Dr. Aziz walks through three steps to stop overthinking what others think: notice when you're doing it, face the possibility of being judged and decide if you can handle it, and accept that you're not for everyone. A practical method with real examples.
Are you trapped in a cycle of overthinking what other people are thinking about you? It's exhausting and it's pointless. And I did it for years, and you never get to the end of it. It's not like, well, now I've solved that problem. You're just in a constant state of worry, and it'll hold you back in your life. Here are three steps you can use now to shift this. Number one is just notice it when it's happening. I'm overthinking or overly concerned with what they think of me. That's the pattern. Number two is to really face that for a second. Let's say so and so doesn't like me. Let's say that person is judging me. Can I handle that? Am I strong enough for that? Am I okay? Sometimes I'll joke with clients and have them pat down their body. I'll say, did you. Are you still here? Did you survive? And then the third thing is to remind yourself of the truth, which is, I'm not for everybody, and that's okay. What a liberating thing. You can even say that to yourself right now. I'm not for everybody, and that's okay. I can still feel good, even if someone else doesn't like me. What a liberating thought.
