Surgeon's guide to overthinking

At any given moment, there is an infinite amount of things that you could be doing. However, you can only do one thing at a time. Overthinking will strip you of happiness, and paralyse your decisions.

During any given period, our minds cycle through a broad and diverse range of thoughts and emotions. One of the most significant skills you can learn in life is how to manage the extensive mental content that flows through your mind at all times.

Due to the mind's rapidly shifting nature, it's easy to fall into "analysis paralysis" or overthinking, especially without training in mental management and cognitive performance.

Paradoxically, the more rich your inner dialogue is, and the more intelligent you are, the harder it might be not to feel overwhelmed by your own thoughts; your brain can automatically imagine thousands of alternative “realities”.

I became a surgeon, because I didn’t pay attention in med school…

- M. D. Zatonski

Think about it: you wouldn’t like to be operated on by a surgeon who thinks too much (or for too long) before making a decision. It could cost you your life.

I have learned how to make accurate, reliable and difficult decisions, even in situations when information was scarce, no option was ideal, and under tremendous time constraints. This post will teach you the techniques you need to stop overthinking and better organise your mind to live the life you want.

Analysis Paralysis

“The fact that some choice is good doesn’t necessarily mean that more choice is better.” – Barry Schwartz, Paradox of Choice

You must be able to recognise that everything in life can be interpreted subjectively.

Many (most!) things don't have any inherent meaning; we assign meaning based on their impact on us. For most of our decisions, this meaning revolves around avoiding pain and/or seeking pleasure.

This simple approach was effective in the low-information environments of our ancestors. However, it doesn't work well in today's overstimulated culture.

“Analysis paralysis” occurs when you delay action (or not act at all) in the face of too much information. Overwhelmed by choices, it might be very hard to avoid the pain of making the “wrong” decision.

Let’s learn more about the impact of overthinking, the “illusions” your brain creates, lost opportunities it causes, and how to prevent it, together with a few practical exercises!

The Impact of Overthinking

Anxiety