Do you find yourself obsessing and overanalyzing everything?
Through extensive research, psychology
professor Susan Nolen-Hoeksema of the University of Michigan found that
overthinking is prevalent in young and middle aged adults, with 73% of 25-35
year-olds identified as overthinkers. There are also more women (57%) than men
(43%) as overthinkers.
HERE ARE SIGNS THAT YOU ARE AN
OVERTHINKER:
1. DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE DETACHING FROM YOUR THOUGHTS BEFORE GOING TO
SLEEP?
Overthinkers cannot separate from the obsession of worrying. Insomnia is
very common. You spend the night over analyzing the issue without getting to a
solution. The thoughts replay themselves over and over until you feel
paralyzed. Because you don’t rest, you are prominent to depression.
A healthy suggestion is to write your thoughts down before retiring.
Keep a journal with your feeling and allow that to also be a way to release the
nervous energy. Creating, painting or doing a hobby in the evening allows for
the mind to detach from the thoughts while keeping your emotional body focused
on something positive.
2. DO YOU LIVE IN FEAR OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN?
The overthinker feels paralyzed with anxiety worrying about the “what
if’s” instead of living in the moment. In the research Nolen-Hoeksema found
that this is the reason overthinkers are more likely to turn to alcohol and
drugs in order to drown the constant worrying.
A good advice in dealing with those future fears is to give yourself a
time everyday to overthink. If you are going to overthink give yourself
permission to have an appointment with the thoughts. Use 15 minutest and time
the session. During that time you can document the thoughts or speak out loud
to yourself. Creating a habit and ritual will eventually break the other habits
of overthinking all day long. It’s replacing one negative reinforcement with a
positive action.
3. DO YOU CONSTANTLY OVER ANALYZE?
Overthinkers are quite exhausted and stricken by anxiety. Depression is
always hanging over them. The overthinking mind feels out of control. They
cannot grasp any solution. Dr. Pene Schmidt from the University of Melbourne’s
School of Behaviour Science, suggests, “Remember, while we may not be able to
control different situations in our lives, we can control the way we respond to
them.”
She also suggests that when the mind starts to create negative thoughts
to ask yourself, “What are the effects of these thoughts? Is there a solution
that can be reached right now?”
When you find yourself over analyzing try to take deep breaths. Close
your eyes and meditate for a few minutes. Think of a special place that you
love and brings you joy. Stop projecting yourself in the future. You cannot
manage what has not happened.
4. ARE YOU A PERFECTIONIST AND TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY?
Do you worry about failing? The overthinker usually has a low
self-esteem full of doubts. The mind goes on overdrive thinking about how
others will view you. Realize that no one is perfect. The imperfection is
magnified in giving up without even trying to accomplish whatever is swirling
in the mind. Striving for perfection is always a recipe for disaster. Take baby
steps. See the big picture and shift those emotions from: “I can’t do this
because I will be ridiculed” to “I am incredibly brave for doing this.”
5. DO YOU SECOND GUESS YOURSELF?
Overthinkers are indecisive and tend to live with many regrets.
Overthinking is not a genetic disposition. It is a learned behavior. Therefore,
when the mind starts to go to a place of unstructured thoughts it is because of
past experiences. The overthinker believes that they will repeat the same
mistake over and over through different scenarios. Panic then dictates every
possible decision.
Avoid situations that can lead to the stressors of overthinking. You can
determine what causes you to stress over a particular decision. If you did
something one way in the past then try doing it another way now. Work on goals
and map out how you will get there without second guessing every move. Do your
research. Researching dissipates the fear of the unknown.
Forming positive thoughts and actions diminishes the fears of stress. In
order to stop the overthinking mind, keep yourself busy with positive
reinforcements: exercise, creating, sharing, being outdoors, and reaching out
to friends and family. Having a support system helps eliminate the negative
thought pattern.
“We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by
thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human
mind anyway. It’s a death trap.”~ Anthony Hopkins