Tuesday, November 29, 2016

How to of the Day

How to of the Day


How to Recover Your Voice After Losing It

Posted: 29 Nov 2016 04:00 PM PST

Whether you were talking too much, singing too much, screaming at a concert or amusement park, or dealing with illness, putting too much strain on your voice can cause you to lose it. Thankfully, you should be able to regain it soon enough with some basic home care. To recover your voice after losing it, comfort your throat with water, teas, and other soothing remedies, and rest your voice as much as possible by speaking as little as you can, breathing through your nose, and avoiding irritants. If your voice doesn't return within several days of home care, it might be best to consult a doctor for professional advice and treatment.

EditSteps

EditComforting Your Throat

  1. Drink plenty of water. The best thing to do for your achy vocal chords is to drink water. Nothing on the entire Earth is better for you than good ol' H2O. Keep it at room temperature to avoid shocking your throat with the freezing or burning liquid.
    Recover Your Voice After Losing It Step 1 Version 6.jpg
    • You shouldn't be chugging the stuff like it's your job. Your body is very good at telling you when you're thirsty, so do not ignore it. Drink regularly, but sensibly. Not only will it help restore your voice, but it's good for your body, your digestive system, your skin, your weight, your energy levels, and just about everything in between.
  2. Gargle salt water. Four times a day, heat up a glass of water in the microwave (until it's very warm, but not hot) and dissolve a tablespoon of salt in it. Gargle the entire thing.[1] This helps deal with the mucus in your throat.

    • Don't worry about the taste -- you aren't swallowing it. In fact, if your throat is a bit sore, you'll probably find it comforting.
    • Another option is gurgling apple cider vinegar, although it is way worse tasting than salt water.
  3. Consider drinking teas with honey and lemon. There are two sides to the story here: Some people believe that tea (especially chamomile with honey and lemon) is a great vocal soother.[2] It's been used for decades in this manner. However, know that acid is bad for your epithelial tissue (the stuff that makes up your vocal folds) and both tea and lemon are acidic.[3] What's your verdict?

    • There's nothing wrong with honey, however. Another common (but less common) method is a spoonful of honey straight. What a great excuse to get your honey on! Next up they'll be saying spoonfuls of Nutella.
  4. Hang your head over steam for five minutes twice a day. Steam can increase the moisture in your throat. It's the same reason you see divas wearing scarves when they're sick -- it's for the idea that heat is good for the throat.

    • Boiling water is an easy way to create steam. Put a towel over your head and the pot with hot water so you get a good amount of steam. Try adding some essential oils if you want. You could hang around the humidifier, too. Or, turn the shower on hot, plug the drain, turn off the fan and breathe deep. (Please use water responsibly, especially when in a drought).
  5. Use lozenges. Many singers are on the slippery elm bandwagon (sounds kind of funny if you've never heard of it), but the official scientific verdict is still out. Slippery elm lozenges have great reviews, but there's no science to back up why they work. It could be a placebo effect.[3]

    • Even if there's no math behind it, at the very least they're not harmful. Lozenges in general will offer some form of temporary relief.

EditResting Your Throat

  1. Give your hoarse voice a break. The best thing you can do is to not talk at all for a couple of days. Vocal rest is necessary for your epithelial tissue to repair. Silence, after all, is golden.

    • If you have to communicate with someone, pass notes instead of whispering. Whispering can cause your vocal cords to bang together as strongly as if you were shouting. Passing notes can also be fun, if you draw pictures or make the receiver decode the message!
    • If you have a job which requires you to raise your voice to be heard, use mechanical means to make yourself louder.
    • Chew gum or suck on lozenges so that you will have no choice but to keep your mouth closed. It will also improve production of saliva.
  2. Breathe through your nose. Hopefully you figured this out when you were told not to talk and keep your mouth closed. How else would you breathe, but through your nose? Breathing through your mouth makes it dry, so hopefully you don't have a stuffy nose and can still breath somehow!

  3. Don't take aspirin under any circumstances. If one of the reasons you might of lost your voice because you yelled too loudly, you probably ruptured a capillary. Aspirin can reduce clotting and cause excess bleeding which can impede the healing process.

    • There are other ways to relieve pain if your throat is scratchy. We'll get to those in the next section.
  4. Don't smoke. Big duh, right? In case you've been living under a rock, smoking is a cause of throat dryness, in addition to many other negative health consequences.

    • Smoking could be the cause of your voice changing. After all, your lungs are using smoke to produce sound. What do you expect? Quit smoking and you may see an immediate improvement.
  5. Avoid acidic foods. Foods like tomatoes, chocolate, and citrus fruits are highly acidic; that acid tears away at the tissue in your vocal folds. To be most comfortable with your hurt throat, it's best to avoid this as much as possible.

    • Spicy foods aren't super good for your voice, either. Anything that causes a reaction should be avoided. (That's why water is so ridiculously good for you -- it's au natural.)

EditKnowing When to See a Doctor

  1. See a doctor if your voice doesn't come back within 2 or 3 days. If you rocked out at a concert a little too hard last night, it's perfectly normal to lose your voice the next day. But if you randomly lose your voice with no other symptoms, it's probably the sign of a bigger problem. Consult your doctor for further guidance.

  2. Treat other issues. If you're battling a fierce cold, it doesn't make sense to tackle your voice -- hit your immune system first and your voice will fall into place. If you're experiencing other symptoms, address those first. It may solve your problem.

  3. Take it slow. Even if your voice is getting better, keep up your voice-healthy habits. Think of it as completing a course of antibiotics; even if you feel good after the first few days, you still have to take the rest. Keeping it up will ensure you reach 100% and stay there.

    • Stay away from dairy (in addition to acidic foods) if you're trying to sing during this time. Coating your throat won't do it any favors, though it might feel good at the time. You want to get rid of all that mucus buildup, not add to it.

EditWarnings

  • When handling boiling water be very careful as you can be severely burned.
  • Ask parents or guardians to look after you in case if you need to go see the doctors.

EditRelated wikiHows

EditSources and Citations


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How to Grow Lemon Trees Indoors

Posted: 29 Nov 2016 08:00 AM PST

Tending a small lemon tree in your home can be a delightful aromatic experience. While the thought of growing a tree inside a house or apartment may seem daunting to beginners, it is not as difficult as it may sound. Give the roots of your tree plenty of room to grow, and keep its soil and branches moist and warm. All you need to do is give your lemon tree a little TLC, and in return, it will give you a fresh-scent and delightfully sour yield of fruit time and time again.

EditSteps

EditPreparations

  1. Choose the right type of lemon tree. Meyer lemon trees are the most common for indoor growing and produce small to medium fruits with a strong flavor. Pink variegated lemon trees are another good option for beginners and produce lemons with pink flesh.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 1 Version 2.jpg
  2. Purchase a good specimen. Shop at a nursery for a tree between two and three years in age. Planting a lemon tree from seed can be done, but is not recommended, since trees planted from seed may take a long time to grow and produce fruit.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 2 Version 2.jpg
  3. Select a large container with drainage holes. A 10 to 15 gallon (40 to 60 liter) container should give your tree plenty of room, and under average conditions, a lemon tree can grow up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) in a container that large.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 3 Version 2.jpg
    • If the container you choose does not have any drainage holes, drill one or two into the bottom.
  4. Prepare an all-purpose soil mix. A store-bought, soil-based mix that is slightly acidic works best. Mix sand into the potting mix to allow for better drainage.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 4 Version 2.jpg
    • A potting mix with a base of peat moss can also work and presents a soil less alternative. These artificial mixes work even better when they contain compost.

EditPlanting

  1. Find a saucer that is large enough to fit beneath the bottom of your container. Place a few pebbles or gravel on the saucer and add a little water before placing the container onto the saucer and the pebbles. The water-filled saucer will help maintain a trace amount of humidity around your tree.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 5 Version 2.jpg
  2. Lay a layer of landscaper's cloth over the bottom of the container. This cloth will prevent soil from draining out of the container's drainage holes when you water.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 6 Version 2.jpg
  3. Place a layer of gravel or broken pots inside the bottom of the pot. The gravel will promote better drainage, preventing the roots of your tree from drowning or rotting.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 7 Version 2.jpg
  4. Fill your container halfway with potting mix. Pack the soil in so that it will create a sturdy base for your tree to stand in.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 8 Version 2.jpg
  5. Slip the lemon tree out of its nursery pot. Rub its roots slightly to help them spread out before placing the tree into the pot.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 9 Version 2.jpg
    • If you purchased a bare root tree, create a mound of soil and place the tree into the pot with its roots spread over the mound.
  6. Pack soil around the tree. Press the soil down firmly to remove excess air, creating a denser, sturdier set-up to support the tree. Do not allow any roots to remain exposed, and do not cover the trunk. The trunk will begin to rot if kept covered.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 10 Version 2.jpg
  7. Water the tree immediately. Give your tree enough water so that excess drains out into the saucer. Empty the saucer once the soil finishes draining.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 11 Version 2.jpg

EditCare and Harvest

  1. Keep the soil moist. Periodically check the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of the soil. When the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) are moderately dry, give your tree a thorough watering until excess water drains out of the bottom of the pot and into the saucer. Empty the saucer.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 12 Version 2.jpg
    • If using hard tap water, you may need to drop the water's pH before giving it to your tree. Adding 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) white vinegar to 1 gallon (4 liters) of water will usually do the trick.
  2. Mist your tree using a spray bottle. This should be done on a frequent basis, if not daily. Misting your tree mimics the natural humidity that your tree misses out on by being indoors.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 13 Version 2.jpg
  3. Keep the room humid by using a humidifier. If your lemon tree does not seem to be doing well even in spite of frequent misting, you may need to go a step further in keeping it moist by running a humidifier in the same room for a few hours a day. You can monitor humidity levels by using a hygrometer, and the relative humidity level should be around 50 percent during the spring and summer.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 14 Version 2.jpg
  4. Manage the temperature of the room you keep your lemon tree in. These trees do best in rooms with an average temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 degrees Celsius) by day and 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 degrees Celsius) at night. While temperatures that dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 degrees Celsius) will not kill your tree, they will cause your tree to go into dormancy and stop growing.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 15 Version 2.jpg
  5. Place your tree in a south-facing window. Lemon trees need full sun, meaning 8 to 12 hours of sunlight a day.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 16 Version 2.jpg
  6. Supplement natural light with artificial lighting. Place a 40-watt fluorescent grow light several inches (10 to 20 centimeters) above the top of your tree. Keep the light on as long as necessary until your tree has soaked in a total of 8 to 12 hours of light.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 17 Version 2.jpg
  7. Pollinate your lemon tree by hand. By keeping your tree inside, you prevent bees and other insects from pollinating it. Some trees can produce fruit without being pollinated, but pollination greatly increases your odds of a plentiful yield.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 18 Version 2.jpg
    • Perform the process early in the day, preferably in the morning. Pollen can be killed by the heat or dryness of a warm afternoon.
    • When your tree flowers, gently rub the antlers inside each flower with a paintbrush or cotton swab. The antlers are the yellow tips of the five stamens that stick up from the center of the flower. Rubbing the antlers gathers a dusty yellow pollen onto the brush.
    • Rub the pollen onto the sticky lobes of the pistil. The pistil is the center stalk that rises above the other stalks in the middle of a flower. Gently apply the pollen you gathered on your brush or swab onto the lobes, or stigma, until the pollen sticks.
    • Allow the plant to take over from there. The plant should finish developing from that point without further assistance.
  8. Feed your tree with a balanced fertilizer. Select a fertilizer with high levels of nitrogen and moderate levels of phosphorus and potassium, such as a 12-4-4 fertilizer. The numbers refer to the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively, so the first number should be highest. Many plants would experience a decrease in fruit and flowering with a high-nitrogen fertilizer, but citrus trees are heavy nitrogen feeders and need a higher dosage than most plants for rapid growth. Fertilizers that also include minerals like iron and zinc will help your tree to absorb the food better. Apply your fertilizer once or twice a month according to package directions.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 19 Version 2.jpg
  9. Prune with caution. Pruning too many leaves will reduce your yield, but occasional pruning can be helpful. Remove dead, broken, and diseased branches, and thin to control the height and spread of your tree as space allows.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 20 Version 2.jpg
  10. Root-prune only as necessary. Your tree should remain root-bound in order to keep its size in check, but some potted lemon trees will stop producing fruit if their roots get too out of control. When a tree stops growing, root-pruning becomes necessary.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 21 Version 2.jpg
    • Remove your tree from its pot. Expose the roots and keep them moist by spritzing them with water from a spray bottle.
    • Use pruning shears to remove the largest roots that circle around the root ball.
    • Shave 1/2-inch to 1-inch (1.27 to 2.5 centimeters) of the roots around the exterior of the root ball using a sharp knife.
    • Repot the tree and prune approximately 1/3 of its foliage to balance out the pruned roots.
  11. Watch out for pests. Pests are rare for indoor trees, but small infestations can occur. Spray the pests with soapy water to kill them off. If this does not work, apply neem oil.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 22 Version 2.jpg
  12. Keep a look out for signs of disease. Fungal diseases are especially common, but bacterial diseases can attack as well. Look into possible anti-fungal and anti-bacterial remedies to determine what might work best to treat the specific disease your tree has.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 23 Version 2.jpg
  13. Thin out clusters of lemons. Once a cluster of small lemons appears on your tree, remove 2/3 of them to allow the remaining 1/3 a chance to mature to full size. Typically, lemons take between 7 to 9 months to ripen.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 24 Version 2.jpg
  14. Twist ripe lemons off the tree. You may also use shears to snip them off, but truly ripe lemons usually drop with a fair amount of ease.
    Grow Lemon Trees Indoors Step 25 Version 2.jpg


EditTips

  • Do not use fertilizers containing alfalfa meal or cottonseed meal. A fungal disease known as anthracnose frequently infects both alfalfa and cottonseed, and fertilizers containing these products may introduce the fungus to your tree.
  • While it is not necessary, you may wish to move your lemon tree outdoors during the summer so that it can pollinate naturally and receive more light. Just be aware of the fact that you will need to slowly acclimate your tree to its new environment each time you move it. Otherwise, it could go into shock.
  • Consider growing other citrus trees indoors, as well. Acid fruits tend to be easier to manage than sweet fruits, so beginners should stick with highly acidic citrus trees like Calamondin Orange, Persian Lime, Eustis Limequat, and Nippon Orangequat. More advanced growers can consider sweeter citrus fruits like Valencia Orange, Clementine Mandarin, Oroblanco Grapefruit, and Moro Blood Orange.

EditThings You'll Need

  • Lemon tree
  • Large pot or other container
  • Large saucer
  • All-purpose soil mix
  • Pebbles
  • Landscaper's cloth
  • Spray bottle
  • Watering can
  • Humidifier
  • Fluorescent grow lights
  • Paintbrush or cotton swab
  • Fertilizer
  • Shears
  • Neem oil
  • Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial treatments

EditRelated wikiHows

EditSources and Citations

How to Survive Overthinking

Posted: 29 Nov 2016 12:00 AM PST

Overthinking an issue, event, or even conversation is a common method of coping with stress. But studies show that overthinking and ruminating on something stressful/troubling has strong ties with depression and anxiety.[1] For many people, overthinking things is just an automatic way of seeing the world, but that mindset can lead to prolonged periods of depression and may even cause some people to delay seeking treatment.[2] Learning how to cope with overthinking can help you let go of painful memories and break out of damaging thought patterns.

EditSteps

EditManaging Your Thoughts

  1. Learn different cognitive distortions. Before you can begin to address or cope with your habit of overthinking things, you'll need to learn what kinds of thoughts occur when you're engaging in this damaging behavior. Any time you find yourself indulging in painful, unpleasant, or self-doubting thoughts, you are on the road to overthinking because of cognitive distortions. Likewise if you find yourself listing reasons to not do something, or otherwise making excuses for your self-doubt.[3] The most common cognitive distortions include:
    Survive Overthinking Step 1 Version 2.jpg
    • All or nothing thinking - believing things are absolute and seeing every situation as being black or white.[4]
    • Overgeneralization - seeing one negative event as a continuous cycle of defeat or embarrassment.[5]
    • Mental filtering - dwelling only on negative things (thoughts, feelings, outcomes) while ignoring all the positive elements of those situations or scenarios.[6]
    • Discounting the positives - believing that none of your admirable qualities or accomplishments matter.[7]
    • Jumping to conclusions - either assuming that other people are reacting/thinking negatively towards you without any real evidence (called "mind reading") or believing that an event will turn out badly without any evidence for this conclusion.[8]
    • Magnification or minimization - blowing bad things out of proportion or reducing the importance of good things.[9]
    • Emotional reasoning - believing that the way you feel reflects an objective truth about yourself.[10]
    • "Should" statements - chastising yourself or others for things that should or shouldn't have been said/done.[11]
    • Labeling - turning a mistake or shortcoming into a character attribute of yourself. (For example, turning the thought "I messed up" into "I'm a loser and a failure.")[12]
    • Personalization and blame - internalizing fault for situations or events you aren't responsible for, or blaming others for situations/events that they had no control over.[13]
  2. Identify how you overthink. There are numerous ways to overthink, many of which are caused by cognitive distortions. One form of overthinking is the thought pattern known as "catastrophizing." Catastrophizing occurs any time you automatically predict a negative outcome to some event or series of events, and jump to the conclusion that such an outcome would be devastating and unbearable.[14] Catastrophizing is a combination of jumping to conclusions and overgeneralizing.
    Survive Overthinking Step 2 Version 2.jpg
    • Try to identify which cognitive distortions affect your overthinking the most. Write down the thoughts you experience, and try to label which thoughts could fall into the category of cognitive distortions.[15]
    • Practice learning to recognize your "overthinking" thoughts in the moment, as they arise. Simply naming them when you become aware of them may be helpful. Try silently saying the word "thinking" whenever you begin to overthink - it may help ground you and break you out of your spiraling thought pattern.[16]
  3. Take note of how you're feeling. It's easy to fall into "autopilot" mode during the course of your day. But if your day is filled with situations that have the potential to induce anxiety, you may be walking blindly into a situation that will cause you to overthink and catastrophize.
    Survive Overthinking Step 3 Version 2.jpg
    • Try mandating a personal "check in" for yourself. Assess how you're feeling as you enter different scenarios and situations that tend to evoke your pattern of overthinking.[17]
    • Identify any instance in which you begin to indulge patterns of overthinking.[18] Don't judge yourself for it, just acknowledge it before you work to change it.[19]
  4. Challenge your automatic thoughts. Once you've identified an incident of overthinking or catastrophizing, you can now begin to challenge the validity of those thoughts. Challenging those thoughts by remembering that thoughts are not facts may help you break out of your pattern of overthinking.[20]
    Survive Overthinking Step 4 Version 2.jpg
    • Thoughts do not always reflect reality, and they are oftentimes warped, uninformed, or simply wrong. By letting go of the infallible perception of your thoughts, you'll be more capable of considering other possibilities, or at least accepting that your overthinking isn't always right.[21]
    • Examine what (if any) real, objective evidence you have to support the cognitive distortions and patterns of overthinking that you're experiencing. There is a good chance that you will not be able to come up with any real, compelling evidence that the thoughts you're experiencing have any basis in truth.[22]
    • Try silently saying to yourself, "These are just thoughts, and they are not truth."[23] Repeating this mantra may help you disengage from the spiraling thought patterns you're stuck in.
  5. Replace cognitive distortions with real facts. If your patterns of overthinking are spiraling out of control, it may feel difficult to break out of that thought pattern. However, once you learn to recognize that the thoughts you're experiencing are not factual, you can then fairly easily replace that thought pattern with a more realistic one. Tell yourself, "If I accept that my assumptions and overthinking are not grounded in facts, then what are the facts in this situation?"
    Survive Overthinking Step 5 Version 2.jpg
    • Even if a situation ended badly, you can focus on what to do differently next time as an alternative to dwelling on what you should have said/done in the past.[24] It won't come easily at first, but once you retrain your brain to process situations differently, it will eventually get easier.
    • Try asking other people who are aware of the situation for their input. Sometimes asking a trusted friend, relative, or colleague whether you're overreacting or overthinking things can help you realize that there's no reason to continue thinking that way.[25]
    • Try positive self-talk to replace self-doubt or overthinking.[26] The way you talk to yourself (and think about yourself) can affect how you feel. So instead of criticizing yourself or ruminating on bad thoughts, try to focus on the things you did well and continue to do well.[27]

EditOvercoming Your Fear

  1. Practice relaxation techniques. Many people who suffer from overthinking and cognitive distortions find relaxation techniques to be helpful in breaking out of harmful thought patterns.[28] Relaxation techniques can also have physical benefits, like lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, slowing down your breathing rate, and reducing the activity of stress hormones in your body.[29] There are numerous types of relaxation techniques, including:
    Survive Overthinking Step 6 Version 2.jpg
    • Autogenic relaxation - repeat words or suggestions to yourself internally to help you relax. You might imagine a tranquil environment and then repeat positive affirmations, or simply focus on your breathing.[30]
    • Progressive muscle relaxation - focus on tensing, holding, and then relaxing each major muscle group in your body. Start at the head with your facial muscles and work your way down to your toes (or vice versa), tensing and holding each muscle group for five to ten seconds before releasing the muscles' tension into relaxation.[31]
    • Visualization - let your imagination form calming mental images, and visualize a serene place or situation.[32]
    • Mindful breathing - place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. While sitting, lying, or standing (whichever is most comfortable and convenient), take slow, deep breaths in, forcing the air into your abdomen instead of just your chest. You should feel your belly expand outward as you inhale. Hold the breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly until all of the previous breath is gone. Repeat as many times as needed until you begin to feel calm.[33]
    • Meditation - similar to mindful breathing, meditation focuses on the slow, deep inhalation and exhalation of breath coupled with an element of meditative mindfulness. That may mean reciting a mantra (a word or phrase that helps you remain calm/focused) or focusing your attention on physical sensations, such as the feeling of sitting where you are, or the sensation of breathing in and out through your nostrils.[34]
  2. Find ways to distract yourself. If you find yourself constantly doubting yourself or overanalyzing situations, you may need to find a more active way to break out of that thought pattern. Try distracting yourself with a positive, healthy alternative. For example, you can try meditating to ground yourself in the present moment. Or, if you enjoy crafts, try taking up knitting or sewing to occupy your mind whenever overthinking thought patterns take over. If you play an instrument, pick it up and play for a bit. Find what comforts you and grounds you in the present moment, and use that activity as often as you need to.[35]
    Survive Overthinking Step 7 Version 2.jpg
  3. Explore your thoughts in writing. Writing is a very effective way of processing your thoughts, analyzing patterns of thinking, and finding ways to move past those thoughts. One writing exercise that many people find helpful is to take 10 minutes to explore the nature of your overthinking thought patterns in writing.[36]
    Survive Overthinking Step 8 Version 2.jpg
    • Set a timer for 10 minutes.[37]
    • In that time, write as much about your thoughts as you can. Explore the people, situations, or time spans that you associate with those thoughts, and whether those thoughts have any bearing on who you were, who you currently are, or who you hope to be in your life.[38]
    • Read through your writings when the time is up and look for patterns of thinking. Ask yourself, "Have these thought patterns influenced how I see myself, my relationships, or the world around me? If so, has that influence been a positive or negative one?"
    • You may also find it helpful to ask yourself, "Have these thought patterns ever really helped me? Or have the number of missed opportunities and sleepless nights outnumbered the occasional time I was right?"
  4. Do things that make you happy. Many people who overthink things avoid going out or having interactions out of fear that something may happen. Even if you're not yet able to break out of those thought patterns, it's important that you don't let your overthinking dictate your decisions. If there's something you want to go to (for example, a concert or a party), stop finding reasons not to go and force yourself out the door. Otherwise your overthinking will prevent you from doing anything, and you'll almost certainly regret it.[39]
    Survive Overthinking Step 9 Version 2.jpg
    • Tell yourself that the regret you'd feel over missing out would be stronger than the regret over having a less-than-perfect time.[40]
    • Think of all the times you took a risk at trying something new and it paid off. Then think about all the times that staying home or being afraid of trying new things has gained you anything. You'll quickly see that taking that risk of failure was valuable because it led to good things.[41]
    • Remind yourself that you can always leave early if you aren't having a good time. The important thing is to go and see whether or not you can end up having a fun and meaningful experience.[42]

EditChanging Your Mindset

  1. Alter your view of failure. Whether you're afraid of trying something because your overthinking has led you to believe you'd fail, or you can't stop replaying the memory of a time you failed at something or in some role, you need to recognize that sometimes things just don't work out the way we'd like them to. And that's not always a bad thing. A lot of what we perceive as failure is not an ending, but a beginning: to new options, new opportunities, and new ways of living.[43]
    Survive Overthinking Step 10 Version 2.jpg
    • Recognize that behaviors may fail, but people (namely, you) do not.[44]
    • Rather than seeing failure as the end of something good, try thinking about it as a new opportunity. If you lose your job, you may be able to find a better job that gives you more satisfaction. If you start a new art project and it doesn't turn out the way you hoped, at least you got some practice out of it, and you might have a better idea of what you'd like to do differently next time.[45]
    • Try to let failure motivate you. Put more effort and concentration into doing better next time, or spend more time preparing for future events.[46]
  2. Try not to dwell on the past. An important part of overthinking is to recognize that you cannot change the past, and that dwelling on it over and over will not help change anything. While learning from the past is an important part of growing and maturing, overthinking and ruminating on mistakes, missed opportunities, and other elements of the past is harmful and unproductive.[47]
    Survive Overthinking Step 11 Version 2.jpg
    • Once you learn the lesson you believe you need to learn from a past event, try letting go of the memory. Don't consciously think about it, and any time you find yourself thinking about it try to distract yourself or snap yourself out of that thought pattern. Focus on the present moment, which you do have the power to change.[48]
  3. Realize you can't predict the future. No one knows what's going to happen, and your overthinking mind certainly isn't going to predict the future any better than the rest of the world. But many people with overthinking minds tend to believe that they know what will happen in advance: that trying out for the basketball team will only result in failure and humiliation, or that asking someone out will result in an awkward and devastating rejection. Yet without trying, how do you know? What are you basing your assumptions on? More likely than not, those assumptions are unfounded and are setting you up to fail by assuming from the start that you will.[49]
    Survive Overthinking Step 12.jpg
    • Remind yourself that no one knows what the future holds, and if you suffer from an overthinking mind, your "predictions" are mostly built from self-doubt and fear of the unknown.[50]

EditTips

  • Get yourself a notebook and pen. Use journaling or writing exercises to help you process what you're thinking and determine whether that way of thinking is part of a larger problem.
  • Some people who overthink things tend to believe they cannot perform well or that they will fall behind and be looked down upon. Don't fall into this trap! Believe that you can do it and you will; the pain and breathlessness will fall away.

EditSources and Citations


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