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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about why overthinking is a bad way to solve your problems. So your mind is a little bit like a muscle. We, of course, want to use it regularly. We want to use our minds to plan our goals and the steps to move towards them, to figure things out, solve things and learn things.
But like any other muscle in our body there is a point where working at more is really just unhelpful, even painful and damaging. Just like overexercising, overthinking can really end up being quite counter-productive. In fact research shows that overthinking, which most commonly comes in the forms of rumination and worry, often leads us down the path towards anxiety and depression. So Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, a Yale professor who has spent her life studying overthinking calls it the secret to unhappiness.
She notes that the more we engage in overthinking, the more miserable we tend to become. So what we really want to start to get good at is recognizing anytime we're getting stuck in overthinking, especially when we are ruminating or worrying. And then once we've recognized that we want to choose a more empowering, a more helpful way forward. So start to try to catch yourself in those times when you notice that your mind is racing. It's just sort of tossing a problem around like a broken record or when you start to feel more and more worked up and stressed as you continue to think about something for hours or days or even weeks.
And whenever you notice that habit of overthinking, you catch yourself, just mentally noting to yourself, ah, I'm overthinking. So mentally noting in this way helps you step back from the thoughts and let them go. Then commit to constructive problem-solving instead. Constructive problem solving is where you make a deliberate time to just sit and think clearly about the different options and possibilities. Then, if possible, you make a decision or a plan, and after that, you just leave it.
Right? So conversely to that, rumination and worry, is when you just toss around a problem in your head without any true intention to solve it in that moment. It really isn't helpful or useful to continue doing that all the time. All it does is make us really stressed and anxious and kind of mentally cluttered so we actually can't solve our problems when we can't think clearly. So if this makes sense to you, resonates with you and you want to try this in your life, just every time you find yourself overthinking, just remember catch yourself, mentally note, and then commit to making a time for constructive problem solving instead. You might be able to do that immediately in the moment or you can set a time to do it later.
After you set that time or do it in the immediate moment, you can let everything go knowing that you have a dedicated time to work things out and right now you can be in peace. So by letting go of overthinking, you'll be able to solve your problems more effectively and maintain more inner peace. You can take action on the things that matter, let go of the things that don't and be more present to enjoy your daily life. I hope this is helpful for you. And as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here.
Let's settle in for meditation.
Why Overthinking Is a Bad Way to Solve Your Problems
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about why overthinking is a bad way to solve your problems. So your mind is a little bit like a muscle. We, of course, want to use it regularly. We want to use our minds to plan our goals and the steps to move towards them, to figure things out, solve things and learn things.
But like any other muscle in our body there is a point where working at more is really just unhelpful, even painful and damaging. Just like overexercising, overthinking can really end up being quite counter-productive. In fact research shows that overthinking, which most commonly comes in the forms of rumination and worry, often leads us down the path towards anxiety and depression. So Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, a Yale professor who has spent her life studying overthinking calls it the secret to unhappiness.
She notes that the more we engage in overthinking, the more miserable we tend to become. So what we really want to start to get good at is recognizing anytime we're getting stuck in overthinking, especially when we are ruminating or worrying. And then once we've recognized that we want to choose a more empowering, a more helpful way forward. So start to try to catch yourself in those times when you notice that your mind is racing. It's just sort of tossing a problem around like a broken record or when you start to feel more and more worked up and stressed as you continue to think about something for hours or days or even weeks.
And whenever you notice that habit of overthinking, you catch yourself, just mentally noting to yourself, ah, I'm overthinking. So mentally noting in this way helps you step back from the thoughts and let them go. Then commit to constructive problem-solving instead. Constructive problem solving is where you make a deliberate time to just sit and think clearly about the different options and possibilities. Then, if possible, you make a decision or a plan, and after that, you just leave it.
Right? So conversely to that, rumination and worry, is when you just toss around a problem in your head without any true intention to solve it in that moment. It really isn't helpful or useful to continue doing that all the time. All it does is make us really stressed and anxious and kind of mentally cluttered so we actually can't solve our problems when we can't think clearly. So if this makes sense to you, resonates with you and you want to try this in your life, just every time you find yourself overthinking, just remember catch yourself, mentally note, and then commit to making a time for constructive problem solving instead. You might be able to do that immediately in the moment or you can set a time to do it later.
After you set that time or do it in the immediate moment, you can let everything go knowing that you have a dedicated time to work things out and right now you can be in peace. So by letting go of overthinking, you'll be able to solve your problems more effectively and maintain more inner peace. You can take action on the things that matter, let go of the things that don't and be more present to enjoy your daily life. I hope this is helpful for you. And as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here.
Let's settle in for meditation.
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Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
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Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
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Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
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This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
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Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
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A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
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I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
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