Is Overthinking Cripling Your Life?
Overthinking is something that can literally stifle a person’s life and be absolutely exhausting. It’s when a person lets their mind run into circles and creates bizarre ideas spiraling into a trail of self-doubt, self-questioning, and self-blaming. Studies have shown that overthinking can lead to elevated stress levels, reduces one’s productivity, and even clouds one’s ability to make judgments and decisions. Dr. J. Christopher Fowler, director of professional wellness at Houston Methodist, says there's a difference between thinking the right amount and overthinking. Careful analysis and scrutiny can improve some choices, but if we get caught up in analyzing every potential outcome, due diligence can lead to excessive worrying and decision paralysis," explains Dr. Fowler. While overthinking can seem a lot like problem-solving to the people suffering from it, the two are pretty distinct. Dr. Fowler says Problem-solving is when you ask questions with the intent of finding an answer and/or enacting a solution. Overthinking, on the other hand, is when you dwell on possibilities and pitfalls without any real intent of solving a problem. In fact, a problem or potential problem may not even actually exist."
Is it possible for you to identify if you are overthinking? Yes of course! Here are some of the signs to look for:
Replaying the smallest mistakes you’ve made in your mind
Fixating on things that you have no control or power to change
Second-guessing or doubting decisions you have made or are going to make
Going over your mistakes and decisions while trying to fall off to sleep
Imagining the worst outcomes of situations
Going over uncomfortable or unpleasant conversations you have had to find hidden meanings
Over analyzing situations
Not only can overthinking impact your mental health, but it can affect you physically as well. The physical symptoms of overthinking include:
Headache
Insomnia/difficulty falling asleep
Moderate to severe fatigue
Nausea
Change in appetite
Difficulty in focussing or concentrating on tasks
So what can you do to not let overthinking get the better of you?
Stop scrutinizing petty things: In the course of a day, you are bound to make at least a fifty decisions, 30 of which are probably mundane, not worth wasting extra brain juice. Calculate and analyze your priorities and realize what is most meaningful to you. Try and realize where you currently are, what you are doing, and what needs your attention. It's important for you to live in the present moment, so when you find your thoughts wandering away into your past mistakes or some future mistakes that you think you might make, stop and try coming back to reality. You have to train your mind to understand that you have absolutely no control over your past or future, but you definitely do have control over your present.
Setting decision deadlines: When you are faced with critical situations, where you have to make important decisions, try setting deadlines. While bigger decisions will require more time, distract yourself if the decision-making process becomes overwhelming for you.
Enforce positivity: When you realize that you’re “in your head”, ask yourself if you can come up with a constructive solution or decision. If you begin to realize that you can’t control the situation, it’s probably because it’s already happened and you can’t change it. It’s a major sign for you to let go of these negative thoughts and embrace positivity in your life. Dr. Fowler recommends, "One way to let go of the unsolvable is to view these as 'gravity problems.' We can't control or change some facets of life, just as we can't undo gravity. We might, however, work on the aspects that we can change instead."
Practice self-love: Yoga, exercising, meditation, and self-love are some ways that you can try and make peace with your thoughts. Journaling or sharing your anxieties with a friend circle or trusted family member or friend can also be helpful. Venting out your anxieties can be helpful, but should not be made a habit, instead, building your mental strength to deal with difficult situations should be your preferred option.
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