reading that I should write every day.
Some days my brain was just empty. And that’s okay too.
If you feel like journaling is not 100% helping your overthinking brain, you can take the step to share your thoughts with a trusted friend, mentor, or therapist. An external perspective can help you solve a problem.
“Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.
— Robin Sharma
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