Overthinking is a term that has become all too common these days. Whether we are aware of it or not, we do it. Some people do it for a while or during particularly stressful times, others are habitual overthinkers. There are plenty of reasons of overthinking that could lead to a lot of issues, big and small. This ruins yours day and in extreme cases, your life.
Effects of Overthinking
When
we start talking about the harmful effects of overthinking, the list
could go on and on. Let us look at some of the consequences of overthinking.
Affects
your Problem-Solving Abilities
The
habit of overthinking often interferes with your problem-solving
abilities. Problem-solving is the ability to look at a problem from the intention of solving it. But when you overthink, instead of focusing on the solutions, you keep dwelling on the problems. It creates a stress on you that messes with your rational thinking. It just keeps you stuck in the state of anxiousness. Overthinking gives you no insight, and delays or even
makes you incapable of finding the solutions.
Promotes Negative
Self-Talk
As
an overthinker, you get trapped in the vicious cycle of negative
self-talk. It is that inner talk that you have with yourself that limits your ability to believe in yourself and your abilities. You beat yourself up for every little mistake you make. You find it difficult to forgive yourself when you do something wrong or were not able to do your best. It creates a sense of worthlessness in you. Pessimism becomes your way of life. This negative self-talk also starts reflecting in your relationships; not only with yourself, but also with your family and friends.
When
you start overthinking, it affects your productivity because all your precious time and energy is being consumed by it. You fail to do
anything worthwhile. You start doing badly the things that you were pretty good at previously. Sometimes, this unproductivity can lead to a
sense of inefficiency that reduces your creativity. This, in turn, hinders your progress.
Disrupts Emotional Balance
You don't feel happiness and feel as if being happy, smiling and even trying to uplift your mood is quite a task. You feel sad and you just want to keep feeling sad. You can't enjoy daily activities and find no pleasure in your hobbies anymore. You seek silence and solitude but also hate them. You want to talk to someone, but also don't want to.It is often difficult to guage your moods not only for others but also for you. Often you find it difficult to determine what you are feeling at that moment. One moment you are feeling happy and the next moment you feel numb. Your moods fluctuate predominantly among feeling bad, helpless, depressed, sad, anxious, stressed, etc. Ruins your Social Interactions
Overthinking takes over a part of your life, your social life. Since you think too much, it creates a pressure on you.
You find social interactions physically
and mentally exhausting. Whenever you are in an environment where you have to be more social, your inner critique raises its ugly head manifesting all sorts of doubts and fears. Every interaction starts becoming more difficult than the last. You feel your energy draining with every social interaction you have. You just want to go home, curl up in your bed, close your eyes and do nothing.We know that our brain never stops thinking. So when we lay awake in bed, our brain thinks a lot. When those thoughts are disturbing, they keep us awake. The more we think, the harder it is to sleep. Overthinking keeps us awake and when we are awake, we overthink. It's a cycle. Slowly, you start dreading the night because you know you won't be able to sleep and your over-active brain will bombard you with all the unpleasantness that you are never ready to endure.Perpetuates Overanalyzing
and Obsessing
In a situation when you are required to be rational, you start reading too much between the lines. You analyze and overanalyze the situation so that you don’t take a wrong action. You obsess over the outcome. Instead of living the moment and seeing the situation as it is, you create unreal scenarios. This puts a lot of pressure on you. This struggle to make decisions can either lead to clouded judgement or taking no action at
all.Dread
and Heaviness in the Chest
Have you ever felt like you don't want to meet someone or take calls? When the doorbell rings, you start hyperventilating. There is a heaviness in your chest that makes it difficult for you to breathe. You don't want to open the door and meet whoever is at the door. Same goes for the phone. When your phone rings, you start perspiring and your heart beats louder and faster. You just want your phone to stop ringing. When the ringing stops, you dread that they are going to call again. In addition to all this, you also try to create the conversations you will have with the concerned person if you just have to meet them or have to take that call. This one is an obvious. When you get into the habit of overthinking, you start dwelling on your problems, past mistakes, and shortcomings. This increases your risk of mental health problems. It starts with you feeling tired all the time, especially mentally drained. It could also accompany physical pains and an upset stomach. You don't feel like doing anything. Slowly, the problems escalate leading to other problems such as anxiety and depression.
Conclusion
Nobody knows how not to overthink. It is not something you were taught at school or at home. This is a journey that everyone has to take on their own. But there are some steps that can be taken to stop overthinking. Make them a part of your lifestyle and you are good to go.
Now that you know how bad overthinking could be for your health and life, it is time to let it go. Nobody deserves a life like this. Focus on your dreams and work towards them without giving a thought about the result. When you don't expect anything but do everything, you are going to win!
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