The Overthinking Cure: How to Stay in the Present, Shake Negativity, and Decode Your Stress and Anxiety (The Path to Calm Book 4)

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This is a spiritual guidebook that explores the concept of radical acceptance, or the practice of fully accepting ourselves and our experiences. When we accept ourselves fully, this carves a path to inner peace and well-being. In the book, Brach discusses the role that overthinking and negative thought patterns can impact your ability to accept yourself. Now, I know what you’re thinking—surely it’s impossible to be truly proactive? After all, none of us is one hundred percent in control of our lives. This is true. Being proactive, however, doesn’t necessarily mean you always get your way; rather, it’s an orientation of mind and an attitude that says I can learn from mistakes. I can use my potential. I can try something new. In fact, a proactive person is also able to recognize when they don’t actually have an influence over outcomes, and they can comfortably relinquish control. There are two main answers: either you see something or someone else as responsible for what happens to you, or you see yourself as the primary agent, mainly responsible for how your life plays out. Proactive people are those who, in essence, do not depend on the environment to guide and shape their life, but rather take active responsibility and do things on their own. They focus on their scope of action, on what they want, and on how they can bring those things about. Naturally, their attitude puts them in a frame of mind that focuses on solving problems and seeking opportunities. Broadly, when it comes to their life path, they are the ones calling the shots. If this turns out to be one of your favorites from the list of best books for overthinkers, you can also try the app. The Little Book of Mindfulness by Dr. Patrizia Collard

The importance of setting goals: setting clear, specific goals can help us focus our thoughts and actions, and reduce the tendency to overthink. Ainsworth B, Bolderston H, Garner M. Testing the differential effects of acceptance and attention-based psychological interventions on intrusive thoughts and worry. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2017;91:72-77. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2017.01.012 Because a proactive person knows that they are in charge of their actions, their feelings and their inner interpretations, they make efforts to create situations that actually align with their values. A reactive person quietly hopes that things will align for them, or that others will help them, or else they quietly resent when this doesn’t happen, or resort to blame. Pieter R, Nababan D, Ariawan S, Listio S, Ruben S. Improving interpersonal skills to overcome the negative effects of overthinking in the disruption era. BIRCI-J. 2022;5(2):10632-10642. doi:10.33258/birci.v5i2.4876 Michl LC, McLaughlin KA, Shepherd K, Nolen-Hoeksema S. Rumination as a mechanism linking stressful life events to symptoms of depression and anxiety: longitudinal evidence in early adolescents and adults. J Abnorm Psychol. 2013;122(2):339-352. doi:10.1037/a0031994

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The role of healthy boundaries: setting healthy boundaries can help us feel more in control and reduce the tendency to overthink. So, it’s not that being proactive means you are entitled and enabled to make the world exactly as you like it, rather that you have conscious awareness of your own scope of action, you have an internal locus of control, and you are willing to actively engage with obstacles and mistakes rather than passively assuming you have no control or responsibility. It’s not really the outcome or result that matters but the attitude.

While Paulo Coelho’s book has ended up on the list of best books for overthinkers, he also has many inspirational quotes. One of them is – “If you concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man.” The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer The benefits of positive thinking: focusing on the positive aspects of a situation or problem can help us find solutions and reduce the negative effects of overthinking.The role of self-compassion: self-compassion can help us be kinder to ourselves, and reduce the negative effects of overthinking and perfectionism.