Bhagavad Gita Lessons to Stop Overthinking: Krishna's Advice

Thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna gave Arjuna some words of wisdom that still provide inner peace and solace to crores of people all over the world. At some point in life, almost all of us suffer with overthinking. Some folks perform badly in exams due to doubtful thoughts, many others drain their confidence before entering a stage or beginning a performance, some of us even shy away from proposing the one that we love as a result of overthinking.

But, what is the root of this problem? How did our ancient forefathers, who fought wars and other natural calamities, dealt with this issue? How can we adopt those methods that they used in modern circumstances to achieve mental calmness?

Let’s explore the universal wisdom gifted to us by Krishna. By implementing this advice in our life, we will naturally convert our quarrelling mind into a most supportive friend and, like Arjuna, become fully equipped to deal with the adversities that we face continuously.

Seeing his brothers and family members in the battlefield, standing ready to die and kill just to obtain the throne of Hastinapur, Arjuna fell into overthinking and depressive thoughts. Putting down his bow and arrows Arjuna looked to Lord Krishna for help. With a kind smile on his lips, Krishna told him:

“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.”

Here Krishna has dropped the founding principle of Karma Yoga. Many of us stumble in life when we are too concerned about the outcome of our actions. Doubtful thoughts like “What if this doesn’t work out?”, “What if they reject my idea?”, “Am I doing this right?”, brings down so many people.

Besides, these thoughts drain our mental energy, thereby restraining us from giving our best while performing duties. Thus, we should listen to Lord Krishna and follow the path of Karma Yoga.

The first step in this journey is belief. Krishna says: “Man is made of his belief. As he believes, so he is.” This is a key idea that all of us who are prone to overthinking should internalise. A fundamental requirement for success in any endeavour is belief in ourselves. We can give our best skills into our mission only if we believe in our abilities and strengths. Hence, whenever any doubtful thoughts arise in your mind, remember Lord Krishna and his advice of not being attached to the duty’s outcome.

It will become exceptionally hard to move forward in life when we are constantly contemplating what will happen in the future. The present moment is the only absolute reality. Past is gone and future is yet to come. The only element that lies within our control is the present time period. Realise this truth and work hard on your goals. When we are totally dedicated to our duty and enjoy the process of doing it, good things will start happening. Positive outcomes always come to those who don’t give up and work tirelessly. As Swami Vivekananda said in his speech 0n Karma Yoga:

“Karma Yoga is a system of ethics and religion intended to attain freedom through unselfishness, and by good works.”

Krishna continued speaking to Arjuna: “A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires, that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still, can alone achieve peace and not the person who strives to satisfy such desires.”

As The Buddha also pointed out, attachment and craving create suffering. Not getting what we desire and getting what we hate; both develop pain. People who are addicted to sensual desires constantly think about fulfilling them. They won’t have free mental space to dedicate towards their goals and duties in life. Therefore, they will be distracted constantly and fall more deeply into overthinking and other negative emotions.

The key is to realise the truth that sensual desires are momentary and they won’t give us lasting fulfilment. Once the junk food that we are eating is over, we will start craving for more in the future. The law of nature is cause and effect. When a good thought or good action takes birth, naturally it will lead to a good result.

Krishna gave a simple introduction of yoga to Arjuna when he said in The Bhagavad Gita:

“Fixed in yoga, do your work, O Arjuna, abandoning attachment, with an equanimous mind in success and failure, for this equanimity of mind is called yoga.”

Someone who is equanimous both in the face of fortune and tragedy is a true yogi. We can begin by performing asanas and simple meditation techniques such as focusing on our breath to slowly obtain mental equanimity. We can start every morning with Surya Namaskar. If we consistently practice these ancient exercises, it is guaranteed that our mind will become stronger.

Pranayama methods including anulom vilom, kapalabhati, bhramari etc will help us even more in achieving equilibrium of the mind. Always observe the fact that these distracting thoughts and emotions are constantly arising and passing. None of them stay with us forever. Thus, it is meaningless to run amok, trying to fulfil them.

Finally, and most importantly, before you go to sleep everyday, read these great pieces of advice from Krishna:

“Whatever happened, happened for the good. Whatever is happening, is happening for the good. Whatever will happen, will also happen for the good.”

This mindset will help us maintain a positive outlook forever. That is, we can always convert whatever that happens into something good which is going to propel us forward in our journey.

Lord Krishna’s words of wisdom helped Arjuna perform his duty with utmost sincerity and win the war of Kurukshetra. We can also adopt his knowledge to find inner calm during the stresses and strains of modern existence. By choosing the path of Karma Yoga, breaking the bondage of short term gratifications, achieving equanimity through yogic exercises, we can create a strong and calm mind that overcomes overthinking like blazing fire burning a wild forest.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What does the Gita say about anxiety?
   Lord Krishna teaches in the Bhagavad Gita that anxiety fades when we focus on action, not results. He says “You have the right to work, but not to the fruits of work.” This means do your best and leave the outcome to life and remain calm within.
2. What does Gita say about depression?
   The Bhagavad Gita says depression comes when we get lost in fear, failure, or overthinking. Krishna reminds Arjuna that peace comes from doing our duty with love instead of worry.
3. Which mantra stops overthinking?
   The Gayatri Mantra and “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” are powerful for calming the mind. Chanting them daily helps reduce overthinking and brings mental peace.