What is Overthinking and How to Know If You are an Overthinker

We have heard that we become what we think about most. Hence the emphasis is on having positive thoughts and using affirmations. It is essential for those who are in the consistent habit of overthinking. We have been hearing this term a lot, and people have different opinions about it. Some believe it is a serious issue that needs to be taken care of properly, while others see it as something of leisure used as an excuse to avoid doing anything.

Irrespective of the opinion people have about it; psychologists call it a 'condition' that can be treated according to the gravity of the condition. Over the years, it has come to affect our lives in more ways than one. It has affected us socially, psychologically, personally, professionally, and even physically. But first,

What is Overthinking?

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When you are thinking about something for too long, but there is no associated action, that would be overthinking. In simple terms, when you have the same thought repeating in your brain, it is overthinking. This dwelling upon the problem for too long tends to make even simple things quite complex in your mind.

Overthinking is not to be confused with problem-solving or self-reflection. Both problem-solving and self-reflection are positive, whereas overthinking is not. In problem-solving, you look at the problem objectively to find the solutions. When you self-reflect, you are keeping yourself away from the situation and, again, look at it objectively to understand why you did what you did and how it is affecting you.

People who tend to overthink would often complain that their ‘mind won’t shut off’ or they ‘can’t get it out of their mind’ or ‘just can’t stop thinking’.

There are basically two forms of overthinking:

• When you keep thinking about your past

You keep thinking about something that happened in the past. You keep running the different scenarios in which the event could have taken place. Your mind is occupied with all the ‘could haves’ and ‘should haves’ that make you feel like you have no control over anything.

• When you worry about the future a lot

You keep worrying about things in the future that may or may not happen. You keep creating scenarios about how something would go wrong in the future and how it will affect you, or what others might think about you.

 

Signs You are an Overthinker

Following are some signs of an overthinker. Read them, and if you find that you do most of them, you would be an overthinker then.

• You can’t sleep at night because your brain just won’t shut off.
• You relive embarrassing moments in your head repeatedly and think that other people also remember it as distinctly as you do.
• You spend a lot of time finding the hidden meaning in things people said or events that happened.
• You replay the conversations you had with people in your mind. You think about all the things that you could have said or regret not saying certain things.
• You relive your mistakes over and over again and not being able to move past them. You keep beating yourself up for them.
• You keep replaying the events when someone said or did something that you didn’t like.
• Sometimes you are so engrossed in dwelling on the past or worrying about the future that you zone out of your current surroundings.
• You keep worrying about things you have no control over.
• You can’t stop obsessing over your worries.
• Whenever something goes wrong, you start remembering all the mistakes you made in the past.
• Every now and then, you slip into negative thinking patterns.
• You keep worrying that the past mistakes or the current issues will lead to negative outcomes.
• You overanalyze your daily experiences and interactions with people.
• You try to read too much between the lines, creating meanings in words and actions that are not there. Making a mountain out of a molehill is what you do.
• When something terrible happens, you think of the worst with questions like “what if” and “why”.
• You are overly concerned about what you said or did and how others will see you.
• You find it difficult to follow or contribute to the conversation since you keep going over your ideal responses repeatedly until either the conversation ends or you lose your opportunity to speak.
• You keep comparing yourself to others and then feel bad about yourself.
• You worry about future tasks and goals until they feel entirely impossible to achieve.
• You have vague thoughts, issues, worries, or emotions that simply refuse to go.
• You relive a past traumatic experience (like abuse, loss of a loved one) so much that it renders you unable to cope with it.

Conclusion

It is easy to get lost in your mind and create situations that are not even close to reality. But the truth is everyone is busy living their own lives. Nobody remembers what you said or did ten years ago. Get out of your mind and start living your life. Even if you make a mistake, it's okay. We're humans, and we make mistakes. That's how we learn. Don't be so hard on yourself. Forgive yourself and move on. There is so much you have to offer to make the world a better place.