Overthinking is becoming more common in students which is affecting their studies and diverting their focus for unnecessary things. It is not that easy to identify if a thought in your mind is productive or a production of overthinking.
So once you realise if you are addicted to overthinking and not able to find a simple way to overcome it, then you can check tips in this article. These details are prepared for students who can not concentrate on studies due to overthinking.
In this article we will discuss what is overthinking or how to identify if you are overthinking, how to deal with and how to study without overthinking.
What is Overthinking, and Why Does it Matter
Overthinking is a commonly used word which commonly refers to a situation where a person frequently thinks about a topic or a thought. The person can be found to think his previous experiences and accommodate it with the current thought. They can also be found to think about happenings in future.
However, making a plan for a good future is the best way to grow but once you planned, you should implement it. If you do not implement and thinking in a cycle of thoughts then it will become overthinking.
Once you make a habit of overthinking it will definitely impact negatively on your mental health. The excess of thinking or overthinking will produce stress, anxiety, and finally fall you in depression.
When Thinking Becomes Overthinking ?
We all are motivated in schools to think creatively. However, thinking is a natural process of our mind, So individual who are addicted to overthinking will not be able to recognize this state in earlier stages.
For example, If you are planning to create a PPT in the classroom then you are required to make an overview of it in your mind and suggest steps to complete and process it. After That you can start to execute your plan in the PPT
But instead of this, if you are thinking to create PPT and frequently thinking new slides, designs and recreating designs again and again, then you will stuck in a cycle of repetitive thoughts. It will convert your productive thoughts into overthinking.
So the mantra Excess of everything is bad will also implement on thinking and overthinking. If you are habitual of this situation, it will kill your productive hours and disturb your mental health.
Overthinking is impacting on mental health of students and they are falling in depression. We have written tips for students who are facing the same situation where you can check it in this post
However, there are thousands of tips and techniques which are helpful for students who are suffering from overthinking during studies and make them concentrate on their topic again.
How to concentrate on studies without overthinking : tips
Students can check the following tips to overcome overthinking during studies which are very helpful and prepared to those who are addicted of this situation. So you can follow these simple tips:
Let you Overthink once
Overthinking is a mental state which can not be easily solved, instead of suppressing your thoughts, let you think properly once.
What are we actually doing? we fall in a cycle of thoughts and once realise it, again concentrate on studies. Once we start the study, the next thought will again come in our mind, and we will again start overthinking.
In this situation we are nither focusing on studies nor working with our thoughts. You will not be able to study in this manner, it is better to let your thoughts come out properly once.
Write Down Thoughts
Overthinking is only raw thoughts. So it will not give you the insight about the planning which you are doing. So if you are getting the same thoughts or similar thoughts repeatedly, then it is suggested to write it down in the notepad.
So whenever a similar thought will come in your mind again, then your mind will quickly understand that you have already thought about it earlier.
So this method will help to reduce the number of unknown thoughts in you mind during studies.
A Study Routine
Since overthinking is the state of mind, you need to train your mind that the specific time is fixed for your studies. Again, if you plan your routine in mind only, so it will not work, So you need to note it down in a paper or notebook.
At initial days, you will not see changes in overthinking, So as soon as any idea comes to your mind while studying, just remind yourself that it is study time. So it will help you to disconnect from overthinking during studies.
Stay away from distractions
Smartphones are the biggest distraction nowadays. Overthinking doesn’t start itself but gets stimulation after any distraction from the topic. So whenever you get notification form social media or any other notification, your brain will firstly force you to check it to be update, but once you touch the phone, overthinking thoughts will get air and start to distract you.
Follow the breathing exercise
Breathing exercise is a part of mindfulness. Overthinking comes when our mind is full. Meditation converts our mindfullness to mindfulness. It is suggested by psychologists to do breathing exercise for at least 2 minutes before starting the study. You can follow these simple instructions to do it:
- Make comfortable position, sit on chair or sit on flor. You can also stand during this activity.
- Take 2 deep breaths, inhale deep and exhale for long lime.
- Now close your eyes. If not feeling comfortable, then close to 70%.
- Take normal breath
- Let the surrounding Sound come.
- Let the thoughts in your mind and do not suppress them.
- Focus on your breath.
- Now feel the senses in your nose and follow where the inhale breath goes.
- Feel energetic with inhale
- Feel your unwanted thoughts going out along exhale.
Whenever you feel comfortable, open your eyes and start your studies.
It will take time
Overthinking is a mental issue and most of the time it becomes our habit. So it will not easy to drop this habit. You may feel that above tips are not working properly. These will not work until you take strong oath to eliminate this habit. These tips will help your mind to refocus on studies. At the starting, you need to refocus for many time. But after few days, it’s frequency will low and will finally be removed from you habit.
FAQs
What is overthinking ?
Overthinking is a situation where a person is stuck in a cycle of thoughts and thinks about them frequently.
How to overcome overthinking ?
Overthinking is a mental situation and becomes a habit, so behavioural techniques will only help you to overcome it including refocusing, note down thoughts, reduce distractions etc.
Why overthinking starts whenever I study?
You get new ideas and thoughts through study. It is important to explore and search your questions, but when it becomes excessive, it becomes dangerous. So it is normal to get net thoughts, but you need to control and stop you mind to over explore.