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Apr 16, 2024 · Once you have identified the individual tasks that are overwhelming you, make a plan of action for each of them. Write down each task and the exact steps you need to take to fulfill the task. Plan ...
Apr 12, 2020 · Do you have a tendency to overthink? When you overthink, do you experience unwarranted anxiety, worries and frustrations? Would you like to stop overthinking? Start your day with a smile Think…
Apr 3, 2017 · Someone who will be loyal to you until the end. Someone who will drop anything when you need me to. You’ll get someone who is always honest with you and will tell you things like they are. But more than that, you’ll get someone who truly does care about you and wants you to be apart of their life and will do anything to show you your value.
- Overview
- What Is Overthinking?
- Signs You're Overthinking
- Causes of Overthinking
- Types of Overthinking
- Effects of Overthinking
- How to Stop Overthinking
- A Word From Verywell
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Overthinking can be a hard habit to break. You might even convince yourself that thinking about something for a really long time is the key to developing the best solution. But that’s usually not the case.
In fact, the longer you think about something, the less time and energy you have to take productive action. Plus, thinking about all the things you could have done differently, second-guessing your decisions, and continuously imagining worst-case scenarios can be exhausting.
Learn what overthinking is, some signs you may be an overthinker, and a few reasons some people think too much. Also, explore different types of overthinking, the effects on your mental health and relationships, and how to stop overthinking things in your life.
Overthinking involves thinking about a certain topic or situation excessively, analyzing it for long periods of time. When you overthink, you have a hard time getting your mind to focus on anything else. It becomes consumed by the one thing you are thinking about.
While some people believe that overthinking may be helpful since it involves looking at an issue or problem from nearly every viewpoint possible and anticipating future events, the opposite is true. Research suggests that overthinking is associated with feelings of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Everyone overthinks sometimes. Maybe you keep thinking about all the things that could go wrong when you give your presentation next week, or you’ve wasted countless hours trying to decide what to wear to your upcoming job interview.
Finding ways to put an end to overthinking can help you take action in your life versus simply thinking about things that are bothering you. Instead of going over something in your mind again and again, you can start to take the steps necessary to resolve the situation.
If you're wondering whether you are overthinking a particular situation or concern, there are a few things you can look for. Signs of overthinking include:
•An inability to think about anything else
•Being unable to relax
•Constantly feeling worried or anxious
•Fixating on things outside of your control
•Feeling mentally exhausted
Not Being Solution-Focused
Overthinking is different from problem-solving. Overthinking is about dwelling on the problem, while problem-solving involves looking for a solution. Imagine a storm is coming. Here’s an example that shows the difference between overthinking and problem-solving: Overthinking: “I wish the storm wouldn’t come. It’s going to be awful. I hope the house doesn’t get damaged. Why do these things always have to happen to me? I can’t handle this.” Problem-solving: “I will go outside and pick up everything that might blow away. I’ll put sandbags against the garage door to prevent flooding. If we get a lot of rain I’ll go to the store to buy plywood so I can board up the windows.” Problem-solving can lead to productive action. Overthinking, on the other hand, fuels uncomfortable emotions and doesn’t look for solutions.
Experiencing Repetitive Thoughts
Ruminating—or rehashing the same things over and over again—isn’t helpful. But, when you’re overthinking, you might find yourself replaying a conversation in your head repeatedly or imagining something bad happening many times. Dwelling on your problems, mistakes, and shortcomings, increases your risk of mental health problems, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. As your mental health declines, you are more likely you are to ruminate on your thoughts. It’s a repetitive cycle that can be tough to break.
Your Brain Won't Shut Off
When you’re overthinking you might feel like your brain won’t shut off. When you try to sleep, you might even feel as though your brain is on overdrive as it replays scenarios in your head and causes you to imagine bad things happening. Research confirms what you likely already know—rumination interferes with sleep. Overthinking makes it harder to fall asleep. Overthinking impairs the quality of your sleep too. So it’s harder to fall into a deep slumber when your brain is busy overthinking everything. Difficulty falling asleep may contribute to more worrisome thoughts. For example, when you don’t fall asleep right away, you might imagine that you’ll be overtired the following day. That may cause you to feel anxious—which may make it even harder to fall asleep.
All-or-Nothing Thinking
This type of overthinking involves only seeing situations in black or white. Instead of looking at both the good and the bad, you might analyze an event only in terms of it being a total success or a total failure.
Catastrophizing
This type of overthinking involves thinking things are worse than they are. For example, you might fear that you will fail an exam. This then leads to worry that you will fail the class, which will then lead to failing school, not getting a degree, and not being able to find a job. This type of overthinking sets you up to worry about unrealistic worst-case scenarios.
Overgeneralizing
This form of overthinking happens when you base a rule or expectation for the future on a single or random event from the past. Instead of accepting that different outcomes are possible, you might assume that certain things will "always" or "never" happen. In this case, overgeneralizing one event from the past to every event in the future often leads to overthinking and worrying about things that might never occur.
Overthinking is not a mental illness, and while overthinking can make you anxious, it is not necessarily the same thing as anxiety. However, it can often play a role in the development and maintenance of several mental health conditions. Some disorders that are associated with overthinking include:
•Depression
•Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
•Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
•Panic disorder
•Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Distract Yourself
Rather than sit and think about a problem for endless amounts of time, you can distract yourself for a bit. Your brain may find better ways to work out a solution in the background while you’re distracted with another task—like working in the garden. Or, you might “sleep on it” and discover that your brain solves the problem for you while you’re sleeping. A brief distraction can give you a break. And it may get your mind focused on something more productive. And, your brain might even develop a solution for you when you stop thinking about the problem.
Challenge Negative Thoughts
Remind yourself that your thoughts are not facts. Every thought you have will not be truthful, accurate, or even realistic. Learning how to reframe them in a more positive way can help relieve the tendency to overthink. When you find yourself overthinking, challenge these thoughts. Ask yourself if they are realistic. Consider alternative scenarios. It can be difficult at first, but learning to call out your own overthinking can help you learn to replace negative thoughts with more helpful ones.
Work on Your Interpersonal Skills
Studies have found that improving your interpersonal skills can help stop you from overthinking since these skills have a large effect on this particular habit. Ways to develop stronger interpersonal skills include: Increasing your self-awareness Boosting your self-confidence Practicing self-control
Overthinking can create an endless cycle of stress and worry, which can ultimately cause you to feel less prepared, motivated, and confident. It can also play a role in mental health issues like anxiety and depression, so it is important to find ways to break out of such destructive thought patterns.
Self-help strategies like distracting yourself and challenging your thoughts can help. If overthinking is taking a toll on your well-being, consider talking to a mental health professional. They can help you develop the mental tools and coping skills you need to prevent overthinking.
How to Stop Worrying
9 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1.Kaiser BN, Haroz EE, Kohrt BA, Bolton PA, Bass JK, Hinton DE. "Thinking too much": A systematic review of a common idiom of distress. Soc Sci Med. 2016;147:170-183. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.10.044
Mar 17, 2024 · Signs you’re overthinking can be easy to miss, especially if it’s been your default state for a while. Also, they may be unique for everyone. Here’s what might indicate that you’re an overthinker: 1. You analyze past conversations. Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in the past because you spend a lot of time relieving previous events?
Apr 20, 2020 · Before you can change your thinking habits, you have to become aware of when you’re overthinking. Here are 10 warning signs that you’re overthinking: I can’t stop worrying. I often worry ...
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