Ainsworth B. (2017). Testing the differential effects of acceptance and attention-based psychological interventions on intrusive thoughts and worry.

This was a simple, short read that, surprisingly, taught me a lot. The information was pretty standard, discussing actions like "mind reading", spiraling, and confusing thoughts with emotions, all of which heighten anxiety. The bit of information that most resonated with me was the mere fact that worrying cannot change the outcome to a situation. At first, I found myself scoffing, but further into the book, I realized that, it was true: worrying does absolutely nothing, except drag you deeper down into your own mind, cause physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, etc., and develop new neuron pathways in the mind so that worrying becomes the standard way of thought. Worrying only hurts yourself. It pulls factual evidence on women's pay, women's rights etc. and states it as the cause for depression or overthinking. I could do that with anything, oh women eat porridge for breakfast, the porridge must be causing the overthinking. Based on that, G. Smith has classified overthinking into (1) positive and (2) negative aka worrisome.

I'm glad the author didn't lecture us with all that useless crap like "stop worrying!" "Be positive!" "Smile in the mirror and tell yourself you can do anything!". The book explains each technique with personal stories and insights from the author, who is a behavioral psychologist and a former Navy SEAL, as well as scientific research and proven methods. The most effective strategies for worry, in my experience, are the strategies that challenge the meaning of the thinking,' says Smith. 'Increasing awareness of the rationality of thinking is very helpful. Ensure that your thinking is grounded in fact/truth/reality and ask yourself if this type of thinking is helping you.' While these books on overthinking can help you manage your symptoms and develop healthier skills for coping with stress and anxiety, they are not the solution. If you are struggling with your mental health, professional help is the best way to go.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My brain literally never stops. In fact I routinely have two lines of thought at any given time. Not to mention any kind of visual thoughts I might be having. It can be exhausting. So when something bad is happening - or all the bad things are happening all at once like lately!! - I am definitely one to OVERTHINK. And probably to over think about the 2-3 absolute WORST possible outcomes all at once! (And overthink about overthinking). Oh joy! Aren’t you happy you aren’t in my head? I took some psychology courses once upon a time, so I wasn't completely unprepared for the language and terminology introduced in this book. It was a lot, but the way the theory was laid down felt casual and very accessible. I was personally slightly annoyed by the -very- down-to-earth presentation, but that's more a cultural issue and a pet peeve than an actual criticism, because I can't deny the many examples and metaphors helped me process the ideas better. The biology part of this book I found fascinating and immediately had to google a couple of things to find out more. The book is presented in a very straigtforward, matter-of-fact manner, without the usage of too much psychological jargon. It's also short enough that it probably won't have trouble holding the reader's attention.

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While the other person is explaining how they see things, you are in your head, thinking about your response. And that is not where the solution, or the best way forward, will be found. Those will present themselves in the moment, in the actual conversation, in the interaction with the other person. Puiman: ‘By not being present, you really prevent yourself from finding those unexpected, unforeseen solutions that come up when you really hear the other person’s perspective’. Epictetus teaches us how to be grateful for everything we have, no matter if it is something we desire or not. He teaches gratitude for our bodies and everything we experience and learn. He also teaches us to balance between not wanting more than what we have and feeding our ambitions by shooting for ambitious goals. Much like crossing yourself after walking under scaffolding or freaking out about a pair of Stan Smiths being placed on your kitchen table, worry can be understood as a superstition. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, psychologist and writer, helped explain why women are twice as prone to depression as men and why such low moods can be so hard to shake. Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema, a professor at Yale University, began studying depression in the 1980s. Oh.. should I mention we all are overthinkers? Only difference is: whether your overthinking makes you release happy hormones or stress hormones.

Slowly count down from five to one. As you count down, use each number as a cue to engage one of your five senses. Five – look at five objects in your environment. Four – hear four distinct sounds. Three – feel three sensations. Two – detect two smells. One – identify one taste. Clarify the belief by asking yourself, “What must I believe about myself, others, or the future to justify my anxiety?” I did more of a heavy skim than a word-by-word reading (hence not giving a star rating), but I did write down several long passages to reflect upon.The Book of Overthinking was a decent short read, but there are other books in this genre that are much better, IMO... I found the book to be very helpful, informative, and inspiring. The author writes in a clear, engaging, and friendly style that makes the book easy to read and understand. He uses humor, anecdotes, and examples to illustrate his points and keep the reader’s interest. He also shows empathy, honesty, and vulnerability by admitting his own struggles and challenges. He does not claim to have all the answers or to be a perfect person, but rather shares his wisdom and experience with the hope of helping others.

Self-help books tend to be a bit of hit-and-miss with me, with greater emphasis on miss, but this one was actually helpful. That might be because I've always been a worrier and prone to anxiety, so the subject matter hits rather uncomfortably close to home. The author approaches worrisome overthinking from the perspective of cognitive behavioural therapy, patiently explaining what overthinking really is, where it stems from, what it does to you, how utterly absurd it is at the end of the day, and what you can do to unlearn this ultimately useless behaviour.When you feel yourself sliding into thoughts that begin with 'should', catch yourself. 'The emphasis on the toxicity of the words should/must/have to comes from the school of Rational Emotive therapy,' Smith says. 'Thinking [in terms of] "should" creates all sorts of unhelpful emotional states, such as: I found the formatting to be a bit too jumbled, and off-the-cuff. I also felt that the material could have been presented in a more effective fashion. It can feel frustrating that some people seem to glide through life barely worrying at all, while others struggle to sleep for thoughts whirring. Sometimes, this creates tension in friendships or romantic relationships – when one person thinks that ‘it’ll be fine, chill out,’ the other feels that the former person doesn't care enough. The Mindful Guide to Conflict Resolution offers a practical, easy to learn approach to communication, PAUSE, that will support you during difficult situations and conversations, when you’ve decided to let go of overthinking your communication challenges. Guru will give you a mysterious smile and will eventually disclose that he had been meditating in a forest full of other monks who themselves either left their homes earlier or are orphans.