Crippling thoughts and how they affected Riya.
Riya is a young adult who thinks a lot. Her constant thinking results in her constant worrying. She often finds herself worrying about almost all kinds of things in her spare time. Sometimes her overthinking stops her from concentrating on her work and chores. A lot of times Riya worries about things that are not in her control but she doesn’t stop. Rather she cannot.
Upon close observation, Riya realized that what starts as a simple way to ensure that things go smoothly has now become a habit. A habit of overthinking and over-worrying that has seemed to occupy all her time and energy. She found herself burdened by all the thoughts and sometimes felt that she was being crippled by all the thoughts.
She knew that she has to work upon this issue before this turned serious.
Do you feel that you are also going through what Riya is experiencing?
A lot of people overthink and worry from time to time but some cannot draw the line on where to stop it. Then it becomes a problem as it starts to affect your mental health. It begins to disrupt your day-to-day life amongst other things.
Effect of crippling thoughts-
Crippling thoughts or over-thinking most likely cause stress. Continuous exposure to stress harms both person’s mind and body. Studies published in the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science along with other studies have shown that chronic stress (continuous stress) can impair the functioning of the brain in multiple ways. The brain’s size can be reduced by stress and also that stress can kill brain cells.
How can you deal with crippling thoughts then?
1. Acknowledge that the power lies within you-
Your crippling thoughts will survive only if you let them. Sure, you may have many reasons to worry but you should be able to know where to draw the line. After a point, you may feel that you don’t control your thoughts but your thoughts control you. That’s not true. The power to control your thoughts always lies within you.
2. Write or Journal your crippling thoughts-
You might have heard this a lot but it works. Crippling thoughts don’t have a structure, shape nor form. Although when you pen them down be it in the form of words or art you are expressing them. Giving them a form that you can make sense of works in your favour. Simply because it is visible to you. Give it a try!
3. Segregate your thoughts-
Whenever you find yourself being overwhelmed with thoughts then try segregating them. Separate the thoughts which you can control and which you cannot. Focus on the thoughts which are in your control and work towards them. Let go of the thoughts and implications which are not in your control.
4. Distract yourself-
Indeed, you cannot run away from your thoughts and neither should you but you can distract yourself. If your thoughts become too much for you to handle then you can try taking a break from it and focus on doing something which relaxes you. It may include taking a walk, going for a run, listening to your favourite music or simply talking to your loved ones.
5. Set aside time-
Instead of being consumed by your thoughts for the whole day try reserving it for a particular time. Set aside some time or schedule a time in your day where you will just think. Let your train of thoughts roam free but after the assigned time is over you won’t think about it. It will be hard to do but with practice is possible
If your crippling thoughts have reached a stage where you feel you cannot control them, then it’s time for you to consult a professional and take help. There is no shame in accepting that you need help.
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