Have you ever found yourself stuck in a loop of thinking about the same thing? Overthinking can be a pesky habit to break. You might even convince yourself that ruminating over something for a long time is the key to developing the best solution. But how do you know when it has gone too far? Here are four signs you could be overthinking.
#1 You Fixate On Uncontrollable Matters
You are a new recruit and find yourself making minor mistakes. You take these slip-ups personally and begin to wonder if you’re not a good fit or if your manager will terminate you. You constantly overthink, isolate yourself from your team, and avoid collaborative learning. Eventually, you foster self-discontent, envy towards colleagues, and despise your job. The reality is that the only things within your control are your effort and attitude.
#2 You Show Physical Signs
Nighttime becomes an endless checklist of tomorrow’s tasks. You feel the urge to make sure that everything is ready for the next day so that you can control how your day goes. This constant mental agitation can take a toll on your body, leading to insomnia, headaches, muscle tension, and increased stress levels. Consequently, you have difficulties concentrating at school or work, trouble sleeping, changes in appetite and other serious health conditions.
#3 You Fear The Unknown Future
Before attending social events, you’re engulfed by a flood of negative thoughts and worst-case scenarios that may never unfold. You dissect every detail, from your chosen outfit to the potential guests you’ll be meeting. How should you react if a topic you want to avoid is brought up? At the eleventh hour, you decide to not show up because you’ve convinced yourself that it’s going to be a disaster.
#4 You Constantly Replay The Tape
What may seem like a friendly exchange of texts with your best friend lingers in your mind long after it has ended. You find yourself second-guessing your friend’s replies. If they used an emoji, you scrutinise their tone by scrolling through previous messages to see what it could mean. You try to read between the lines over and over again.
Isn’t it exhausting just reading these? The next time those thoughts start to spiral, pause, take a breath, and remind yourself that you’ve got this. We care about you, so give yourself a break!
Sources: Very Well Mind, Houston Methodist, Cleveland Clinic
