Irrational thinking is something that all of us might have gone through at some point in our lives. Irrational thinking or overthinking occurs when a person becomes too concerned with what others think of them or disapproves their presence and opinions.
The thoughts that they go through are not only absolutely unwanted but most of the time sufferers end up cooking stories in their heads assuming the worst possible outcome to a situation. When this habit becomes a natural habit or an everyday common activity for a person, those are the unhealthy signs to look out for.
Irrational thinkers possess certain unhealthy signs which include severe anxiety, staying isolated, introvert and overthinking. In some cases, irrational thinking causes anxiety and in the other, it goes the other way round, that is, anxiety causing unwanted irrational thoughts.
Developing a higher level of irrational thinking towards something may even cause a person to suffer from paranoia or develop a phobia against it. For example, a person scared or has a phobia of dogs will not even think of choosing the same path with a dog simply tucked in a corner. Such a person thinks that if the dog will see him, he will try to bite or hurt him. The person has just developed an irrational fear towards the idea of dogs depending on something he might have visually experienced as a child. There are a number of people I know that have been bitten by dogs as a kid or in the past and they still cannot pass by a dog till today without fearing its harmless presence. Not just that, they even repulse the idea of trained pet dogs as well!
This behavior usually does not have a reason behind it and has taken birth in the mind of that person solely due to reasons unknown. It involves the voluntary and involuntary flooding of intrusive thoughts, causing the sufferer to believe that something bad will or is about to happen. Professional therapy can go a long way in eradicating this syndrome of irrational fear from the mind of the sufferer. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a behavioral disorder where a person obsessively thinks about something and needs everything to be in perfect order or according to their needs. If not, they tend to lose their minds pretty quickly and can resort to isolation or even verbal abuse to release their stress.
#1. Stop Overthinking!
Overthinking feeds irrational thinking and causes a person to imagine the worst-case hypothetical scenarios and situations. Overthinking only creates problems that weren’t even there in the first place, hindering the sufferer’s daily routine, thought process and productivity greatly. Eliminating overthinking of matters, situations, and people only results in the development of irrational and unwanted thoughts within the mind, which can be very unhealthy and need be rooted out as soon as the first signs start to show.
#2. Talk It Out
If you feel like you have started to develop or have been suffering from irrational thinking for a while now, talk it out. You can undergo talk therapy with a professional or you can even let your mind out to a close one, such as a friend, family or spouse. Talking to a therapist can be tough sometimes because even though he is a professional, he is also a complete stranger to the sufferer and some people get uncomfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings with a complete stranger. This alternative can be very helpful in clearing your mind of obsessive and unnecessary thoughts to regain your sanity associated with the matters of the mind. Undergoing therapy can be an effective way to deal with this behavioral disorder. Some people tend to give in to their fears to such an extent that they lose hope and give up on their goals in life. They just want to sit in their bubble of unwanted thoughts, isolated from the rest of the world and give in to their fear.
#3. Get To The Root Of The Problem
Some irrational fears are developed in the past or childhood and make home in the mind of that person until rooted out. This uprooting can only be effectively done by the victim himself because if a person does not wish to get out of the bubble he has created for himself, the world cannot help him. Sometimes, some unwanted, bad things happen to people that came to them as a surprise and leave them thrilled. This fear can be of many types such as emotional fear of getting abandoned, the death of a loved one, an accident that hurt them physically as well as psychologically etc. Realizing the fact that uprooting this irrational fear is not only crucial for growth purposes but absolutely necessary to move on with life., introspect yourself and critically analyse your thoughts to move ahead in the right direction.
#4. Break Bad Habits
Try to stay healthy and embrace a fulfilling life by changing your habits. If you have some bad habits like smoking, drinking or excessive working, give yourself a break and time to assess. Such habits might be feeding the demon within you and elading the rising anxiety and overthinking as a result. So, try to adopt positive changes and live a healthy life.
#5. Try To Stay Positive
A positive mind leads to a positive life. Try to live your life with an optimistic approach and eliminate the unnecessary negative thoughts and feelings from your mind regarding yourself. Love yourself and accept who you are. Focus on what you have rather than what you lack. Make small notes and write the things you love the most about you or what people admire in you and keep them in random places in your house. this way, when you surprisingly discover these notes later in the future, it will give you hope apart from reminding you of how amazing you can be!
The trend which is picking up pace recently is that of mindfulness and people are feeling some really effective substantial changes in their outlook. Practising meditation and several breathing exercises helps to give you the much-needed peace and control of life. Meditation is certainly one of the best practices to evaluate your inner critic and control the demon within you. It further enhances positivity and gives you great healthy flexible body as well.
#7. Be Kind To Yourself
We often lose ourselves in the rut of chaos and confusion in life, however, we must remember to pay attention to ourselves. We, who appear and take charge of the bigger things in life surely deserve to be spoiled at times. So, go out and pamper the weary soul. You're much more than just the sufferer and don't let anybody rule you out for irrational thinkers are there everywhere. So, breathe in positivity and breathe out wisdom.
(Image Courtesy: 1. Curious Mind, 2. Relate Institute, 3. Bullhorn,4. The Power of Happy, 5.Psychologies; Paulocerozine (Featured Image)
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