Overthinkers Anon – Reflections as Deflection

As a life coach one of my roles is to help people clean up their language. A sort of DynoRod for the psyche to clear out those nasty blockages that keep us stuck.  As coaches we get our clients to drop their “oughts” and “shoulds” which are verbal sticks used to chide our consciousnesses.“I ought to go to the gym” (but you’d rather jog with Brillo pads in your bra) or “I should phone my mother” (but eating coal seems preferable). Coaches seek out diminishing words like “just” as in “I’m just a mother” . Another phrase I am beginning to get a psychological klaxon horn of wariness about is the seemingly innocuous – “Hmmm interesting. I will think about that”.Now if you are a professional academic or a poet in residence this can legitimately be strung out for some time and is totally acceptable behaviour for the dissertation or thought piece that it will produce. For most of us however it is a halting mechanism, a rather sophisticated styling out of the concept of avoidance. It’s procrastination with a PhD.

I may set a client homework and checking in a week later on progress if the response is “I’ve been reflecting” I know this is a bluffer’s excuse dressed as a scholarly side step.

Overthinking is the curse of the reticent, the wary and the deeply scared. It is like throwing a stone in a washing machine, pressing fast spin and jamming it so it goes around in perpetuity. Like a hamster in a wheel our thoughts go spinning round, gaining momentum, rarely coming up with a novel solution other than the ones you have initially considered but can’t face.

You will lose sleep, opportunities and life passes you by as you strike your best Rodin’sThe Thinker pose, scratch imaginary goatees and look studiously intense.

But what does it give you?

Well nothing comes of nothing. No I tell I lie, it will give you confusion, exhaustion, it will double your doubt and eventually lead to despair. What a big price to stay exactly in the same place.

Now I know there is a place for rumination, reverie, meditation and consideration but over thinking is different. It’s fear that has had a Botox lift to make it look more pleasant. It’s our way of putting on the brakes, not taking action and wishing we or life were different without having to do or change anything. You know the answer but don’t like nor want to change anything so “hmmmm interesting” is the response.

So if you can put your hands up and admit to being part of Overthinking Anon here are a few tips to help you get out of that rut and into life’s groove: