Does anyone else struggle with overthinking?

I think wanting everything to be just so as a writer, editor or proofreader often leads, unintentionally, to overthinking. Here are four tips that have helped me to limit my overthinking.

Setting a timer

This gives you a set time to focus on a specific task, whether that’s to outline a post idea or phrase a comment on a manuscript the main ideas are written down and can then be refined later.

Asking someone else

Writing and editing are tasks that are mostly done alone, and asking someone else can help to confirm your thoughts or bring up something you hadn’t considered so you can make a fully informed decision.

Focusing on a specific point

When working on a manuscript the main question I ask myself is, is what I’m looking up directly relevant to the section I’m working on now. If you find something that could be useful later in the manuscript, note it down for future reference, but stick to looking up the plot or grammar point that you need to know now.

Taking strategic breaks

Sometimes taking a complete break can help to bring you out of overthinking by doing something different and a solution might present itself.

Do you have any techniques to stop overthinking?