[HN Gopher] Ask HN: Overthinking in personal life and Thinking a...
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       Ask HN: Overthinking in personal life and Thinking as a job
        
       Since my new cycle of anxiety and depression over the last few
       months i started going to therapy again. Every therapist i've gone
       thus far said i theorize and overthink a lot, and something that's
       missing from my life is practicality. <<Don't think, act. Don't
       theorize about a plan. Just start.>>.  And so i've started
       thinking...  I study CS, i want to work in security, i really like
       and want to learn algorithmic thinking and problem solving,
       researching, and imagine, but at the same time my mind's thought
       spiral can disable me. (I use the phrase "thought spiral" because i
       feel it's the best description, but i don't believe i have, and
       never been diagnosed with OCD.)  How do i balance my desire for a
       way of life that, at the same time, creates my problems?
        
       Author : L0in
       Score  : 6 points
       Date   : 2022-06-20 21:31 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
       | diego wrote:
       | There are certain kinds of problems that don't allow you to
       | overthink. If you are on a tight deadline and you need to get
       | something done (e.g. fix a bug, add a feature) then the situation
       | forces you to make _a_ decision and move on. You can only
       | overthink when you don't have hard deadlines. So as an exercise,
       | try to pick challenges that have deadlines (ideally external to
       | you). It helps to work with other people, take up on some
       | responsibility and commit to delivering.
        
       | barrysteve wrote:
       | Thoughts and knowledge 'cash out' in the body. Turn away from
       | prioritizing thoughts that create too many 'research questions'.
       | Envision some thoughts that cash out in bodily movement. Movement
       | is life.
        
       | octokatt wrote:
       | First, you don't want a way of life that creates problems, so
       | take a step back.
       | 
       | If you're overthinking things, stop thinking. Go do something
       | physical, ideally something physically exhausting, until your
       | brain resets. Gym time, hiking, woodworking, yard work, physical
       | therapy exercises, anything. Schedule the time each week doing
       | something physical that ideally gives you a sense of
       | accomplishment.
       | 
       | Balance the things you love with the things that create the life
       | you want, and steer your brain towards iterating on understanding
       | that balance. Then stop thinking and take committed action based
       | on your results.
       | 
       | Committed action therapy may be something worth discussing with a
       | therapist, but YMMV, and I am an internet stranger.
        
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       (page generated 2022-06-20 23:02 UTC)