Do you feel like past events can’t give you peace of mind? Are you trapped in the trap of constantly thinking about what was? Do you analyze every word spoken or glance sent in your direction? You may be experiencing a phenomenon known as“overthinking,” which can make everyday life much more difficult and inhibit you from making the slightest decision. But what exactly is overthinking and how do you recognize that you are dealing with it?
What is overthinking?
Every person occasionally revisits memories and reflects on various aspects of life. However, not everyone faces the constant revisiting of the past and analyzing its finer details. Meanwhile, for the “overthinker,” it is an unpleasant part of everyday life that cannot be silenced despite many efforts.
Overthinking (i.e., over-analyzing or over-reflecting) involves focusing excessively on thoughts, events or situations, often in a negative or unproductive way.
Overthinking is a phenomenon otherwise known as analysis paralysis. It is constant analyzing, pondering, judging and worrying that inhibits action and prevents decision-making. Analytical paralysis rarely affects only one sphere of a person’s life, most often it occurs in different spheres of life and different circumstances of daily life.
Overthinking includes:
- a vicious cycle of thoughts, through which the mind works continuously at top speed,
- giving unimportant matters inadequate importance,
- focusing on what has been and on what is yet to come (rather than on what is happening right now),
The problem of overthinking. Is overthinking a disease?
Overthinking is a maze where the paths end in a dead end – wherever you go, you may struggle with intrusive thoughts and excessive thinking of “whatif…?”, “what if…?”. Habitual thinking can be described as: worrying, excessive pondering, stress, anxiety, obsession. However, should you see this problem as a disease?
In the official disease classifications of the ICD or DSM, among others, you will search in vain for a term such as overthinking. Nor is analysis paralysis included as a disorder that affects one’s own mental health. Individuals with a tendency to overthink often have difficulty detaching themselves from negative or disturbing thoughts, which can lead to excessive stress, anxiety and reduced well-being. Overthinking can cause suffering and fatigue, making it difficult to function on a daily basis. It can herald various types of disorders: generalized anxiety syndrome, OCD, social phobia or depression.
Overthinking. Whatdistinguishesa person experiencing worry?
Possible causes of analysis paralysis include temperament and personality traits. Experiencingoverthinkingis often combined with perfectionism, high sensitivity, reflectiveness, conscientiousness and a tendency to worry.
A person prone to over-analyzing wants to hedge against failure and anticipate all possible scenarios. He does this even when the situation carries a very low risk of danger. Acting in this way is very tiring – it’s using up one’s energy on considerations that have no end. Not surprisingly, an internal blockage eventually appears. Making any decision seems impossible, because there are so many “pros” and “cons.”
Overthinking – types
Overthinking, or excessive analysis or pondering, can take different forms and symptoms. Below are some types of overthinking:
- constantly focusing on things you can’t control or change,
- difficulty making decisions (especially when time to think is limited), seemingly simple decisions grow into huge problems,a particular difficulty is that people do not trust their own intuition,
- analyzing social situations, e.g., what one said during a conversation, how someone acted, how someone how reacted or looked at it. This often includes public speaking (fear of being the object of ridicule or criticism),
- ‘thinking thoughts’ (trying to control them, fighting them, judging them, questioning them),
- replaying a difficult situation from the past in one’s memory and analyzing its minutest details,
- feeling mentally exhausted (being overwhelmed and tired by so many thoughts),
- worrying (always finding something to worry about),
- constantly recalling the failures and humiliations suffered,
- repeatedly returning to the same thought,
- constant anxiety and lack of control,
- lack of motivation to act,
- difficulty concentrating,
- nervousness.
Causes and risk factors – why does excessive thinking occur?
Each of us is different – so also the reasons why excessive thinking appears in you can be very different. It’s worth looking at both what stems from your personality and what has happened around you in the past, and what still influences your daily decisions.
Psychological and personality factors
Certain personality traits can promote worrying and analyzing everything endlessly. If you are a person:
- highly sensitive,
- reflective,
- perfectionist,
- conscientious,
- prone to worry,
then you probably fall into the trap of over-thinking more easily. The desire to anticipate all possible scenarios and avoid mistakes keeps your mind constantly working at top speed.
Environmental factors – the influence of upbringing and environment
Your childhood and adult life experiences have a huge impact. If you grew up in a home where uncertainty reigned, stability was lacking or you were subjected to pressure, you may have learned that you “have to be alert” and anticipate possible dangers. Such an environment is conducive to developing a habit of overanalyzing.
Social and cultural norms also have a big influence. From an early age, we learn what is “appropriate” and what is not. If you’ve often heard that you should always be perfect, never make mistakes, and your decisions must be well thought out, you may now feel pressure to control everything and constantly think.
Don’t forget the role of education – school often teaches us to look for the “one right answer” and rely on facts instead of trusting our own intuition. This can lead to uncertainty and the need to repeatedly check that you’ve definitely done everything right.
Traumatic experiences and crises
If you’ve had difficult, painful experiences in your life – such as growing up in a dysfunctional family, experiencing trauma or a major crisis – your mind may have learned that constantly analyzing is a way to cope with uncertainty and anxiety. Frequently recurring, intrusive thoughts may be an attempt to control what seems unpredictable.
Links to mental disorders
Excessive thinking often accompanies such difficulties as generalized anxiety syndrome, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you also notice other symptoms in yourself (e.g., constant anxiety, lowered mood, sleep difficulties), it is worth consulting a specialist.
Analysis paralysis – consequences
Here are some potential consequences of overthinking:
- Increased stress levels and feeling constantly anxious. Overthinking things can lead to chronic stress and anxiety. Constantly analyzing situations, looking for potential problems and worrying about future consequences can make it difficult to relax and lead to a state of constant tension.
- In the course of life, we notice that negative thoughts about many things loom, and seemingly simple decisions grow into huge problems.
- Difficulty in decision-making. Sufferers cannot make decisions, often even on seemingly simple matters. Analyzing every possibility excessively can lead to decision paralysis and delay action.
- Deterioration of mental health. Over-analyzing can exacerbate existing mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression. Overthinking often leads to negative thoughts and discouragement, which can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness.
- Violation of interpersonal relationships. People who overanalyze situations may have difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships. Overthinking can lead to unnecessary fear or suspicion of others, which can be problematic for interpersonal relationships.
- Fatigue and impaired concentration. Constant thinking and analyzing can lead to mental fatigue. People prone to overthinking may have difficulty concentrating and completing daily tasks, which can negatively affect productivity and efficiency.
- Sleep disorders. Overthinking often makes it difficult to fall asleep and leads to sleep problems. Constant negative thoughts and worries can impede the relaxation and rest necessary for healthy sleep.
- Lack of satisfaction with life. Overthinking can lead to a constant focus on potential problems and setbacks, making it difficult to see the positive aspects of life and enjoy the present moments.
Overthinking test
Below weoffera test for ovethinking in Polish. However, it is not a tool for professional diagnosis, but only a small help so that you can assess for yourself whether you have a predisposition to overthinking.
Read the following questions and answer each one with “YES” or “NO”:
- Do you often replay various situations and experiences in your mind? YES/NO
- Have you noticed that you focus on things that you cannot control? YES/NO
- Do you experience sleep problems because your thoughts prevent you from relaxing? YES/NO
- Do you often reflect on decisions that have already been finally made and ask yourself, “What if…?”? YES/NO
- Do you find yourself repeatedly reliving difficult events in your mind, recalling a myriad of details and analyzing past behavior? YES/NO
- Do you replay in your mind what you recently said, heard or did? YES/NO
- Do you often re-evaluate what you have already done and think about what you could have done differently? YES/NO
If you answered “yes” to most of the questions without hesitation, you may have a problem with over-analyzing.
Techniques for working with overthinking – how to think less
Below you will find some exercises to work on overthinking. Start doing them regularly and you will observe positive changes in your perception of reality.
Remember – it’s persistence and regularity that counts! You will then see the best results.
Exercise 5-4-3-2-1
This is an exercise you can do whenever your mind starts to get restless. It allows you to divert your attention from the thoughts that are cluttering your head and shift it to what you can observe around you.
Find a comfortable position and take a deep breath. Notice what is happening here and now. The 5-4-3-2-1 method will help you do this.
- Notice five things
Look around you. What do you see? Look at them for a while, noticing details. You may notice the tiny ornaments on the curtains, the chipping on a cup of tea standing nearby, or the vivid colors of a painting hanging on the wall.
- Feel four things
Feel something you just touched. Become aware of the texture of the chair you are leaning against. Think about the pleasant warmth of the cup you are just holding in your hand. Concentrate on the ground against which you are resting your feet.
- Hear three things
Harden your hearing and catch what’s going on around you. Maybe there’s a dog barking outside the window and cars are driving around? Or maybe the wind is blowing and you can hear the light rustling of leaves?
- Smell two things
Feel the smells that surround you: Your perfume, cosmetics, fresh laundry. Or can you still smell the wafting traces of preparing breakfast and brewing coffee?
- Feel one taste
You don’t have to eat anything right now to feel a taste. Maybe you can sense the faint aftertaste of toothpaste, a mint or the coffee you drank first thing in the morning?
Daily mindfulness training
Practice mindfulness by focusing on the present moment. You can do this while walking, eating lunch, or even while washing the dishes! Try to be fully present and notice every detail that appears.
Look at your surroundings, listen to them, smell the smells, taste them. Just be all of yourself in the moment you are experiencing. And although it won’t be easy at first, and your thoughts will run off in all directions, don’t give up. Patiently return to mindfulness and don’t worry if your mind wants to go another way. It will get easier and easier for you over time!
Visualize a safe place
Close your eyes and imagine a place that you associate with peace. It could be your room in the family home, a beautiful sun-filled beach or a secluded bench between the trees in your favorite park. Try to feel the atmosphere of this place with all your senses.
What exactly does the place look like? What can you see in the distance?
What can you hear there? The singing of birds, the sound of the sea, the ticking of the clock?
Does the place have any smell? Or are there more and they permeate each other?
Think about what feelings this place evokes in you. Maybe you have just been overwhelmed by a deep peace, and the corners of your mouth rise on their own in a slight smile? Or maybe nostalgia has arisen in you and you feel like really visiting the place recalled in your memory?
Finally, try to just stay in that place to which your imagination has taken you. Do this for as long as you need – it could take a few minutes, a quarter of an hour, half an hour. And when you’re ready, slowly return to the present moment, open your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Making meaning
The tendency to overthink is linked to giving everyday events an exaggerated importance. And if something seems to be of great importance, you may begin to dread it. Doubts, questions, fear and ultimately withdrawal from plans when decisions are made arise. Fear that everything will go wrong. How do you deal with this?
Write down what you are facing in the next few days. Then think about these things and give them the right meaning, i.e. neither too little nor too much.
Note that a phone call (except in really special cases) is not the highlight of the day. It’s just a few minutes of connection. You don’t need to put as much importance on them.
The same is true of many other tasks to be done. You really don’t need to put that much pressure on yourself. Pay attention to what your priorities are and what is not so important.
After the first day of doing the exercise, you may feel that nothing has changed. But try to regularly look at your responsibilities, plans and hamonograms in this way, and slowly you will start to experience changes. Slowly you will convince yourself that not everything around you needs to have an “urgent priority” patch in your head.
Task list
Create a to-do list. This will help you gather your responsibilities in one place and not forget important tasks. Writing down a list will also help you organize your thoughts and pick out what matters most.
When chaos arises in your head during the day, simply look at the next items on the sheet. You’ll be reminded of what you still have to do, and you’ll be able to revisit what the unexpected stream of thoughts interrupted.
“Will this be important to me?”
What will be the significance of what you are thinking about now… tomorrow? A week from now? A month? A year? Try to think about this question to determine the relevance of an issue. If in just a few days or weeks this decision won’t matter much and will go away, why agonize over it so much? Perhaps it is worth at least letting go a little?
Other effective ways to deal with overthinking
Overthinking can be very tiring, but there are a number of proven methods you can try to regain more peace of mind and feel more confident in everyday situations. Below are some additional techniques that may be helpful to you.
Working with beliefs
Often our thoughts and reactions are the result of deeply held beliefs about ourselves and the world. It’s worth recognizing them and considering whether they are actually in line with reality. Ask yourself questions:
- Is what I think about this situation definitely true?
- Can I look at it differently, more kindly toward myself?
Over time, you will learn to catch these beliefs “in the act” and consciously choose which ones you want to give credence to.
Pie chart – rationalization of thoughts
When a thought doesn’t give you peace of mind, try a simple exercise: draw a circle and write all possible causes or explanations for a given situation into it. Then assign a probability to each of them – this way you will see that we often focus on the least likely, black scenarios. This exercise allows you to look at the problem more objectively and regain a sense of influence.
Planned worrying
If you tend to worry all the time, try setting a specific time during the day when you can “allow” yourself to worry about an issue. After this time – you return to your activities. This allows you to gradually reduce the influence of intrusive thoughts on the rest of the day.
When is it worth reaching out for professional support?
If you feel that independent techniques do not bring relief, and overthinking is hindering your daily functioning, do not hesitate to reach out for professional help. At New Views, we use a variety of therapeutic approaches that are individually tailored to your needs – online psychotherapy
How to cope? What to do to prevent overthinking from taking over your life?
Constant analyzing, difficulty making decisions and the mental exhaustion that comes with it interfere with daily life. When they are highly exacerbated, they can be a huge obstacle to happy relationships, a dream career path and achieving the goals you set for yourself.
In addition to doing exercises at home and trying to cope on your own, you may find it helpful to seek the advice of a psychologist. A therapeutic meeting will give you the space to express your emotions and share your doubts….
Overthinking is a trap of excessive thinking. However, you can get out of it! If you have noticed that overthinking is bothering you and you don’t know how to deal with it, seek help from a specialist. You deserve understanding and the best support!
Bibliography
Petitcollin, C. (2019). How to think better. For the endlessly analytical and highly sensitive, Feeria Publishing House.
Trenton, N. (2023). Overthinking or when you think too much. 23 techniques for overcoming analysis paralysis and focusing on the present, Helion Publishing.
Slowinska, A., Zbieg, A., Oleszkowicz, A. (2014). Ruminations-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) by Paul D. Trapnell and Jennifer D. Campbell – Polish adaptation of the method, Polish Psychological Forum, 19(4), pp. 457-478.