Don’t think. Do. | E-Neighborhood Advisor

Are you an overthinker? Is your mind whirring even when you try and rest? Do thoughts creep into all the quiet places or create a roadblock when you’re trying to work? We can tell ourselves to stop eating when we’re not hungry, or to take a vacation when we’ve worked hard. Why can’t we tell ourselves to quit overthinking? Darius Foroux, who writes about productivity and decision making for many publications, says we can. The trick is to just apply our thinking to where it’s needed most. We’re taught that negative thoughts are bad and that positive thoughts are good. Negative thoughts are related to: - Worrying - Complaining - Anger - Feeling sorry for yourself - Blaming others And positive thoughts are related to: - Trying to solve problems - Studying - Understanding knowledge - Planning - Visualization - Setting goals Most self-help advice says to scrap the negative thoughts and double down on the positive thoughts. When you think about it casually, it sounds like good advice. After all, negative thoughts make our lives worse. And positive thoughts should make our lives better, right? The truth is that when you overuse your brain, just like a drain, it can get clogged. The result? Foggy thinking. Which leads to bad decision making. Thinking is a tool. And instead of using that tool during the 16 or 17 hours that you’re awake, only use it when you NEED it. How? 1. Raise your awareness throughout the day. Always realize that too much thinking defeats the purpose. 2. When you raise awareness, immediately start observing your thoughts. Every time you start thinking, don’t follow through, just observe how you start thinking. When you do that, you will automatically stop. 3. Limit your thinking to specific moments that you need it. For example, when you’re thinking about setting your daily priorities, sit down and think. That might take five minutes. During that time, it’s perfectly fine to think and follow through on your thoughts. 4. Enjoy your life! Let go of all your thoughts about yesterday and tomorrow. No matter how much you want to achieve in the future, and no matter how much you’ve suffered in the past—appreciate that you are alive: NOW. Your Flooring Consultant, Matt Capell Email: sales@capellinteriors.com Phone (208) 288-0151 Fax (208) 917-6160 P.S. Here's a joke for you! Replace the negative with the positive....... and next time put the battery in right the first time.