Addicted to Excessive Thinking

Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

You're having a difficult time being in the moment. 

You want to be able to shower and remember whether you shampooed your hair yet.

You want to be able to enjoy making your iced coffee without thinking of everything you have to do.

You know that you think too much and that you are addicted to excessive thinking. 

There are times you get so overwhelmed with your thoughts that you break down and cry.

You have realized that it is who you are, and you just need to accept it. 

Yes, it is difficult to accept something you don't like about yourself, especially something that makes you feel so emotionally drained. But you know that once you accept it, you will be better suited to work on it and pay better attention to the moment. 

Realizing that this is who you are would be the first step. Now what? 

Well, I found two remedies that I think would be worthwhile to try: 

1) Exercise. Most of our thinking is about either the past or future worries, which in extreme cases is linked to depression and anxiety. According to ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), studies have shown that exercising can help people cope better with stress. It helps improve symptoms of depression and anxiety. Even a simple 10 minute walk would work. The key is consistency. I do exercise but it is not as consistent as I would like it be. 

2) Meditation. According to Bob Stahl (PhD. Founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs) meditation helps to bring awareness of what we are feeling in our bodies, of our thoughts and our feelings. This will help us acknowledge them, and once we do and let them be, we will be able to dissolve them. The link above is an article he wrote, with a 30 minute meditation that I would like to try. Though, to be honest, I have trouble with meditation. I really like the "mindful walking" that Thich Nhat Hanh suggests (I will write about this in another post).

I know nobody reads this blog, but if anyone does somehow come across this I would like to know:

Are you an excessive thinker? If so, how do you handle it?