Overthinking. The word defines itself… except those that overthink know that it is much more than just “over thinking”. It’s playing out seventeen different scenarios in your head about how something is going to go because you don’t know if the worst or best situation will come from it, but of course, you assume the worst so you just start over thinking how people are going to react and what they are going to say and what you will say and what’s going to happen and *TAKES A DEEP BREATH* and just every single little detail of what is going to happen just for NONE of it to come to fruition.
If overthinking burned calories, I would honestly probably be 50 pounds by now because wow, I actually overthink almost everything. I overthink overthinking which makes me even more worried and anxious than I was before. It’s like a slow torture that is only going on inside your head – something I, and many others, go through every day. It consumes you and your every thought until it has had enough. It makes you question even the simplest of things.
For those that don’t overthink, it is easy to say “stop overthinking” but let me tell you, that it is not something we can just stop doing. We can learn to get a handle on it and realize that some things are out of our control and don’t sweat the small stuff but it is still extremely difficult to separate your mind from personal situations. In our heads, a change in how someone says hello can trigger us into thinking, “oh, no. What’s wrong? Was it something I did? Are they mad at me? What did I do?” Some of us have the courage to ask the person and even when they say that nothing is wrong…we don’t believe them…which makes us overthink why they “lied”. You see the cycle? We don’t ask for this to happen. We don’t prefer to overthink every scenario. I’m sure most of us would prefer to just be totally okay with an answer and move forward, but some aren’t so lucky.
Overthinking isn’t technically a mental illness, but is definitely a trigger for other mental illnesses. There are some studies that have been done that show that overthinking has the potential to bloom into a mental illness one day. It is found in anxiety and panic disorders generating a multitude of issues and effects. The act of overthinking is absolutely a paralyzing feeling – being trapped inside your head not able to escape the uncertainty of situations. It’s often very difficult to talk to others about it because they simply tell you to relax or just go with the flow/let things happen.
If you suffer from overthinking or find yourself overthinking and overanalyzing almost every situation, decision or scenario, just remember you are not alone. To help yourself, start with small things. As an example, if you feel someone is acting differently in a conversation – take a step back from it and wait until any serious red flags show up. Texting, especially, strips us of being able to show our true selves and emotions so more likely than not – nothing is wrong. Pushing someone to tell you what is “wrong” can actually lead to problems. Baby steps and willpower are two helpful ways to overcome overthinking or at least reduce it.
To end on a lighter note here are some funny quotes about overthinking:
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My brain has too many tabs open
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Well this social situation isn’t going the way I acted it out in the shower
P.S. – don’t overthink this article, I’m not mad or attacking you.