REVIEW:

When my husband and I bought our first house together, I set upon the large project of painting every room. Many hours were spent on Pinterest and at the paint store ruminating on just the right shades. I decided that everything needed to be done with Benjamin Moore “Ben” eggshell for consistency and purchased many gallons. I’d paint the hallway Revere Pewter and our bedroom Chelsea Gray, only to fret the following week that they didn’t flow well together. Back to Pinterest, back to the store, back up the ladder to repaint. After the fourth time I painted the family room (Hawthorne Yellow), I had a little meltdown because I realized I should have chosen all the colors from BM’s Historical Color Collection… obviously. What would people think if they came over and realized the Santorini Blue I used in the laundry room was from the Classic Color Collection? Back to the paint store. Back up the ladder.

So yeah, Oprah. I know just what you mean about living your best life.

But I also know this is not normal behavior. The Great Paint Debacle was rock bottom for me, and I have to actively do things to not fall back into that type of overthinking. Outside of professional intervention, one of my key strategies is constantly listening to audiobooks. If I’m engaged in a story or text, I’m not obsessing over paint colors. Another is occasionally selecting self help books on the subjects of mental health and living a life of minimalism. Mind Maintenance Reading, I call it.

Which leads us to Anne Bogel’s 2020 release, Don’t Overthink It. Bogel is the creator of the super popular Modern Mrs. Darcy blog and What Should I Read Next? podcast. Her books are distributed by Christian publishers, but hopefully that won’t deter anyone. A Psalm or anecdote about her pastor really shouldn’t be alienating to those of other faiths.

The subtitle of her third book clearly states its objective to help readers “Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life.” Cool. Mind Maintenance Reading 101. It’s full of good strategies like clarifying and upholding your values. If one of your values is “showing up for people,” then when a wedding invite arrives you’ll automatically RSVP yes without overthinking the schedule implications. Another tip is to establish rituals. If you have determined whenever you go to Trader Joe’s you’re going to put fresh flowers in your cart, you won’t obsess over the frivolity of the decision each time. (Hence the cutie-patootie cover art.)

Ultimately Don’t Overthink It is a wafer of self help book. It will be very useful for some, particularly people who have the privilege of functioning near the top of the hierarchy of needs. If you’re thinking about how you’re going to pay next month’s rent, you’re probably not overthinking what color to paint your walls nor thinking about how you need to read books to stop overthinking that. I also question if there’s enough here to warrant an actual book. A lengthy post on her blog might have sufficed. But you know what? If it wasn’t in book form I probably wouldn’t have read it. If you need a little Mind Maintenance, go ahead and read this too. At a mere 217 pages / 4.5 hours, there’s no need to overthink it.

Don’t Overthink It and Anne Bogel’s other books are currently available in both the ebook and audiobook formats on the Hoopla library app.

PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:

We've all been there: stuck in a cycle of what-ifs, plagued by indecision, paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong. Nobody wants to live a life of constant overthinking, but it doesn't feel like something we can choose to stop doing. It feels like something we're wired to do, something we just can't escape. But is it?

Anne Bogel's answer is no. Not only can you overcome negative thought patterns that are repetitive, unhealthy, and unhelpful, you can replace them with positive thought patterns that will bring more peace, joy, and love into your life. In Don't Overthink It, you'll find actionable strategies that can make an immediate and lasting difference in how you deal with questions both small - Should I buy these flowers? - and large - What am I doing with my life? More than a book about making good decisions, Don't Overthink It offers you a framework for making choices you'll be comfortable with, using an appropriate amount of energy, freeing you to focus on all the other stuff that matters in life.