Just Start Acting & The Rest Will Follow

Just start acting and the rest will follow – planning and how anxiety decreases the moment we take action

Today’s topic is personal yet I’ve tried to include some scientific evidence and information that I hope you can benefit from the same way I did when doing my research. I did my very best in trying to gather the information and simplify facts for you 🙂

Meanwhile, I also did my very best in trying to share my experience and life lesson on paper while keeping it clear and concise. I really enjoyed writing about this topic, which means I might have gotten carried away… just a little bit.

But now it’s your turn to enjoy reading and share with anyone who you think might benefit from this!

Overthinking and feeling stuck

Overthinking can be your worst enemy, but there is usually a reason behind everything we do and feel. Hence, if you are overthinking about something right now, or maybe you catch yourself overthinking a lot all the time, I wanted to let you know that you are not alone, and that listening to what your overthinking has to say may help.

It is important to realize that overthinking can also serve us and it is not always a bad thing. On the one hand, overthinking is a form of protection that gives us the illusion of safety, especially when it comes to taking action. Overthinking about the worst possible scenario makes us feel prepared.

Although we know we cannot have full control of our life or future outcomes, our minds trick us into believing that, if we think about “that something” long enough, we might actually end up having some control over it. We believe that the more we think about what might happen, the more we might be able to control the situation and prevent bad things from happening. Or at least, we might feel more prepared and we might know how to respond and what to do in case something bad happens.

On the other hand, overthinking can make us lose special ideas and moments we otherwise wouldn’t lose. Overthinking can lead to anxiety, stress, and indecisiveness. If overthinking is a habit of yours, don’t worry though. There are some strategies you can use that can help you in those times.

Strategies that reduce overthinking

1. Identify and acknowledge the issue

What is causing you to overthink? For many people overthinking stems from a fear (e.g. fear of failure, fear of success) or uncertainty about the future. This then leads them to overanalyze a situation and to feel stuck – hence the inaction or procrastination tendencies. One way to lessen your fears is to simply face them. Equally, it might be helpful to trust yourself in times of uncertainty and trust that, no matter what’s going to happen, you are able to handle the situation. A coach or support network can help you with this.

What is crucial at this stage is that you become self-aware and reflect on which situations make you feel a certain way or make you think certain things. However, there is no need to label your feelings or thoughts as good or bad. Instead, try to simply observe what comes up and do not judge yourself for how you think or feel.

2. Challenge your thoughts

You are not your thoughts, so do not believe everything you think. This is easier said than done, but think about it. Things are almost never as bad as they appear in our head. Especially negative thoughts or beliefs, they are often irrational and not based on reality. If you think you are not good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, think twice. Look at the facts – all facts, not just the ones that confirm your belief.

Also, believe in yourself. There is no need to worry you might not get that job position or pass that exam if you know you did your very best to go prepared. Choose thoughts that serve you, not thoughts that drag you down!

3. Be present

This one is hard, but being present and practicing mindfulness is especially important when your overthinking (which is usually about the past or future) starts kicking in. Mindfulness can help decrease worry and anxiety. One question you may ask yourself is “At this very moment, am I okay?” Another thing you could do to focus on the present moment is to engage one or more of your 5 senses. For example you could name one or two things you see, hear, taste, feel, or smell.

Alternatively, write down the things you are grateful for. This activity also brings your attention back to what you already have rather than what is lacking in your life.

4. Take action

Taking action is one of the best things you can do to overcome overthinking. Stop analyzing and start doing could be a motto. Just start setting small, achievable, and measurable goals for yourself, and you will see that this will help you keep going and achieve even bigger goals. As you do this, remember that every step of the way counts. It might take you some time to get to where you want to be, but give yourself some grace and remember to never give up. Enjoy the journey.

5. Accept your mistakes, for they are your best teachers

Mistakes help you grow and learn. We learn more from our failures than our successes. Making mistakes is not a sign of weakness and it has nothing to do with your worth as an individual. Mistakes also help you accept imperfection and push you to improve. Changing your perspective around failure is truly a game changer. See it as an opportunity to learn rather than as a negative experience. When you learn from your failures, you never really lose.

Planning and stress reduction

The importance of planning becomes evident when having a plan gives you a sense of clarity and direction. You know what to do, how to do it and when, and this process can feel very rewarding, especially if you get through the plan and get to the finish line. Achieving things feels good. We’ve all experienced the good feeling of crossing things off our to-do lists and feeling accomplished, productive, proud!

However, this process can get obsessive and almost addictive. It is therefore important to have a plan, but it is equally important to have just enough time and flexibility during the day to let things happen and let life happen. This might be hard at first, but over time you will realize that by letting your guard down and letting go of your tight schedule and control, you allow beautiful and unpredictable moments to take place – moments you will remember more than the tasks you achieved.

My own experience

Getting in good terms with my overthinking has helped me tremendously. Being an overthinker, I now know that my overthinking is trying to protect me and keep me safe. Acknowledging my overthinking, accepting its presence and thanking it was the first step to letting go and getting ready for action.

I know my overthinking is constantly trying to predict the future even when I know very well that the future is uncertain and I just can’t know what’s going to happen – not tomorrow nor a few years from now. However, because uncertainty feels debilitating and scary, I try to gain some sort of control back into my life by making predictions and imagining possible future (usually negative) scenarios.

The problem with all this overthinking is that many times – especially when it comes to making decisions and taking action – I end up with “what if” scenarios that are hindering me more than they are serving me. These keep me in a loop that feels mentally draining, and put me in a negative spiral that is very hard to break away from once I find myself in it.

My experience with taking action is this: the moment I started doing something – that is, taking action towards what I wanted, although it later turned out to not be what I wanted – my overthinking stopped and my anxiety decreased dramatically. I don’t know the exact science behind it, but my assumption is that taking action feels good because it gives you the impression that you are progressing and getting closer to where you want to be. It shifts things from being in your head to being real and factual.

The actual science behind it: how planning reduces stress and worry and increases happiness

Studies have shown that planning can improve productivity as well as physical and mental health. One reason for this is that planning reduces stress and increases well-being by allowing people to schedule their free time and worry less about unknown outcomes. By having a plan, they already “know” the things they have to do and therefore have some control over them.

They say that the antidote to worry is planning and action, and here is why: planning what to do reduces feelings of overwhelm and gives us a sense of control because we know the steps we need to take. Planning was also found to be beneficial because it leads to better emotional and mental health outcomes. These include reduced stress and anxiety, more time for leisure and socializing, and feelings of joy and accomplishment.

Nevertheless, there are some people who feel stuck when a task stresses them out and who therefore procrastinate or avoid the task for as long as possible. In this case, it could be helpful to:

Identify the task that makes you the most stressed and is causing you to procrastinate
Make a list of things you could do to address the task – if the task is too large to accomplish in one go, break it down into smaller parts and tackle those parts first
Make sure you reward yourself or take some time to acknowledge your accomplishments

Tackling the easiest parts first can boost your motivation to keep going and to tackle the larger parts later on. It is known that taking even small steps towards a goal can increase the chances of you achieving that goal. It is also known – psychologically speaking – that setting deadlines for yourself and rewarding yourself for meeting those deadlines can increase your self-esteem.

Similarly, rewarding yourself for your small accomplishments creates a positive reinforcement loop, whereby the positive feelings you experience (e.g. feeling accomplished and less stressed) increase your desire to keep going.

Take one step at a time

I heard someone saying this quote once that said one of the best remedies for overthinkers is to just take the next step – the one that is in front of you. The idea is to forget about the end result or if and when you will get there. Just take the next small step and focus all of your attention on that step – trying as much as possible to be here and now, in the present. For, every step you take today sets you up for tomorrow.

My question to you now is “What is something you will do today that you have been procrastinating on?” and “What is something you will do today that will bring you closer to that goal you have set?”

Remember you have nothing to lose, only something to gain, and what is meant to be will be. You are here for a reason, so go out there and share your beautiful self and qualities with the rest of us.

From my side, I’d be happy to provide more support for your planning and for helping you trust yourself. Especially in times of change or transitions, trusting oneself and having a plan is crucial, and it can save a lot of your time and energy – as well as making you feel less stressed. So if you need some coaching, feel free to reach out or send me an email 🙂