There’s definitely some value in thinking things through.
But, doing it too much can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.
That’s why today, we’re going to talk about how to stop thinking about the past.
I’m about to share with you the exact same process that I’ve used to quiet my mind and figure out how to relax around people.
What You'll Learn In This Post
1. Put Things Into Perspective
Most people who experience a great deal of anxiety tend to exaggerate the worst-case scenario in their heads.
If you’re wondering how to stop thinking about the past, you need to be able to zoom out of your situation.
That way, you can see the bigger picture.
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For example, let’s say you made a joke at a party and nobody laughed.
For some people, they take that experience so personally.
To prevent future embarrassment, they become timid and just don’t speak up in social gatherings.
If that sounds like you, you need to be able to put things into perspective.
Think about it.
Unless it was recent or something really bad happened, you probably don’t remember silly things that others did, right?
Believe it or not, nobody is paying as much attention to you as you might assume.
The truth is, everyone’s more concerned about themselves.
They don’t have time to worry about you.
By putting things into perspective, you’ll be less likely to beat yourself up mentally whenever things don’t go your way.
2. Get Out Of Your Environment
It’s easy to get caught up in a loop when you’re overthinking social interactions.
One thought leads to another and the next thing you know, you’re stuck in a negative mental cycle.
If you want to know how to stop thinking about the past, distracting yourself is one of the easiest ways to do it.
The next time you feel overwhelmed, do something different right away.
Personally, whenever I’m in my head too much, I get up immediately and go for a long walk.
Either that or I hit the gym to get a solid workout.
Time and time again, I’m always in a much better headspace after getting some physical activity.
Whatever it is for you, I recommend you do something fun that you can immerse yourself in.
By changing your environment, you give your brain a break from whatever it is that you’re thinking about.
Doing so will calm you down and make you feel more relaxed.
3. Put Your Thoughts On Paper
Most people who always feel anxious keep everything in their heads.
They can’t control the way they think because their mind is all over the place.
If you can relate to that and you want to figure out how to stop thinking about the past, put your thoughts on paper.
Journaling regularly will help you clear your mind.
Personally, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done to help me feel less anxious.
Not to mention, it’s a lot easier to analyze what’s going on internally when you can actually see whatever you’re thinking about.
This will give you the opportunity to look at your situation from different perspectives.
Remember, when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change as well.
To make journaling a habit for you, I recommend you start small and only write until you feel like it.
When you keep it manageable, you’re a lot more likely to stick to it long-term.
One thing that I also like to do is to read my old journals.
I find it interesting to see what I was thinking about during different seasons of my life.
By reviewing your notes, you’ll realize how much you’ve changed after a period of time.
Doing so will help you get to know yourself better which will make you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
4. Think Of What’s Going Well In Your Life
Remember, you get exactly what you think about the most.
That’s why you have to be mindful of what you’re putting your attention to.
If you want to learn how to stop thinking about the past, you need to shift your focus.
If you keep complaining and thinking about your problems, then you’re going to get more of that.
To break this negative cycle, I highly encourage you to adopt a gratitude practice.
Make a conscious effort to find things to be thankful for.
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It doesn’t even have to be anything big.
Just do your best to put your attention on something that’s easy for you to appreciate.
When you do this, you’ll change how you feel almost immediately.
You’ll realize that things are not as bad as you make them out to be.
Again, whatever you focus on expands.
The more you think about what’s going well in your life, the more positive experiences you’re going to have.
5. Get Another Perspective
You don’t know what you don’t know unless someone shows you how.
That’s why it’s so important to get feedback from people that you trust.
Going through difficult moments becomes much easier when you have people in your life who have your back.
By having someone you can open up to, you’ll be able to think out loud and get things off your chest as well.
If you’re wondering how to stop thinking about the past, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
I recommend you call up someone who’s been where you’re at and ask for their opinion.
By doing so, you’ll gain more clarity and understand your situation much better.
6. Disassociate From Your Thoughts
Most people who suffer from anxiety tend to identify with their thoughts too closely.
If you want to figure out how to stop thinking about the past, I highly encourage you to start meditating.
When you train your mind to slow down, you’ll be able to separate yourself from whatever you’re thinking about.
To help you get started, just spend a few minutes each day closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing.
Empty your mind and whenever a thought comes up, just observe it without any judgment.
Imagine how you would pay attention to the vehicles on a busy road.
That’s exactly how you want to treat your thoughts.
Just watch them come and go without feeling the need to identify with any of them.
By meditating regularly, you’ll be able to control the way you think instead of just letting your mind run on autopilot.
If you do this long enough, this will help you become less reactive all the time.
7. Question Your Disempowering Beliefs
You can’t control what happens to you.
But you can always change the meaning that you give to your circumstances.
If you want to learn how to stop thinking about the past, try to look at your situation more objectively.
It might be difficult at first but do your best to analyze your thoughts and question your disempowering beliefs.
And then tell yourself more empowering stories.
It’s your mind anyway, you can fill it with anything that you want.
You might as well choose thoughts that make you feel good and support your goals.
Whenever something bad happens to you, see if there’s a lesson that you were supposed to learn.
By doing so, you’ll be thankful for the experience because you can see how it made you a better person.
8. Create A Vision For Your Life
It’s easy to overthink things if you don’t know what you’re working towards.
If you want to know how to stop thinking about the past, take the time to review your goals.
Having a worthwhile project to pursue will give you a greater sense of meaning and fulfillment.
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If you haven’t already, take the time to create a vision for your life.
Ask yourself what your perfect day would look like.
What would you do?
Where would you live?
Who would you spend time with?
Personally, I like to go over my goals on a regular basis.
That’s why I’m jumping out of bed every morning because I’m excited to move towards them.
Having a clear vision for your life will help you not make a big deal out of small things.
You’ll care less about what others think because you know what’s really important to you.
If you want to know how to get out of a funk and get motivated, this is one of the best ways to do it.
9. Practice Self-Compassion
Most people with low self-confidence speak to themselves in a very demeaning way.
They have such negative self-talk that’s why they don’t feel good about who they are.
If you’re wondering how to stop thinking about the past, avoid doing this at all costs.
Practice self-compassion whenever you mess something up.
Remind yourself that you did the best you could with what you know at that moment.
If you knew better, you would’ve done things differently right?
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Instead, view your mistakes as an opportunity to improve and get better.
By doing so, you’ll be a lot more likely to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone.
You’ll figure out how to put yourself out there instead of always playing it safe.
As a result, you’re going to have more fulfilling experiences instead of having lots of regrets.
10 Take Responsibility For Yourself
Remember, you are responsible for your life.
Instead of blaming people or circumstances, take ownership of yourself.
As the saying goes, insanity is doing the same things over and over again expecting a different result.
If you want to learn how to stop thinking about the past, take the time to reflect.
Ask yourself what you’re doing well and what you need to do differently next time.
Put together a game plan and take action right away.
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For example, let’s say you tend to run out of things to say in conversation.
To prevent that from happening to you, prepare what you want to talk about in advance.
If you want, you can also record yourself telling your stories.
That way, you can observe your delivery and hear how you sound.
And then, make the necessary adjustments before you go out and interact with people.
If you do this long enough, you’ll figure out how to improve your communication skills.
As you can see, coming up with solutions is just as easy as coming up with excuses.
In fact, solving your own problems is one of the best confidence-building exercises that I know.
You’ll prove to yourself that you can achieve anything that you want if you set your mind to it.
The more struggles you overcome, the higher your self-esteem is going to be.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how to stop thinking about the past, I just shared with you my best tips.
Feel free to go through them again and implement them as much as you can.
And now, let’s turn it to you.
Which one of these tips are you going to implement first?
Are you going to get out of your environment or are you going to put your thoughts on paper?
Send me a message on Instagram and let me know.