Do not Over Analyse

Usually it is during the most difficult, low and painful phases of our life, we discover how fragile life is. We suddenly realize how good a life we had and how happy we were. Strangely enough the sweetness is realized during the bitter moments of life. We wish things would go back to how they were.  That we could go back to experiencing those sweet moments again. We often wonder, “How did I manage to land myself in this situation? “ The guilt trip begins!

Over analyzing makes us more miserable, because it makes us look outwards for solutions. We start thinking how can we control and/or influence someone else’s actions, decisions, behavior etc. This doesn't help since we have absolutely no control over others. When we try to control something which is beyond our control, we are frustrated and helpless.

It is not often that we find ourselves facing issues or fighting a battle, but yes when we are fighting the battle we see issues/problems piling up and situation seems to worsen. Things seem hopeless and future bleak and dark. But have you realized that although the future seems bleak and dark, we always get out of it and find a bright future waiting, and we are beaming about the fact that this is so much better than what we wanted.

Guess the beauty of life is in its surprises and paradox. It brings forth problems so we better ourselves, become stronger by finding the way out and fighting the battle. And the minute we find the solution and see the simplicity of the things that we made so complex by our thinking and over analyzing, life smiles back.

The important thing to remember during any difficulty; Do not over analyse!  Humans love to add logic and reason to everything. Sometimes the trick is to just accept and go with the flow.

Control Obsessive Thoughts

A good way to stop ruminating over past events is to distract yourself. To break the repetitive thought cycle, experts recommend diverting your attention from 'that' particular thought for about 10 to 15 minutes. So, next time obsessive thoughts strike, try losing yourself in a book, playing with your dog or anything that engrosses you.

Get active
Obsessive thoughts can lead to depression as your mind can't stop ruminating over something that you perceive as negative. Next time you feel anxious, go for a jog or just engross yourself in music. Any physical activity releases endorphins or feel-good hormones which will help uplift your mood and help you think more rationally. Besides, being active will help distract you from repetitive thoughts.

Sit still
Meditate, pray or take a long walk on the beach or just indulge in any other activity that you find calming. Largely when we obsess, we tend to dwell over events that we perceive to be negative and keep trying to set things right. But, if you're all charged up and obsessing over it, you probably won't be able to see a solution in sight. So calm yourself. This gets rid of that awful feeling of urgency and helps you view things from a fresh perspective.

Be positive
Cut out those negative thinking patterns. When obsessive thoughts take over, repeat the following affirmation to yourself, 'I am a positive person' or 'I always think positively.' A positive person doesn't ruminate over past events or worry endlessly about negative outcomes. This might seem like new-age philosophy, but affirmations work at a sub-conscious level and over time you shall notice that affirmations do change your thoughts.

Phone a friend
It's an option, use it! Because, when you're obsessing over something, you're definitely not thinking rationally. So, call up a friend and talk it out. Let him/her check your irrational thoughts. Over time, you will learn to check your own thoughts.

Rectify mistakes
All right, some good does come out of obsessive thoughts — you land up changing yourself. For instance, you may be dwelling over having lost your temper on your spouse and said some harsh words. And if you're not happy about that aspect of your personality, then think about it rationally. Finally, work to alter it. The fact that you're ready to change yourself, will break the guilt trip you've sent yourself on, which in turn will break the thought pattern.

Write it down
Try and maintain a log of your obsessive thoughts. For instance, 'If I don't fare well on the test, my classmates will think I am a fool,' or 'He/she didn't greet me today, this proves they don't like me, but why don't they like me?' This gives you clarity of thought and over time you may notice a pattern in your thoughts which could point to larger issues such as perhaps low self-esteem, low confidence levels etc. Try and deal with those deeper issues and chances are you'll manage to break free of the obsessive thinking pattern.
Since this may be too much of a task to deal with on your own, don't be afraid to ask for professional help.