Test: What stops you making the most of your time?

It’s not surprising that overthinkers and ruminators feel as if they don’t have enough time – they put in hours of mental overtime mulling over events, conversations, decisions and tasks. As well as being vulnerable to overwhelm, you may be puzzled by how others seem to achieve more in less time. You may be frustrated that new projects and passions never reach fruition because you get stuck in preparation mode. People may know you as a worrier but are unaware of the extent of your overthinking if you give an outward impression of calm capability. Often that exterior stems from a detachment from the present, which creates further time poverty, as well as affecting your recall of how you spent your time.

Mindfulness helps you connect with your observing self, making you aware of just how much of your time is spent overthinking. The aim is to can catch yourself before you get sucked into an overthinking spiral by bringing your focus to the present. Schedule 15 minutes of ‘worry time’ a day and delay overthinking until then. Chances are you won’t want to spend it ruminating.