The Effects of Overthinking

Not everyone is decisive at crucial moments of decision-making. The time it takes someone to think through for a conclusive decision varies depending on the situation and personality. However, overthinking can have the following negative impact on our mental wellbeing:

Starts or Worsens Depression

People prone to overthinking tend to worry a lot as they deal with life. Thoughts about negative scenarios will eventually bring our mood down too. An increase in stressful thoughts decreases the production of serotonin (chemicals produced to maintain mental stability) in our brains, contributing to depressive states. A lack of serotonin is also known to cause various symptoms such as constant fatigue, insomnia, and irritation.

Prevents Us From Being Proactive

When we act before we think, we are faster in taking action. When we think before we act, it prevents us from being proactive. It may not make a big difference in your personal life, but overthinking in business settings can lead to lost opportunities and networks.

Increases Difficulty in Tackling New Challenges

New challenges feel difficult when we overthink them. The more time we spend thinking, the more worrisome aspects of the challenge seem apparent. Of course, thinking through could keep us safe from possible risks, but it also prohibits us from taking the risks necessary to create change.

For example, the mental exhaustion from over-focusing on the problems will hold us back from taking courageous actions or risks necessary to create change. Avoidance of actions and risks may keep us in a perpetually hostile environment that potentially breaks us. There’s always a risk for depression and PTSD for people who feel like they have no escape.

5 Activities to Try When Overthinking

People who overthink tend to be perfectionists that want to seek answers until they can convince their own logic. The following activities are helpful when thinking becomes painful.

1. Try a Physically Active Hobby

Find a hobby that you enjoy. Indulgence in hobbies can change our focus and avoid perpetual negativity.

Any hobby is sufficient, but something physically active is ideal. This is because we want to balance out the activities in our left brain (logic, thinking, and mathematics) by activating the right brain (feelings, intuition, and creativity). Exercise helps activate our right brain as we focus on physical activity, and this helps us stay away from looping thoughts.

2. Write Out Your Thoughts

We overthink because we haven’t found a conclusion. Thus, writing out all of your thoughts on a piece of paper may be helpful in viewing ideas objectively. Verbalization of internal thoughts helps organize thoughts, calms the mind, and inspires solutions.
This is a great method for people who want to improve their mental health by finding solutions.

3. Sleep

Sleep is one way to help our brain recover from mental fatigue. If thinking through a matter isn’t helping, we can shut our thoughts down for a while by falling asleep.
For some, the mind can still continue to run wild even while trying to rest. In that case, we recommend the following activities:

• Soak in a hot tub
• Keep away from electronics (smartphones and tablets) before bed
• Surround yourself with pleasing scents using aroma oils or candles
• Read a familiar book that comforts you
• Don’t eat 2 hours before bed

4. Talk to Someone

Sometimes, we can move forward by talking to close friends and gaining new perspectives. It helps to proactively confide our feelings to someone close. Not just because of the solutions, we might gain, but the “comfort” we feel from it is as significant. The act to share our thoughts prevents isolation and makes us feel connected with society again.

5. Set a Routine Time Dedicated to Thinking

One of the reasons we keep overthinking is because we don’t know when to stop. Sometimes, stopping all thoughts can lead to better solutions.

Still, for people who overthink, letting go of their thoughts can sound like a challenge. If so, try to set dedicated routine times for thinking. It could be 30 mins before bed or the first 15 mins when you wake up. Set times dedicated to thinking each day will help prevent our minds from overrunning forever.

Find What Works for You

There’s nothing wrong with working through a thought. However, if you recognize that you’re overthinking, it’s healthy to take breaks. In this post, we introduced 5 specific activities that could combat depression and overthinking, but frankly, it can be any activity that calms your mind. The scale and depths of our issues are all different. We hope you find what works for you in facing your inner thoughts.

Looking to improve your mental health? Need someone to talk to? Try the SELF MIND app for a FREE trial!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Reference：

Matsumoto, M. (2005). How Overthinking Contributes to Continual Depression. Japan Society of Personality Psychology.

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Stress: The Enemy of Weight Loss

We secrete a hormone called “Cortisol” when we feel stressed. The higher cortisol levels there are, the more visceral fat we store in our bodies. Higher cortisol also decreases the amount of growth hormone in our bodies, makes it hard to build muscles, lowers the metabolism, which overall creates difficulty to lose weight.

At the same time, stress makes us want to indulge in bad habits such as overeating, smoking, binge drinking, and staying up late. Stress is a big factor in whether or not we can succeed in achieving our weight loss goals.

Effective Stress-Relief Activities

The following activities are known to help with stress:

• Spend time to relax
• Laugh from your heart
• Get quality sleep
• Concentrate on an activity
• Get adequate exercise

When we carry stress our hearts are being weighed down. Every person has a different level of stress resilience and there’s no one answer in how to resolve it. What’s most important is that we have ways to keep our distance from our stress source.

Dancing is gaining attention as it checks off many of the points above.

The Benefits of Dance for Weight Loss

There are many types of dancing from competitive dancing to casual fun dances for weight loss. The dances we will mention here are anything short enough to practice within 5-10 minutes.

The following are the benefits we gain from dancing:

A Stress Reliever

According to studies of dance movement therapy, participating in expressive and communicative body movements with others creates a sense of safety and stress relief. By letting go of stress, our mental capacity becomes better prepped for taking on the challenges of a weight loss journey.

A Fun and Painless Way to Exercise

There is a unit called “MET” that measures exercise intensity based on our oxygen consumption. Our inactive resting state is measured at 1 MET and we can measure our activity intensity by MET units to figure out a metabolic rate.

For example, jogging is 7 METs, tennis is 6 METs. Every activity has a MET measurement. The higher the MET is, the more calories are burned in the same amount of time spent on it.

Dancing, which can be categorized as aerobic exercise, is about 8 METs. This is a higher MET than jogging. If the usual exercise of weight lifting and running seems stressful, dancing could be a great way to exercise in a fun and painless way.

Infinite Variations to Try

When we’re trying to lose weight, oftentimes our diet and exercise can become repetitive and mundane. That alone can be a cause of stress. However, dancing is a great way to switch up your mood!

To dance, we need music, and this can easily bring our mood to a high. What makes dancing unique is its variety in the types of dance movements. From hip-hop, ballet, jazz, salsa, ballroom, dubstep, or just freely dancing however you feel, dance has so many means of expression. This also why Zumba has gained popularity as an exercise.

If repeating the same kind of dance bores you to the point of stress, there’s no need to continue. You can always try different styles of movements to keep things interesting.

Dance for Stress Relief and Weight Loss

Weight loss exercises are only effective when we continue them, but it can also become painful and stressful to do the same movements every day. Stress is the enemy in achieving weight loss goals.

Therefore, dancing is an excellent way to relieve stress, get exercise, and refresh our mood. We hope you find a fun dance to incorporate as part of your exercise routine so that you can combat stress while trying to lose weight.

Looking to improve your mental wellbeing? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Reference：
Clements, A. (2020, August 12). How Laughter Can Relieve Stress + Ideas to Laugh it Off. University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. https://www.usa.edu/blog/how-laughter-can-relieve-stress/

Jeong, Y. J., Hong, S. C., Lee, M. S., Park, M. C., Kim, Y. K., & Suh, C. M. (2005). Dance Movement Therapy Improves Emotinal Responses and Modulates Neurohormones in Adolescents with Mild Depression. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115(12), 1711–1720. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207450590958574

Koch, S. C., Riege, R. F. F., Tisborn, K., Biondo, J., Martin, L., & Beelmann, A. (2019). Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related Psychological Outcomes. A Meta-Analysis Update. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, NA. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01806

Miyachi, M. (2019). Physical activity, METs, and energy expenditure. Nippon Shokuhin Kagaku Kogaku Kaishi, 66(2), 57. https://doi.org/10.3136/nskkk.66.57

Physical Activity Guidelines Resources. (2020). American College of Sports Medicine. https://www.acsm.org/read-research/trending-topics-resource-pages/physical-activity-guidelines

Tamashiro, K. L. K. (2011). Metabolic syndrome: links to social stress and socioeconomic status. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1231(1), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06134.x

Tsujimoto, H., Yamada, K., & Morioka, I. (2013). Experience of Weight Loss and Its Related Factors of Thin Females Who Still Wished to Lose Weight among Junior High School Students. Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi (Japanese Journal of Hygiene), 68(3), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.1265/jjh.68.197

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Art therapy is a form of therapy that utilizes artistic expressions and exercise as a way to heal and relax. It is an exploration of creativity and self-expression. While most therapies rely on clear verbal communication, art therapy exercises can be rather abstract and indefinitive in comparison. Art has always been a powerful means of expression beyond words. So if you’re stuck with expressing your feelings verbally, this can be a helpful healing solution. You can also read our post, The Power of Self-Expression – An Intro to Art Therapy, or Dance to De-Stress: Does Dancing Release Serotonin? to get a better idea of some of the therapeutic benefits of artistic expression.

The term ‘therapy’ makes it sound formal and complicated. However, in reality, you don’t need to be an artsy person or have any experience in art to try these art therapy exercises. In fact, the less knowledge you have in art, the easier it will be to let it all out. This is because we are often confined to the preconceived notions of how “art should look”. This article lists a few fun activities that you can easily try at home on your own.

If you would like to learn more about art therapy as a concept and its therapeutic benefits, check out the article below.

1. Visual Journaling

Visual or creative journaling is a form of journaling that extends beyond verbal writing. This art therapy exercise in creativity can be a combination with words, but usually, the main means of expression is focused on the visual language. You can draw, cut, paste, color, and scribble however you feel – explore your creativity! In fact, Carl Jung, known as the founder of analytical psychology, kept a visual journal. This was because he believed it connected with his inner feelings and subconscious thoughts. Studies show that keeping visual journals is especially helpful for trauma, loss, and stress. Moreover, some people choose to keep multiple visual journals with different themes and purposes. It’s a private safe space for you to explore your thoughts and share your feelings. A notebook won’t ever judge, so there’s nothing to hold you back from creating an open and honest dialogue in it!

Materials: A blank notebook for journaling, markers, pens, pencils, photos, cut-outs, glue, and anything else you’d like to include. There are no limits on what materials you can use.

Start keeping a regular record of yourself in a visual format through this journal. If you are unsure of how to start, search keywords such as “visual journal ideas” or “creative journal ideas“. This will give you plenty of options to play around with and explore your creativity.

2. Create a Visual Music Piece

Are you usually more of a sound/music person than a visual? Then this is an excellent way to deepen your relationship with music while increasing sensory awareness and encouraging emotional expressions. Lyric-free instrumental music is considered most effective in this exercise because lyrics can distract from the relaxation process.

Materials: Blank paper, markers, pens, brushes, watercolor paint (A fluid coloring medium is highly recommended), and lyric-free instrumental music to listen to.

First, relax and pay attention to the sounds of the music to get into it. Then, choose one or more of the art therapy exercises below to try and create your art piece.

• Imagine what the music would look like in abstract colors, shapes, and lines. If you prefer a more definable image, you can imagine a story or symbol that comes to mind about the music. Paint it all out – and let your inner creativity shine through. There are no restraints in how you can picture the music or what the sounds mean to you.
• Simply put your pen onto the paper, and move it in sync with the rhythm matching the music. Soft rhythms may encourage you to draw smooth waves, while fast sharp rhythms may direct you to sharp short straight lines. Color and thickness of the lines can also play a role in expressing the visualized rhythm.
• Tune into emotions and sensations that arise as you listen to the music. What feelings emerge as a response to this music, and what does that look like? Paint and draw out these elements individually or as a cohesive piece that comes together as an image.

3. Draw in the Dark – Free Yourself From Restrictions

If you are feeling nervous or pressured about how the ‘looks’ of your artwork will turn out, then this is the perfect art therapy exercise for you! Try this activity in complete darkness, or with a blindfold if necessary. Taking away your visual sensory will silence the judgment of your inner critic, therefore allowing intuition and other sensories to take over the process.

Materials: Blank paper, markers, pens, and crayons.

1. Create a dark setting in which you have no vision, or blindfold yourself.
2. Either preselect a color and medium that resonates with you or choose a medium in darkness using your intuitive sense of touch.
3. Take a moment of mindfulness to pay attention to your breath and body. Imagine a chord from your heart connecting to your choice of medium in your hand.
4. Draw – you can draw an image that comes to mind, a sense of feeling, or just enjoy the various movements of your hand against the paper. Don’t think about the outcome. Let your body movement and feelings take over – your inner creativity will shine through.
5. Take a look and surprise yourself when you finish! No need to judge if it’s good or bad because the focus is on the experience of mark-making.

4. Map Your Future – A Vision Board

Have you ever dreamt of what life could be like? In fact, a vision board serves as a perfect motivational reminder of your inspirations and aspirations. In positive psychology, visualization is known to assist problem-solving while improving mental and physical health. As a matter of fact, deliberately aiming your intentions towards your desired experience of the future creates better success rates. Professional athletes also commonly use visualization techniques as part of their mental training. Putting yourself in the headspace of an ideal future can also act as a “mental vacation” experience. If you feel a bit stuck and unmotivated at the moment, this could be a good activity to try to boost your sense of creativity and motivation.

Materials: Poster size paper board, markers, pens, scissors, glue, and a collection of words and images of your inspiration and dreams.

1. Print out or cut out your collection of images and words so that it’s prepped for collaging.
2. Layout everything on your board. There are no rules on how to make it, but make sure that it conveys the feelings you want to achieve when you look at it.
3. Collage the pieces on with your glue, add in your own drawings, or handwrite words as needed.
4. Put it in a visible spot as a daily reminder of where you are headed in life. Practice visualizing your dreams as you look at them.

Here’s also an excellent video on how to create a vision board explained by a certified art therapist.

5. Gift an Expressions of Gratitude

Research indicates that thank you letters have positive psychological effects on both the sender and receiver. Specifically, focusing on expressions of gratitude can combat depression, ease pain, improve heart health, reduce inflammation, and alleviate anxieties. Long-term habits of writing out gratitude also create powerful changes in our mental and physical health. A thoughtful handwritten letter maximizes the benefit because it requires time to consider your thoughts of gratitude deeply. If so, what better way than to combine your thank you’s with your personal touch of creativity? This art therapy exercise can also help you nourish your relationship with the people you love.

Materials: Card stock paper, markers, pens, collage materials, glue, postage stamps, and envelopes.

1. Think of someone who you want to express your thanks to. Vividly reflect on the beautiful experiences you’ve shared with them and the feeling of gratitude towards them.
2. While reflecting on these positive memories, think of the colors, images, and words that connect with what you felt during these experiences.
3. With the inspirations and materials available, create an original postcard with drawings and collages. Include your story of appreciation so that the receiver understands why they are being thanked.
4. Put your art postcard inside an addressed and stamped envelope. You can add more and customize the envelope too if you prefer.
5. Mail it out to the person.

One Step Further in Art Therapy Exercises

If you seek further deep healing through art therapy exercises, I encourage you to participate in a group or individual session guided by a certified art therapist. I’m no art therapist, so I’ve compiled these art therapy exercises as a suggestion based on common practices among art therapy communities. Professional art therapists are capable to further assist you if you want to explore deeper.

As an additional activity to all of these art therapy exercises, you can have a dialogue with yourself and the completed artwork. Try writing about your experience and results on a piece of paper. You may find words for what was hard to verbalize before. Perhaps you will also discover hidden emotions deep within that were hard to recognize. It’s okay if you still cannot find adequate words to verbalize everything. Focusing on the art will at least give you a new refreshing perspective and a pleasant outlet for self-expression and creativity.

→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

References:

A Thanksgiving Art Therapy Exercise For Groups or Individuals: Thank You Cards. (2015, November 26). Retrieved June 29, 2020, from http://www.arttherapyblog.com/art-therapy-activities/art-exercise-groups-individuals-thank-you-cards/#.XvmBFJMzbzV

Baumgartner, J. (2011, November 8). Visualize It. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-psychology-dress/201111/visualize-it

Frank, P. (2016, September 26). 37 Art Therapy Techniques For De-Stressing This Season. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/art-therapy-techniques_n_56562017e4b072e9d1c19f9b

Hagan, P. (2018, November 19). How saying thank you can help to ease depression. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6407319/How-saying-thank-help-ease-depression.html

Harvard Health Publishing. (2018, December). Writing a thank-you note is more powerful than you think. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/writing-a-thank-you-note-is-more-powerful-than-you-think

Malchiodi, C. (2013a, October 23). Visual Journaling, Self-Regulation and Stress Reduction. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/201310/visual-journaling-self-regulation-and-stress-reduction-0

Malchiodi, C. (2013b, November 19). Top Ten Art Therapy Visual Journaling Prompts. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/201311/top-ten-art-therapy-visual-journaling-prompts

Mehlomakulu, C. (2017, May 27). Music and Mindful Art. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://creativityintherapy.com/2017/05/music-mindful-art/

Shultis, J. (2018, January 3). 20 Art Therapy Activities You Can Try At Home To Destress. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/20-art-therapy-activities-you-can-try-home-destress.html

Wong, Y. J., Owen, J., Gabana, N. T., Brown, J. W., McInnis, S., Toth, P., & Gilman, L. (2016). Does gratitude writing improve the mental health of psychotherapy clients? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy Research, 28(2), 192–202. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2016.1169332

Youhjung. (2020, January 9). How to Make a Vision Board – An Art Therapy Activity. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.thirstyforart.com/blog/vision-board-art-therapy-activity

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Exercise in the Evening for Better Sleep

A study of 99 patients with depression in the United States showed improvement in their depressive state after they had done an hour of exercise, aerobic or anaerobic, 3 times a week in a duration of 8 weeks. Although transient (one day only) exercise did not have much effect on stress relief, people with regular exercise habits had a lot of deep sleep, so-called non-REM sleep.

How and when we do our exercises matters for good sleep. In general, sleepiness occurs strongly when our body temperature begins to drop. Elevated body temperatures gradually fall for a few hours after exercising, and the amount of melatonin, a hormone that controls the sleep cycle, increases at night. The synergistic effects of physical activity and our biological rhythm makes it easier to sleep when we exercise in the evenings. In other words, exercise later in the day can act as an effective stress-reliever. However, experts do not recommend exercising right before bed, as it can cause physical stress. Excessive exercise is also counterproductive because the sympathetic nerve becomes stimulated and excited. As for the appropriate kind of exercise, experts recommend jogging and fast walking for moderate exercise that is effective for stress relief. Soaking in a lukewarm bath is also adequate.

Sleep Deprivation Leads to Mental Crisis?

There seems to be a very strong relationship between sleep deprivation and depressive symptoms. In Finland, a survey of 40,791 non-depressive individuals found that those who experience insomnia more than five nights a week were more likely to develop depression. Experts generally recommend adults to sleep about 7 hours a day. Shorter or longer sleep tends to result in higher mortality rates over the course of 6 years. Chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with our daily well-being through symptoms of constant fatigue, lack of focus, and increased irritation. It’s very important to encourage healthy sleeping habits and moderate exercise for stress relief.

Fun Exercise Improves Brain Function

According to recent research, excessive stress causes thinning of the hippocampus, a part of the brain which can lead to various mental disorders. On the other hand, animal studies have also shown that spontaneous exercise promotes the growth of hippocampal nerve cells while reducing depression, thereby acting as a stress-reliever. Other studies demonstrate that forced activities do not promote hippocampal nerve cell growth as much as willing activities.

17 people answered a survey after they had exercised for 1 hour, once a week. Most people who found the lesson enjoyable had a higher tendency towards improved mental health. Hip-hop dance classes had a particularly high satisfaction rate. Perhaps the participants enjoyed it because they could do their best within a reasonable range by using the basic steps of hip-hop dancing. In order for physical activity to act as an effective stress-reliever, it’s important to exercise with interest rather than being forced to do it.

Incorporate a Little Exercise Into Your Daily Life

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is the summary measure used by the WHO to indicate the overall burden of diseases. Since 2004, unipolar depressive disorder is now the 3rd burden of diseases globally. It’s even projected to become the leading cause of DALYs by 2030. Anyone can develop depression. Working out potentially improves sleep and creates positive change for both our mental and physical well-being. We can say that exercise is an effective means of self-care and stress relief. (Figure 1)

The development of transportation and the internet has made human life more and more convenient. However, as technology develops, we have fewer opportunities to demonstrate our fundamental motor ability. Therefore, it is vital to actively move our bodies. Try some light stretching if you are busy, or try walking a little bit further if you aren’t good at exercise. Regardless of your skill level or intensity of activity, exercise is one of the best natural stress-relievers. The sum of these small efforts will surely help improve your general health in the long term.

→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELFMIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image：Unsplash
References：

Uchida S., Ganeko M., Shioda K., Takeda N., Umezawa J., Tashiro S., Sato D., Abe T.,(2011).Introduction of Exercise for Depression Prevention in Company Workers Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine, 52, 718-725.

Yoshimoto, Y., Akezaki, Y., Nomura, T., Sato, A. Effects of Therapeutic Exercise Combined with a Behavioral Science Approach for the Treatment of Patients with Mental Disorders.(2009).Japanese Physical Therapy Association, 36(5), 287-294 https://doi.org/10.15063/rigaku.KJ00005654287

Sensui, H., Nagamatsu, T., Ihara, K., Nakagawa, M.(2009).Exercise Therapy for Recovering Psychiatric Patients : A Preliminary Study.Bulletin of the Physical Fitness Research Institute, No.107, 15-22.

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