Unlocking Peace: How to Escape the Trap of Overthinking
Just when you begin to think that your mind is at peace, bam! There’s an unrelated thought lurking in the corner waiting to be over analysed by you while you are ready to sleep.. what exactly is this trait of your personality that doesn’t let you sleep, work or basically do anything you like? This is called overthinking. While a certain level of contemplation and reflection can be beneficial, but overthinking takes this to an extreme, causing unnecessary stress, anxiety, and even feelings of inadequacy.
The term overthinking, can be simply expressed as thinking about a certain situation or event excessively, inspecting it for a longer period of time. The primary reason of overthinking is the fear of making mistakes or encountering negative outcomes.
Many times, people believe that if we overthink, then it means then we are trying to look at every possible solution or edge of a problem, and therefore we can make decision appropriately. However, it is not the case, overthinking can cause hindrance while making any big or small decision. Overthinking not only clouds judgment but also wastes valuable time and mental energy. Instead of taking decisive action, individuals get stuck in a loop of rumination, going over the same thoughts and scenarios repeatedly without making any progress. This can lead to missed opportunities and stagnation in both personal and professional life’s
Signs you’re Overthinking
- Worrying excessively about past events, current situations, or potential future
outcomes. This worrying can be persistent and difficult to control. - Dwell on negative thoughts or events, replaying them in their minds repeatedly.
- Indecisiveness
- Spend excessive time and energy striving for perfection in their professional or
personal lives, fearing failure or rejection. - Headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, or digestive issues.
- Difficulty Sleeping
- Withdraw from social interactions, as they may fear judgment or criticism from
others. They may become preoccupied with their own thoughts and worries,
making it difficult to engage fully in social situations. - Worry excessively about how they are perceived by others, leading to social
anxiety and self-doubt. - Thinking worst case scenarios.
Types of Overthinking
Catastrophizing
One of the cognitive distortions, where the person jumps to the worst possible conclusion, assuming the worst can happen, with a very limited information in hand or with no evidence. People magnify their minor problems blowing them out of proportion and assuming that they will lead to disastrous outcomes. For example, an individual have a job interview that is scheduled a very next day. Instead of preparing for the interview, he might worry that the interviewer will ask them some difficult questions, and if they wouldn’t be able to answer, then it will lead to, leading to embarrassment and rejection. He might worry about forgetting to turn off their phone and if it ringing loudly in the middle of the interview, the he might lose their chance at the job.
Overgeneralizing
Here, the people assume that certain thing will “always” or “never” happen, they are overgeneralizing the situation, and usually in a negative manner.
All or None Thinking
Here, the person see situation in a black or white manner, meaning thinking in extremes. A person generally analyze the situation, either in a total success manner or in a total failure manner. For example, if I can’t get the trophy, then there is no point in doing the work at all.
Selective Abstraction:
Here, a person has a tendency to focus on a negative aspect of a situation and ignoring all other positive elements of the event. For example, a person has a very hard and long day at work, completely frustrated and tired, but his wife had prepared a delicious dinner for him. However, instead of appreciating her efforts and spend some quality time with her, he is thinking about his bad day, and cursing people and his life.
How to stop Overthinking?
- Firstly, it’s essential to recognize when overthinking is occurring and acknowledge its negative impact. Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing exercises, can help individuals become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, allowing them to step back and gain perspective.
- Challenging negative thought patterns and replacing them with more rational and constructive ones can help alleviate anxiety and reduce overthinking. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, such as reframing, can be particularly effective in this regard.
- Practicing self-compassion and embracing imperfection can help individuals let go of the need for control and perfection, allowing them to move forward with confidence and resilience.
