I just want to make sure that I’m not alone in this. Last semester, I had a quiz on my second day of school. It was pretty simple, but I still managed to be the last one to submit it to my professor. As I was handing it to her, I said something like “I know this one might not have gone well, but it won’t always look like this…” She took one look at my paper and said, “It looks fine to me.” She also told me that I might be overthinking when I look at questions (I got 100% on the quiz).
So, I know that I get in my head a lot when it comes to school. Before this semester began, I was full-out stressing about the fact that two of my syllabi were STILL not available two days before class started. I thought about who I’d sit next to in class, or even if I’d know anyone familiar. If I did know someone familiar, are they someone I liked? Someone I wish didn’t go here? Someone I liked like that but couldn’t care less about me? (Least favorite kind of person in class).
It’s not just school, either. I get worried about hurting people’s feelings even after I was clearly joking AND apologized faster than they could even process what I said. I think about how my parents are thinking of my choices; are they happy? Disappointed? Neutral? Even though when I ask and am reassured that everything is fine, my mind still races around thinking about the possibilities of what could happen, good or bad.
I try to find methods to stop my mind from going off. Music usually helps, until I start to worry about the lyrics and the beat and if it’s really good for my wellbeing…so I try to stick to classical when that happens. I also stay busy. Very busy. If my brain is trying to keep up with my body, then it won’t have time to arrange seventeen unlikely scenarios, right?
Also, working out helps too. Exercise clears my mind like nothing else. Last semester, I got into running about once a week at the gym simply for fun, and it’s actually done wonders. The way I see it is I take my problems and run away from them.
So… does anyone else out there also overthink? If you don’t, lucky. Try not to ever let it come to that. Wait, you actually don’t have to try because you already don’t do it in the first place… never mind.