Things got so much better when I did less thinking.

I used to spend entire days in my head.

When the day was over, I’d think back and realise I’d achieved little more than robotically making myself some lunch.

And I spilt some without even noticing.

I was thinking through things, you see.

It was seriously important that I did.

I was convinced that thinking hard on a problem would bring me what I wanted. But all I got was low-level anxiety and a wasted afternoon.

It took me years of the anxiety created by this overthinking to force me to change.

I learned from various teachers and gurus. Most made me think even more, and feel even more stressed. I was self-conscious.

But then, one day, it clicked.

It was something I read somewhere. It said:

You do better when there’s less on your mind.

And I knew immediately how true it was.

Everything worked better when I wasn’t thinking that thinking was the answer.

I was more present and just had this pleasant, calming sense that things would be okay.

But why would this be?