Many people are guilty of overthinking, and they barely realize it. They think about what to do in the next five years when they have not even figured out the plan for the next second.
Overthinking could be you are thinking the best or worse of a situation without checking it with your reality. You could also be overjoyed while overthinking. Many people in this category end up being disappointed because they never meet their expectations.
How then do you know you are overthinking? It is essential to know when you are overthinking, especially when you want to put the attitude in check. Hence, delve further into this article.
You Experience Repetitive Thoughts
One of the common signs of overthinking is that you keep thinking the same thing repeatedly. It could be a conversation or an event that fails to leave your head. Sometimes, it is something you could have done or said better. This may lead to mental health problems when it is a shortcoming, mistake, or issue you have not gotten over.
Causes You Sleepless Nights
Anxiety often comes with overthinking, as you want to get things done as soon as possible. People who are “perfectionists” also tend to be overthinkers. Overthinking will interfere with your sleep because your brain will keep replaying a scenario in your head.
Inability to Make Concrete Decision
When you have conflict thoughts, especially when deciding on critical subjects, it is a sign you are overthinking. This is because you try to overanalyze everything or assume a wrong turn out of every possible step.
Second Guessing Decisions
There is nothing worse when sourcing for other people’s opinions, but overthinkers rather waste a lot of time at it. They search for other people’s opinions as validation for their decisions. Hence, overthinking can make a person a coward. In the long run, you begin to blame yourself for not using another option and assume things would have been better either way.
Losing Focus on Solution
People sometimes misuse overthinking as problem-solving, but they are two different things. People often overthink not because they sought a solution but instead evaluating an existing problem. Hence, the thinking pattern of problem-solving is always productive.
What To Do When You Overthink
Below are a few tips for dealing with overthinking personally.
Distract yourself from the problem or unpleasant situation. Stay away from things that cause you unhappiness.
Enrich your mindset with positive words, most likely informing your thoughts. Hence, always keep positive vibes around you.
Engage in physical exercise. This will help stretch your brain in a case where it has been over-stressed.
Perform yoga or meditation regularly.
In conclusion, overthinking is time-wasting. You will spend much time playing with images in your head without carrying out the necessary actions. It is good to reflect on your decision, but it causes torture. If you have observed any of the signs above in your life, it is high time you visited a mental health specialist or counselor.