As Lucas said meditation is really good for overthinking and overall mental health. Another thing I believe is gratitude, appreciating the world around us. Try going on early morning walks, they're genuinely so nice. Distracting your mind can also work because overthinking often comes from stress or not getting enough mental stimulation. And for social skills, commiting to practice really helps. I've noticed I've improved over the past few months just by doing it. It's something that you learn progressively.

@Bhavya Hello I get what you mean now. Since you’ll be away from school for a while, maybe you can keep yourself socially active in small ways — like going on walks and talking to people you pass by, grocery shopping and chatting with the cashier, or having conversations with people around you (neighbors, friends, or even family members).

helped my mum in the kitchen, learnt some good recipes lol

@Tom Bidgood we baked croissants and focaccia 😋

@Tom Bidgood thanks man, it really does seem to be exactly that. The hard part is that everything feels important so it's difficult to subtract stuff without feeling like I'll fall behind others. But you're right it's about trade-offs and I'll try to be more intentional about it off. Also, I saw your video on burnout signs and they really are spot on. Good one!

@Windom James Love it! People here are so nice and I've learnt so much. Big thanks to Tom for building this community. How's it been for you?

@Windom James I joined this community because I wanted a place where people share ideas and help each other learn. So far, I've really liked seeing different perspective and learning new things. I'm hoping to learn more about communication skills and mindsets and regular self improvement stuff as well. Also, love connecting with like minded people.

@Bhavya Hello @Bhavya Hello Hey, first off, overthinking is totally normal, it happens with everyone even to the confident ones. You're only 16 ig, im 19 and only learnt that I overthink everything like 6 months ago. Trying to understand why helped me a lot. For me, it came from my insecurities many of which werent even mine but other people's leached onto me. I later learnt that other people are worried about their own insecurities, no one really cares. So dont worry about anything, just try to give your "genuine" best not a "perfect" version of yourself. I can relate to that a lot, when I was in school I used to be the introverted kid who doesnt talk much so naturally had less friends and felt lonely. Later, I found this Minecraft server, the friends I made there even though they were just online I think were some of the best people I'd met. We'd talked a lot, about our lives, plans, etc etc. For some reason we lost our connection and it hurt because it felt I lost some of my best friends ever because I wasnt mature enough. Over time, I learnt that people come in our life for certain phases, and they always teach us something. Missing them is normal, but it doesnt mean you did something wrong. For your current friends, if you feel talking to them makes you seem desperate then remember- a true friend listens. Not 24/7 of course, but when it matters. If someone gets annoyed just because you expressed youself then they're not the right person. Something which I have learnt about the best friendships is that they come from being youself. When you stop trying to impress people or seek their validation, the people who stay are the ones you actually connect with. There's a really good book called "The Like switch" its all about making friends if you want that its really great but it wont help unless you apply the lessons. Lastly, try not to worry too much about losing friends. If someone can’t accept the real you, then they’re meant for a version of you that isn’t authentic. New people will come into your life, and the right ones will stay.

@Bhavya Hello just wanted to say this, you've got to build a beautiful garden to attract beautiful butterflies. If you are a high value person, you'll attract people who are high value too, whether its friendship or relationship. Work on yourself daily and make those small steps count. It's going to take some time but it'll be so worth it.