How can I stop overthinking and be more present in the moment?

[Willowz]

I need to think less about things. Thinking about things means that you have to think about the things that have to be done after those things are done. bla bla bla

I lack the habituation. I always think. Think think think. Thinking about thinking. And thinking about how to think. Bla bla bla *so tired* It makes my social behavior seem artificial and awkward. What's the solution o great people of this forum?

 

[Willowz]

And no, "listen to what your heart says" is not a solution.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I need to think less about things. Thinking about things means that you have to think about the things that have to be done after those things are done. bla bla bla

I lack the habituation. I always think. Think think think. Thinking about thinking. And thinking about how to think. Bla bla bla *so tired* It makes my social behavior seem artificial and awkward. What's the solution o great people of this forum?

Not a great person but someone who can relate.

Learn to live in the moment. While you are doing all of that thinking you are missing reality. Note also that if you are thinking, you aren't doing.

They have an expression out at Boeing - don't brainstorm, trystorm! Engineers have a tendency to think perpetually and never get anything done.

 

[OmCheeto]

I need to think less about things. Thinking about things means that you have to think about the things that have to be done after those things are done. bla bla bla

I lack the habituation. I always think. Think think think. Thinking about thinking. And thinking about how to think. Bla bla bla *so tired* It makes my social behavior seem artificial and awkward. What's the solution o great people of this forum?

I believe the brain is fueled mostly by oxygen, which is a function of blood flow.

I only know of self destructive ways of reducing blood flow to my brain, and hence, will not share them.

I also suffer from your malady, and can totally relate to how you feel. Good luck. And if you find a solution, I will pay handsomely for a cure.

Unless of course it involves smoking crack. I might not like thinking so much, but I do not want to be a zombie.

 

[Willowz]

Actually I know the solution. I think it's meditation.

Can anyone outline some ways of implementing meditation in your life successfully?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Actually I know the solution. I think it's meditation.

Can anyone outline some ways of implementing meditation in your life successfully?

Think about it for five minutes and you'll have your own answer again. Maybe it would be best if we try to anticipate your next question.

 

[Willowz]

Think about it for five minutes and you'll have your own answer again. Maybe it would be best if we try to anticipate your next question.

Oh, shiet. I'm doing it again.

 

[Willowz]

I feel like some Faustian idiot. Just without all the knowledge in the world.

 

[bp_psy]

I think I have to think less if this thread makes any kind of sense.

 

[Willowz]

I think I have to think less if this thread makes any kind of sense.

What sees to be the problem, sir?

 

[bp_psy]

What sees to be the problem, sir?

Who sees to be the problem? is probably a more appropriate question.Whatever that means.

 

[Willowz]

Who sees to be the problem? is probably a more appropriate question.Whatever that means.

You be trolling me.

 

[Willowz]

Can we lock this thread b4 any more trolls appear? Thanks.

 

[bp_psy]

You be trolling me.

No but ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-gTtdwk3ak

 

[wisvuze]

I definitely know how you feel.. sometimes I can't even sleep at all because my brain is always racing. And the socially awkward thing is too much to handle sometimes, I have neurotic thoughts , questioning what people think, what I should say , if I should call someone because I might've said something in a misinterpreted tone..

 

[wisvuze]

I also considered meditation, I've been starting recently. It actually does help keep the thoughts at bay.

 

[Fra]

I need to think less about things. Thinking about things means that you have to think about the things that have to be done after those things are done. bla bla bla

I lack the habituation. I always think. Think think think. Thinking about thinking. And thinking about how to think. Bla bla bla *so tired* It makes my social behavior seem artificial and awkward. What's the solution o great people of this forum?

It sounds like you describe what I'd call irrational thinking or deadlock. Ie. you keep analysing things in absurdum with a feeling that you aren't getting anywhere? You end up questioning the rationality in your thinking? Almost a bit of a philosopher syndrome :)

I'm not sure what you are thinking about but maybe you just need fresh inputs and a break and do something else. It can really help. From that new perspective you can implicitly assess your prevous thinking and get around our deadlock.

I think the best way to get out of a deadlock is to move to a new perspective and try to see if from the outside. Then go back with you might find that you can solve it.

I very often reflect upong my own creative processes from different angles. When I'm at work I often think about physics and inference problems, especially the hard ones. When I'm home I often think about work problems. So when you get back to respective place to do the "real work", you are full of fresh ideas.

Beeing stuck in a monotone state for along time is never creative. For me, problem solving and creative thinking (as opposed to neverending contemplation) does not only require thinking but also plenty of new inputs, fresh angles etc.

Maybe you forget about the new input, then the process becomes painful and risk getting into a deadlock.

/Fredrik

 

[wukunlin]

They have an expression out at Boeing - don't brainstorm, trystorm! Engineers have a tendency to think perpetually and never get anything done.

You can't apply that to everything though, say I want to get along some girl i find attractive. trystorming may not be the best idea

 

[Willowz]

It sounds like you describe what I'd call irrational thinking or deadlock. Ie. you keep analysing things in absurdum with a feeling that you aren't getting anywhere? You end up questioning the rationality in your thinking? Almost a bit of a philosopher syndrome :)

I'm not sure what you are thinking about but maybe you just need fresh inputs and a break and do something else. It can really help. From that new perspective you can implicitly assess your prevous thinking and get around our deadlock.

I think the best way to get out of a deadlock is to move to a new perspective and try to see if from the outside. Then go back with you might find that you can solve it.

I very often reflect upong my own creative processes from different angles. When I'm at work I often think about physics and inference problems, especially the hard ones. When I'm home I often think about work problems. So when you get back to respective place to do the "real work", you are full of fresh ideas.

Beeing stuck in a monotone state for along time is never creative. For me, problem solving and creative thinking (as opposed to neverending contemplation) does not only require thinking but also plenty of new inputs, fresh angles etc.

Maybe you forget about the new input, then the process becomes painful and risk getting into a deadlock.

/Fredrik

Thanks Fra, you gave me plenty of new input just from this response. =D

 

[Chi Meson]

If you drink caffeine, then it is your bane; it is your enemy when you go one cup over the line. If you are an over-thinker, coffee and sodas will wreck you.

As an over-thinker myself, I only drink coffee in the early AM, and never after noon.

Switching the brain off: no gaming! For me, music in the headphones is the key, also audiobooks, especially stories you already know, help the brain stop for a while. A nap is the best thing, even if for 5 minutes (another good reason for no/little caffeine).

 

[Ivan Seeking]

...say I want to get along some girl i find attractive. trystorming may not be the best idea

Wanna bet?

 

[Insanity]

Ānāpānasati meditation helps. It is quite easy as well.

 

[Willowz]

Yesterday, last night that is. I couldn't go to sleep. So, I took a chance and started to sit there and just 'turn down the volume'. It worked. I had a very good night sleep. I am a content person for today.

 

[DoggerDan]

I need to think less about things. Thinking about things means that you have to think about the things that have to be done after those things are done. bla bla bla

Too much to do, not enough time? I have that problem, and most of it is my own doing. A trick I learned long ago helps. Make three columns. The first is a priority column, as follows:

1. If I don't do this I will go to jail.
2. If I don't do this I will go to court.
3. If I don't do this it will cost me money (loss of job, fines, etc.)
4. If I don't do this people will be mad at me (boss, family, friends, neighbors, bad credit)
5. If I don't do this I may miss out on some opportunity.
6. If I don't do this nothing bad will happen; I simply want to do it.

Most things can be appropriately prioritized on the above column alone. Obviously, take care of the higher priority (low numbers) items first.

The second column is a "Gain if I do" column, and the third is a "Loss if I don't" column. These are usually the same amounts, but not always. For example, paying a speeding ticket might be a -$100 in the Gain if I do column, but a -$200 in the Loss if I don't column ($100 for the ticket and a $100 additional fine for not paying it on time). Similarly, investing $100 at 10% for a year would be $10 in the Gain, and $0 in the loss.

Subtract Gain - Loss. Thus, the ticket would be a positive $100. Yes, it may cost you $100 to pay it, but not doing so will cost you $200, with a net loss of $100, so it's in your best interest to pay the ticket, to the tune of $100. Similarly, investing $100 at 10% results in only a gain if you do, and no loss if you don't.

If you're choosing between alternatives, whether to use that $100 to pay the ticket or invest at 10%, the Net (Gain - Loss) for paying the ticket is $100 while the Net (Gain - Loss) for investing is just $10.

Obviously, you'll want to pay the ticket.

You can use this for pretty much any decision you make, such as whether you should rent for the next 3 years or buy. Be sure to include all potential gains or losses for each option on a net after taxes basis.

 

[cobalt124]

I need to think less about things...

I know what you mean.

Reading the thread and picking out the parts I feel relevant:

Learn to live in the moment. While you are doing all of that thinking you are missing reality. Note also that if you are thinking, you aren't doing.

...move to a new perspective and try to see if from the outside...problem solving and creative thinking (as opposed to neverending contemplation) does not only require thinking but also plenty of new inputs, fresh angles etc...

...music in the headphones is the key, also audiobooks, especially stories you already know, help the brain stop for a while. A nap is the best thing, even if for 5 minutes (another good reason for no/little caffeine).

These are the things that work for me, though, in the end, as the song goes, "It aint what you do, it's the way that you do it", so it's how you think, how you read, how you listen to music, "how you "everything"", and doing things a certain way allows you see from the outside, live in the moment, and the rest. Hadn't thought about the effects of caffeine.

Actually I know the solution. I think it's meditation.

Can anyone outline some ways of implementing meditation in your life successfully?

I also considered meditation, I've been starting recently. It actually does help keep the thoughts at bay.

Anapanasati meditation helps. It is quite easy as well.

I agree about meditation, I found it (and am finding it) really helpful. I'm using the "mindfulness approach", based on Buddhist mediation, but cast in a secular framework. I found it helped switch off my thoughts totally, allowing me to "be in the moment" and be in a better position to deal with problems (depression/OCD in my case, though this can also be life improving in general for anyone). I remember doing an exercise for the first time that lasted about five minutes and afterwards feeling better inside myself than I ever could remember). This looks very similar to Anapanasati, so would definitely recommend that too.

 

[wukunlin]

Wanna bet?

consequences can vary vastly