Pardon the title – we just couldn’t resist overthinking it. Isn’t it interesting how the human mind works? How it never seems to be still? It always wants things a certain way and it will persist until it imprisons you. Overthinking is a toxic habit many are prone to developing. That’s regrettable as being able to calm your thoughts gives you greater mental focus and clarity. Thinking leads to great outcomes, but you can’t say that about overthinking, as these 21 quotes will show.
Why Do People Overthink?
We are prone to overthinking in a certain situation, when we are stressed, or simply because we are so inclined. There are too many overthinker quotes and jokes to read and keep track of. According to positivity psychologists, overthinking is a sign that we tend to worry too much because we’re afraid of negative outcomes. By overthinking, we believe we’re protecting ourselves from this negative result when we, in fact, may actually be bringing it about.
Is Overthinking a Disorder?
Some researchers consider overthinking a worldwide epidemic. A study by the University of Michigan found that it is mostly members of the X-generation and millennials that tend to overthink. 3 out of 4 respondents between 25 and 35 years of age identified as overthinkers. It also emerged that there were fewer overthinkers among men than women – 43% vs. 57%.
There is a whole collection of over thinking quotes on Pinterest. Yes, we read all of these quotes, overthinking quite a lot of them, but selected the best ones. We’ll share these quotes with you in this article.
“How Do I Stop Overthinking” Quotes?
If you’ve made it this far, you must need help from overthinking quotes to stop feeling so stressed and bring more positivity into your life. Here are our top overthinking and overthinkers quotes. Have a read – they’ll help you see how excessive contemplation has simply set you on the wrong path.
1. You will never be free until you free yourself from the prison of your own false thoughts.
The mind is often compared to a prison, and that’s no coincidence. No limitations are more restrictive than those we set for ourselves.
2.Stop wasting time worrying. What people think about you. Live your one life the way you want to. Don’t let the opinions of others become your reality or your arrow of direction. Be open to growing and being your best. But live for your dreams, your happiness. – Karen Salmansohn
This is the first of a lot of deep overthinking quotes by Salmansohn, who is something of an expert on the matter. This champion of positivity has so much to contribute.
3. Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try!
Listening should always precede talking, and trying should come before quitting. These are basic principles of life.
4. Stop worrying about what can go wrong, and get excited about what can go right.
There’s always a 50% chance of things going wrong. Look on the bright side – there’s also a 50% chance of them working out!
5. Overthinking – the art of creating problems that weren’t even there.
Sometimes, we misinterpret harmless little signs and become convinced something serious is wrong. We then act accordingly. Our reaction causes issues that weren’t there to begin with.
6.Stop wasting time wondering what others think about you it’s more important what you think of you. Are you living true to your heart -and kind to the hearts of others? Feel free to check in with yourself – and often. Remember, if someone has a full and happy life, they won’t have time to sit around talking about you. – Karen Salmansohn
Another one of her deep overthink quotes. It really says it all.
7. There is nothing in this world that can trouble you as much as your own thoughts.
The problem is never with events beyond our control. How we perceive these occurrences is what counts.
8.Don’t use your energy on worry. Use it to believe and find a way. – Karen Salmansohn
Listen to your intuition and do what you love doing. This is always a step in the right direction.
9. Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.
We’d disagree with this quote. At least sitting in a rocking chair can be fun. We live with the stress of always thinking about tomorrow. We don’t enjoy the present, but we should try. We should appreciate the love in our lives, our friends, even our hard times, because they make us stronger. It is at these times that we learn and grow.
10. Stop overthinking. You can’t control everything, just let it be.
Dwelling on something won’t change it. To enact change, start by transforming thought into action. Act in this very moment. This is the first step. It sounds simple, and it is.
11. Dear mind, please stop thinking so much at night. I need sleep.
Your body is tired. You want to rest, but your mind disagrees. It keeps you up until the early hours. Sound familiar?
12. Overthinking is the biggest cause of unhappiness.
And on that note…overthinking deprives us of rest, and we feel exhausted and miserable as a result.
13.Worrying is blurrying. It stops you from seeing clearly. – Karen Salmansohn
Our worries blur reality. The barrage of thoughts running through your head distorts what is really there.
14. Don’t ruin a new day by thinking about yesterday. Let it go.
A friend used to compare thinking about the past to driving with your eyes on the rearview mirror. What’s going to happen? Obviously you’re going to crash.
15. A quiet mind is able to hear intuition over fear.
Fear often arises from irrational thoughts. The solution to every problem lies within us, but we sometimes need to quiet our minds to see it.
16.Thinking too much leads to paralysis by analysis. It’s important to think things through, but many use thinking as a means of avoiding action. –Robert Herjavek
17.Overthinking, also, best known as creating problems that are never there. –David Sikhosana
We couldn’t say it better.
18.Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.— Clement Stone
Act now. It’s not too late.
19.Worrying about how things might go wrong, doesn’t help things to go right. – Karen Salmansohn
20.We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.— Albert Einstein
Leave it to the expert on everything to make it clear.
21.Over-thinking ruins you. It ruins the situation. And it twists things around. It makes you worry. Plus it just makes everything worst than it actually is. – Karen Salmansohn
This last quote brings us to a logical question:
How to Quiet your Mind?
The mind is hard to control. Here are some tips to help you fight overthinking and stay positive.
1. Practice Mindfulness
What are you thinking about right now? Something that made you angry, something you have to do today? Do you have negative thoughts about your life?
It’s not easy to stay positive with so many bad things happening around us. Mindfulness practices involve repeating positive, peaceful words to counter excessive negative thoughts. Whenever you feel anxiety coming or realize you are overthinking, repeat calming words like “love”, “peace”, “joy”, and “happiness” to halt the negative thoughts. This will help your mind slow down and concentrate on what’s important. Use words to your advantage – you’d be amazed how powerful and meaningful they can be.
2. Embrace Nature
If you work and live in the city, you might not realize how much you’re missing nature. You could spend an afternoon off in a nearby park or go to a peaceful, isolated place on holiday. Fortifying your bond with nature will do wonders for your overactive mind. This will stop the barrage of thoughts immediately.
Focus on the night sky, the twilight, the dawn, a tree, a leaf, a lake, a mountain, a waterfall, or anything else you like. This will stop overthinking. It’s best to make a habit of going out in nature, especially if the weather is nice. With time, you’ll find yourself thinking more clearly.
3. Meditate
So much has been said and written about meditation that it’s starting to sound clichéd, so here’s what the benefits really are. People who meditate are able to stop the flow of negative thoughts and overthinking. Their minds travel to a still and quiet place. Meditation is a reprieve from the negativity bombarding your consciousness day and night. Those who’ve practiced for a while develop the ability to “switch off” their brains, which can bring instant relief from anxiety and pain.
While an alert mind is capable of many great things, blessed are those with the ability to subdue and control their thoughts. They are more effective in every sphere of their existence because they know what to channel their mental energy into and what doesn’t deserve their thoughts.
