Are you an Overthinker?
Something I commonly see with my clients is that they just cannot get their brain to switch off. They are constantly thinking and running through the events of their day or thinking ahead into the future or having anxieties about work, relationships or their body composition goals.
I have to say, most of these clients would be classified as high achievers. They are never satisfied with their current achievements, and are always wanting more. It’s awesome to have a high goal post to reach, but when the over thinking turns into anxious thoughts and you’re struggling to stay present, it starts affecting your sleep, your focus, and your home life as you find it hard to stop.
That’s when it’s time to stop and re-evaluate.
It would be easy enough for me to say to someone, practice mindfulness and try and be more present, but sometimes it takes more than this. Over thinking and being slightly high strung can also be the cause of being more dopamine dominant; a neurotransmitter also known as the ‘motivation molecule’. Too much of it can cause symptoms of anxiety.
Feeling a loss of control due to an unstable external environment, such as our current economic status due to COVID-19, is enough to get anyone’s amygdala setting off the sympathetic nervous system; giving us a heightened state of emotional response.
If you thrive off having a routine and it’s being disrupted, it prevents you from achieving your personal goals, also causing symptoms of anxiety. To add to that, a chronically heightened sympathetic response can also cause thyroid imbalances, which again, leads to symptoms of overthinking, restlessness, rapid heartbeat and insomnia.
How can I help?
– Firstly, true to Frozen’s theme song, LET IT GO…. No seriously. We can’t control what is happening around us but we can control how we respond to it.
– Switch your focus on how the current situation is benefitting you and helping you achieve your higher purpose.
– Journal your thoughts and concerns instead of keeping them in your head. Often when they are let out of confinement they are less overwhelming.
– Ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen and can you handle it? Make yourself a plan based on A, B and C scenarios.
– Do you have a good sleep routine? Don’t rule out making changes that are simple which anyone can do. Turn off the social media, computers and dim your lights to start creating that melatonin production that will help you fall asleep. Read a book, listen to music or do meditation that will help to calm your mind and body.
I’ve had clients come to me that haven’t had a good night sleep in years just from not being able to fall asleep or waking through the night with racing thoughts. Often with no sleep comes an overconsumption of coffee, which will only increase the symptoms of anxiety as well as cause cortisol imbalances and blood glucose dysregulation and therefore has a downward spiralling effect on other aspects of your health.
Did you know that some of your hormones are secreted and regulated at night during your sleep cycle? There has been considerable research that has linked endocrine dysfunction to insomnia.
– Seek out a health practitioner to ensure there isn’t any underlying health imbalances that may be causing your thoughts to run away from you. These could be imbalances of your cortisol, thyroid, gastrointestinal system, neurotransmitter production, hormones or something as simple as a magnesium deficiency, which often is a byproduct of placing too much stress on the body whether emotional or physical.
– There are some wonderful herbs that are nutritive to the brain and central nervous system to help keep you calm and focused as well as support your hypothalamic pituitary to ensure you body stays well balanced during periods of stress. Examples of these would be, Ashwagandha, Melissa Officinalis, Piper Methysticum and Bacopa Monnieri. Choosing what is right for you is based on your individual symptoms and your health and medical history.
If you want to feel like a million bucks then you owe it to yourself to get a good nights sleep. If your feeling like you need some assistance to reign in your thoughts so you can be more effective and efficient in your life, then I’m here to help.
Email me at [email protected].
