Since we just moved from California to Washington, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with new people. I’ve found myself replaying my words over and over in my head, overthinking and wondering why I decided to share some of the things that came out of my mouth. 😆

Luckily, I’ve got a simple tool to share if you too ever find yourself spinning into an unhealthy, thinking pattern.

“sh”: a tool for overthinking

By the way, we’re not talking about problem-solving, where you make progress on a current challenge. We’re talking about those times when we replay conversations from the past. Or, we think about future possible problems that don’t even exist.

In those moments, tell your mind, “SH.” (Sounds like shhh…)

s is for “stop.” 

Picture a stop sign and tell your mind to STOP wallowing in this thought.

Then, you want to redirect your attention.

h is for “happy place.” 

This could be Main Street in Disneyland, or your bedroom, or even an imaginary place like a good-smelling farm full of puppies. Take five minutes to think through the possible sights, smells, sounds, feels, and tastes in your happy place.

When I first told my brother-in-law about this tool, he thought it sounded a bit silly, but when he thought about HIS happy place, he found it effective.

So, where’s one of your happy places?

Put a pin in that spot in your mind, so the next time you find yourself overthinking a conversation with that new mom you just met when picking up your kid from school, you can tell your mind “SH.”