Overthinking Journal: The art of creating problems that don't exist

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Karasz A. Cultural differences in conceptual models of depression. Social Science & Medicine. 2005a; 60:1625–1635. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Mindfulness is the practice of staying present in the moment, aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. Mindfulness journal prompts can help you develop this practice, and improve your present moment awareness. Here are fifteen mindfulness journal prompts to get started: Kaiser B, Kohrt B, Keys H, Khoury N, Brewster AR. Strategies for assessing mental health in Haiti: Local instrument development and transcultural translation. Transcultural Psychiatry. 2013; 15:532–558. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Hinton R, Earnest J. ‘I worry so much I think it will kill me’: Psychosocial health and the links to the conditions of women’s lives in Papua New Guinea. Health Sociology Review. 2010; 19:5–19. [ Google Scholar] Will I ever be satisfied? Most of us will never be completely happy, but that does not imply we should settle for less than we deserve. If you don’t achieve everything you aspire to, it’s okay to move on. Don’t give up on life!

What do I want from life? When you ask yourself what you want, you open your eyes and look around you. The world is full of possibility!Remember, mindfulness is a practice, and it takes time and patience to develop. But with consistent effort and use of mindfulness journal prompts, you can improve your present moment awareness and lead a more fulfilling life. What would someone else who has successfully solved a similar problem do in my situation, and how can I apply their strategies? Rood L, Roelofs J, Bögels SM, Arntz A. The effects of experimentally induced rumination, positive reappraisal, acceptance, and distancing when thinking about a stressful event on affect states in adolescents. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2012;40(1):73-84. doi:10.1007/s10802-011-9544-0 What can you do right now to take care of yourself? How can you use self-care to stay present and mindful? By repeating these affirmations daily or weekly, you can create a positive habit of self-talk that can lead to better self-esteem and a more fulfilling life. Choose the affirmations that resonate most with you, and customize them to fit your personal goals and aspirations. Remember that the more you believe and internalize these affirmations, the more powerful their impact will be on your life.

Hinton DE, Rivera EI, Hofmann SG, Barlow DH, Otto MW. Adapting CBT for traumatized refugees and ethnic minority patients: examples from culturally adapted CBT (CA-CBT) Transcultural Psychiatry. 2012c; 49:340–365. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] What am I going to do about my problems right now? There are two ways to deal with problems. The first involves reacting emotionally – which leads to negative thoughts. The second involves responding logically. Make sure you choose one approach over the other! What is my purpose? We can spend endless hours analyzing every aspect of our lives – but without purpose, nothing matters. Make sure you’ve got your priorities straight and know where you’re headed. Chase L. Coping, Healing, and Resilience: A Case Study of Bhutanese Refugees Living in Vermont. Dartmouth: Dartmouth College; 2011. [ Google Scholar] In the few studies involving participants clinically diagnosed with depression, “thinking too much” was frequently used to describe their illness ( Abdul Kadir & Bifulco, 2010; Okello et al., 2012; Parker et al., 2001; Patel & Mann, 1997), was named as a primary cause ( Ilechukwu, 1988), or was endorsed significantly more by depressed than non-depressed individuals ( Rasmussen et al., 2015). Of the studies that named one or more comparative psychiatric diagnoses, approximately one-fifth provided no further explanation or justification for the comparison.Ehring T. Thinking too much: rumination and psychopathology. World Psychiatry. 2021;20(3):441-442. doi:10.1002/wps.20910 Overthinking can make it hard to sleep. Some strategies that may help you get a good night's sleep include: Overthinking difficult or upsetting thoughts is an anxious and, simultaneously, almost addictive experience. Choosing to locate and think about those things for which we cannot answer, or find upsetting, is rather common. Perhaps it is easier to do this than to provide ourselves with reassurance or care. This seems to sum up both the rewarding and difficult aspects of overthinking quite well. How psychotherapy can help So whether you’re new to journaling or a seasoned pro, incorporating overthinking prompts into your practice can be a game-changer. Not only do they give you a direction to go in, but they also help you break free from the cycle of overthinking and self-doubt that can often come with journaling. So grab your pen and paper, find a prompt that speaks to you, and see where the journey takes you.

Abramowitz SA. Trauma and Humanitarian Translation in Liberia: The Tale of Open Mole. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry. 2010; 34:353–379. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar]

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Why am I so afraid of losing control over my emotions? Whenever we feel overwhelmed by fear, we run into a very dangerous trap: we begin believing our fears are actually real. Thinking too much” was also viewed as being discouraged in Buddhism because it represents a form of attachment and an attempt to control one’s karma. Rather, individuals should strive for acceptance of one’s fate, mortality, and impermanence ( Lewis, 2013). In fact, Hinton and colleagues argue that among Cambodian refugees, “thinking a lot” is the appositive of the Buddhist ideal of focused mind characteristic of mindfulness and meditation. Eberhardt (2006) reports a similar viewpoint among Shan Buddhists: reflecting on broader cosmology and one’s impermanence was encouraged, whereas thinking about specific, local problems was problematic. A final reason that “thinking too much” was particularly discouraged in these populations was a belief regarding one’s relation to others: it is believed that everyone suffers, so one should not talk about his/her specific problems ( van de Put & Eisenbruch, 2004). Feeling as though you are filled with a never-ending stream of thoughts and ideas can be a tiring experience, as can finding a balance between the need for thoughts, feelings, and ideas, and possessing clarity, understanding, and a sense of feeling settled. Hinton DE, Reiss R, de Jong J. The “Thinking a lot” idiom of distress and PTSD: An examination of their relationship among traumatized Cambodian refugees using the “Thinking a Lot” Questionnaire. Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 2015; 29:357–380. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Worrying we may fail - the fear of failure is never far away, and in every outcome, there is inevitably a loss as well as a gain.