“The secret to work is this: Let the end and the means be joined into one. When you are doing any work, do not think of anything beyond. Do it as worship, as the highest worship, and devote your whole life to it for the time being.” — Swami Vivekananda
What is overthinking? It’s thinking about a situation so much that you start building scenarios about it in your head. Why it did it happen to you? Who is to blame? What do others have against you?
When you can’t stop overthinking, you exaggerate the incident, and such exaggerations embed themselves deeper in your memory. After all, we tend to cling harder to negative thoughts. Then, when a similar incident occurs, no matter how trivial, you react from memory rather than responding to the situation. (If you ever wondered why some people overreact to mundane events, here’s the reason.)
The way to stop overthinking is to be aware. Reflect on a situation for a few minutes, then bring yourself back to the present moment. This moment is all you have. When you don’t tarnish it with thoughts about the past or the future, you don’t struggle with regret or anxiety. You can live the moment to its fullest without leaving behind a residue.
Doing the task itself, not the reward, is enough to make you feel happy. This, ironically, also opens up myriad new possibilities for a better future.