This psychological trick could help stop you from overthinking

If you’re tired of overthinking things, there is apparently a simple psychological trick that could help you stop.

Communication coach David JP Phillips offered up the valuable tip to his more than 1.3 million followers on TikTok earlier this month.

In the clip, he explains that all you need to do is “keep your eyeballs still”.

“Don’t move them, because you see, in order for your brain to think and fetch memories, it needs to move your eyes,” he says.

“And as you’ve stopped them moving, it won’t be able to the rumination it usually does,” he adds, before encouraging viewers to try it and comment their experiences.

His video racked up more than 6.3 million views and 855,300 comments @DavidJPPhillips/TikTok

For some, it worked, with one writing: “My mind is blown. It works. And it explains why people have trouble looking you in the eye while they tell a new lie.”

“It should never have take [sic] me 37 years to know this,” said another.

The suggestion was even backed up by an eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (or EMDR) therapist, who said that keeping our eyes still “[minimises] the bilateral brain processing/thought”.

Others, meanwhile, had perhaps unexpected results.

“Me: Disassociates,” one replied.

Another user responded: “I did it and started hearing the ‘Avengers’ theme.”

At any rate, next time you’re feeling frazzled, it might be worth a shot...