Passionate people and activists of a cause are usually described as overthinkers. We usually are. So here is a quote to kick off this piece:
On a happy day, the voice in your head is only a song or a beat. Over-think that!
I subscribe to the overthinking diagnoses, some months more than others. What I don't subscribe to is the advice of "don't" that comes with it. For it is not a switch I can turn off or a condition I can tame by various soul-touching techniques. Truth is, if my brain is wired to overthink, it will always do. The effort to contain it is usually overwhelming in negative self-detachment. The mainstream stigma of overthinking has always been dark or pitty at best.
I also dislike being judged as an unkind or a calculated villain if mistakenly some of my thoughts reached an ear. Considering that the general stereotype of goodness and good people in Disney fairy tales and superhero movies are simple people and unsophisticated ones. Truth is, I do get lost in my thoughts the same way children are lost in an elaborate dream. Because excitingly intriguing insights usually spring from unexpected turns of my thought train. It is an intoxicating mental process. Opposite to the "relax your mind" approach, it builds new layers of awareness. Sometimes to a bigger picture perspective. Sometimes to a causality relationship. Other times to a comparative understanding. It reinforces our understanding of what we already know and discovers the edges of our ignorance.
The topics we overthink vary and change. However, practicing mindfulness empowers self-appreciation of the thought train. It applies levels of control over mental engagement and impact. If you have not mastered "mindfulness" yet, it is worth your study. In years of being mindful about my overthinking epic stage, I can list a few things I wish I knew earlier:
1. Embrace who you are the way you are while seeking continuous improvement. If any technique stresses you out or triggers a negative self-image, ignore it. It's doing more harm than good. The point is to be happier while being better. It should never be a choice between the two. Don't add guilt to your plate.
2. General rule, don't share your findings. Unless it's an epiphany to an audience you fully trust and only if what you are about to say has a positive vibe. No one likes bringing the mood down no matter how fascinating the thought process is.
3. Only share with people who are familiar with either the epiphany process or the topic. Being someone's friend or family member doesn't qualify them to receive what you are about to say. Otherwise, stick with the general rule of "Don't share".
4. Pause the overthinking when you are in a social time, during work hours, at parties, or at family time. Learn to identify the thought and pin it by writing it down to overthink it later. My phone notepad is full of thoughts that remain in the to-be-processed queue. Some do popup again on their own in my free time and are therefore worthy of some brain power. My friends and I have the concept: "Let's see if the idea survives the night." This means let's not invest more brain cells now. If the thought is of true interest, it will come up again on its own the next day or the next time we meet. Saved us from drowning in spur-of-the-moment no-impact discussions.
5. Translate your thoughts into a To-Read list. The great outcome of overthinking, in my opinion, is when reaching the boundaries of my knowledge. That's a topic worthy to read on. The knowledge will sit comfortably in your brain wiring and extend new brain cell connections. The new knowledge could verify a pattern that you have discovered or provide a new context to your assumptions.
That said, I do recommend you overthink happy and optimistic topics. It is super exhilarating on its own high. The quote I started with this piece, triggers the thought of happy times. If you are good at overthinking, you would have probably triggered a song in your head for a bit. This type of thought taps into your inner happy notes. Nothing is more powerful in a person than the ability to trigger a feel-good on demand. Good things happen to those who radiate joyfulness.
In conclusion, when it comes to being an activist or a person of cause. Reality can easily spiral us down into a mental despair of our making. Reject the track of negative thoughts and redirect them to a positive ones. Questioning what positive scenarios may happen and what can one influence are two good starting points for a positive perspective on any problem.
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