Lets explore simple gratitude habits to changing the habit of overthinking.

I always say overthinking is one of the most brutal things we do to ourselves and in most cases its due to fear, chronic stress or mental health issues that we do not deal with. There’s actually nothing  positive that comes from overthinking because in all aspects it steals your peace and gives you heart palpitations. A racing heart due to activities is great, a racing heart from overthinking is torture to the body, you may thinking about your future, certain failures, a breakup or betrayal this can be so devastating to the mind dragging you into a very dark negative. Bing aware and able to be grateful to the universe for the good things in your life can help change your brain into not dwelling much on negative thoughts.

In a world filled with negativity from the news, the energy around you, High cost of living, dealing with unemployment as a graduate, endless to -do -lists, anxieties and grief. Gratitude is a powerful tool to tune your brain into positivity. I recall in 2019, as a student we did promotion activations distributing flyers for a big music festival and because no one wants to be collecting paper they wont read, each time someone accepts a flyer I felt good and I would always say “Thank you Sir, Thank you Ma’am or NGIYABONGA ( SiSwati language meaning Thank you) and always with a smile. As the days went by I noticed how good I always felt and such that my mood those days was always positive. Over the years I have see n the benefits of a grateful heart

STEP1: STRATING YOUR DAY WITH GRATITUDE NOTE 

A gratitude note can help you set the mood for the whole day, writing down the things that you are mostly grateful about can help channel your thoughts into positivity. Always make sure that the first thing that you start with is yourself and focusing on the positive things in your life, the gift of life on its own.

Write 3 things that you are grateful for.

STEP 2 : PRACTICE THE ‘GRATITUDE PAUSE’ DURING STRESSFUL MOMENTS 

A gratitude pause is a moment you feel overwhelmed close your eyes and take a deep diaphragmic breath, this helps calm your nervous system. speaking from experience i get overwhelmed so much not negatively at times just a little shocked, i do pause many times a day to just take a deep breath and it helps a lot. Pausing and taking deep breaths whenever your brain is consumed by fear or negativity, being in control of your mind, when done consistently it can put your focus on other things. 

STEP 3 : EXPRESS THANKS TO OTHERS 

Showing appreciation to others for anything they do for you is a great way to showing gratitude. When you are positive you draw more positivity to your life. studies have shown that being a genuine person increases cognitive function and memory, this helps in the brain function and mental wellbeing. The mean girl energy is so 1903, it’d be crucial to look after that brain you have…very key to help in its functionality. 

These practices are powerful tools to channel your energy and disrupt overthinking  into more positive energy. Showing gratitude and doing the above listed practices doesn’t mean you will now ignore reality, have a clear understanding that these thought will come, be aware and not dwell on them. Appreciate the good admits of the daily challenges, and be able to note when you are in a negative state try by all means to shift your mindset, though it may be hard in the beginning nonetheless when you do this regularly your mind not take you in the dark hole of overthinking.

Your Turn: Join the Conversation with PULSETAWK. What’s stressing you out right now? How do you cope? Share your experiences and tips below to support each other. Let’s build a community of resilience!