Thinking for yourself MoC

Compulsive thinking vs Constructive thinking.

Thinking is like water. If it does not flow, it will become stale, even poisonous.
Compulsive thinking is when you're mulling over, when your thoughts are running in a loop without going anywhere. The brain does not work using brute force, quite the opposite. The more you strain, the worse the quality of your thoughts.
Constructive thinking, on the other hand, is when your thoughts flow like a current. They're following a path. You might not know which one, but they're still leading you somewhere.
What about the great thinkers in history, who thought hard about a specific problem or topic, and somehow ended up having a genius insight after hours, days, or years of thinking? It certainly wasn't because they were thinking the same thoughts over and over. Quite the contrary, they were constantly exploring different angles and paths. They were focused but curious, and kept coming back to a central topic. Thoughts, like everything in nature, may work in cycles, but not in circles.

It's restless idleness that often leads to compulsive thinking. It's this state where you are mentally agitated but physically immobile. What is the cure to compulsive thinking then? Physical movement. Again, like water, it's physical movement that prevents staleness. Even better, physical movement spurs constructive thinking. It makes both your blood and your thoughts flow. That's why the greatest thinkers of humankind walked a lot.

Compulsive thinking can occur for minor decisions, or major ones. In both cases, remember that if you don't have a clear answer, it's likely because 1) you're probably trying to make the best choice and 2) you don't have all the elements necessary to be able to make that choice. If you had all the relevant and useful data to make a decision, you wouldn't need to think hard about it. In any case, thinking hard—as in mulling over the problem—isn't the way. Ask yourself if the decision is worth going on an exploration that will lead to constructive thinking. If you're wondering what to pick at the restaurant or whether you should get up and workout right now, chances are it's not worth going on an exploration of the topic. Just pick something and be done with. An exploration of the topic would be more appropriate if it's about whether you should marry someone, or move out to a new city or country.