Priyanshi KhuranaAs the name suggests, overthinking is THINKING TOO MUCH. Overanalyzing, thinking about the same scenarios on loop, instead of taking suitable measures or speaking out, you keep circling the same thoughts over and over again. It gets frustrating and unbearable at times and you feel lost and it is hard to encourage yourself, your mind always feels tired and worked up, because you’ve been using it unnecessarily on useless thoughts. It is very important to rest, and relax. Give your brain a break, meditate, and have proper sleep.
This habit will not only reduce your ability to think straight but would take away your focus and concentration. It consumes your time and energy, prevents you from making the right decisions, moreover, It affects your mental and physical health widely and It becomes exceedingly arduous to avoid overthinking. This doesn’t only affect your mind but it also starts showing its symptoms in your personal life. It is hard to give your 100% during work, it’s hard to study or read (your mind keeps wandering off to places, and you’re reading the same lines again and again because you don’t remember the last line/paragraph you read) Which may get on your nerves because you’ve been trying so hard to concentrate.
How to know that you're Overthinking
Is it rather difficult for you to have a sound sleep? Are you having second thoughts about the decisions you often make? Do you find yourself repeating and hovering over the same situations? If yes, then these are the signs that you are an overthinker.
It can be very challenging and tough for you, to be able to shut your thoughts is almost like shutting a virus that has already infected your system, it takes time, and management to overcome this tendency.
Symptoms:-
- You are obsessing over the last time you had a fight with your sibling or the harsh words that were used during a heated argument.
- You find it extremely difficult to sleep because your mind and the toxic thoughts just won’t STOP.
- You feel anxious over every little thing, you are possessive and irritated. (This could be a sign that you are suffering from mental illness)
- You are not able to DECIDE because you cannot differentiate between the rights and the wrongs. It becomes problematic for you to focus, to pay attention (sometimes results in inaccurate demeanor)
- You overestimate certain scenarios (probably the worst). Your mind keeps lingering around the same questions again and again.
- YOU ARE VERY NEGATIVE.
- You are mostly stressed out, tired mentally, and you often ignore it because you think that it’s a part of your personality and you keep justifying it.
- You’re in denial, you don’t take it seriously and still, you waste so much of your time and capability on it.
Causes of Overthinking
FEAR is the most common cause of overthinking. All of your negative and toxic thoughts are stemmed from Fear. Its roots are buried deep under your skin, past failures, abandonment, losing a loved one, a traumatizing experience. Fear can develop its roots in every phase of our well-being. It becomes extremely troublesome when you are not able to overcome your negative thoughts.
Also read: How to deal with Negative Thoughts
ANXIETY could be the very reason for most of us who overthink and stress out. You’re anxious because you think you might fail, or someone might be plotting against you, or maybe you won’t be able to win a certain competition. For Adults, sometimes they’re anxious because their boss may not treat them well, or probably because they’ve had a fight with their spouses. It is very common among teens and adults. You won’t even realize when your anxiety will make you second-guess your decisions, invade your thoughts, harm your mindset (signs that you’re overthinking) the endless loop just keeps repeating for some of us.
INFERIORITY COMPLEX happens to every other person in the world. (P.S no one is born to be perfect) You want to look as pretty as SELENA GOMEZ, You want to run like USAIN BOLT. Sometimes we feel this because of the most ordinary things, someone is Obese/fat while the other is short in height. We’re all born with Unique features and traits, and we think that society just won’t accept us! (who cares about what others think?!) This is how people fall into the traps of toxic thoughts.
DENIAL can fuel your brain in a rather lethal way. Not accepting the fact that you are developing a habit that is harmful to your brain and justifying it with normal human behavior can only work as Gasoline to the Fire. You must recognize the virus before it gets worse. You may not realize that you are in denial until you start acknowledging it for yourself.
“So often people confuse overthinking with problem-solving,” says Odessky, the author of “Stop Anxiety from Stopping You.” “But what ends up happening is we just sort of go in a loop,” Odessky says.
Ways to avoid Overthinking
The first thing you should do is, not to be too hard on yourself, be gentle, kind. Think fondly of your physical appearance and be confident about yourself. Put faith in your thoughts, be self-reliant. The most important step towards a clear and relaxed mind is having a realization, closure. You can only really cure a wound when you realize that it’s there. Small baby steps at a time, to avert Overthinking.
Find a distraction. Pursue your hobby, indulge yourself in activities that interest you. Be with people who make you feel good about yourself, surround yourself with a calm and peaceful environment. You should be open to change because change brings growth and, with growth comes learning.
Connect with your body, meditate, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Meditation has a peaceful impact on those who practice it ( for eg:- ME) it helps you regain your balance, it changes the way you view the world. You will be more focused, ‘in the moment’, your mind will have a very clearer thought process.
Yoga Practice and exercise can also play a vital role in overcoming overthinking. Yoga teaches you, how to feel every part of your body as you stretch and breathe. You’ll realize that there is so much more to the universe than those poisonous speculations you kept feeding into your brain. You will be able to learn more about your inner self, you will be grooming your entire body, exploring the relation of your mortal human body with the Universe. (Trust me, it helps!)
Also read: Yoga for Mental Health
Last but not the least, accept the reality, and the uncertainty that comes with it. You never know what will come and hit you shortly soon and neither can you change what has already taken place. What you have is the present. Keep trying to give your best, this moment is all you have. Be your most determined and honest self because that’s pretty much EVERYTHING you have in hand.
You can only grow and learn if you realize the fact that you are going through some mental illness. Confrontation and acceptance are the keys to revitalization. Overthinking is NOT a disease, it is merely a habit. Anyone can catch such a tendency, and everyone can come out of it, brave and strong!
The only thing that matters is the satisfaction of working hard at the end of the day, have confidence in yourself and take a break if you feel pressured. good luck!
