“Overthinkling”- Isn’t it the common word told by every other person not to do? Although, we do and we hear it whenever we fall into a loop of thoughts especially about one particular topic from either past or future or sometimes both while ignoring many others and indulging in a never-ending ocean of thoughts that might be either beneficial or trivial yet unavoidable.
Research suggests 73% of 25- to 35-year-olds chronically overthink, along with 52% of people ages 45 to 55. But you’re not alone.
Is overthinking is negative personality trait?
While in some scenarios Overthinking can be beneficial giving an opportunity to have a 360-degree view of the situation or the topic when utilized in a controlled way by the thinker, overthinking is always viewed as a bad habit but for instance, if we think of it as just a habit that says something.
Generally, people with overthinking are always labeled as anxious, hyper, confused, or maybe insecure to some extent these might be true but in reality, overthinkers are creative, intelligent, empathic, and always curious to find solutions which are quite a great positive personality trait. In fact, they are strengths. When these aspects are not utilized or fed constantly they become shadows and create anxiety hyperactivity, confusion, fears, and insecurities. It becomes problematic when we continually ignore the need behind the behavior consciously.
An intelligent and creative person always has a sense of need to find answers and solutions for everything which acts like food for their thoughts and due to some uncomfortable situations when they avoid answering those it becomes unfulfilled that resulting in many issues letting the person drown or get stuck in negative loops when they fantasize about things they have no control over, just to fill in the void and this type of thinking will become entertaining a lot that further becomes a stimulation. In many cases, it becomes the reason for the leading issues such as Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Phobias, eating disorders, insomnia, and many other mental health issues.
If you’re not finding a solution or gaining understanding, then your repetitive thoughts will either create frustration or will disempower you.
Our Mind-
Overthinking is one of the primitive instincts of the human brain that paves the way from the emotional part of the human brain. It always sees things from the possible worst perspective because of the brain’s hyper-vigilance which always tries to keep us alive. This primitive instinct sets on fight-or-flight mode where it mainly focuses on the worst-case scenarios to keep us safe. Overthinking accompanies anxiety exacerbating the feelings of stress and helplessness. A lot of triggers and reasons can be held responsible for the above such as- Perfectionism
- Childhood learning
- Trauma response,
- Stress, failures, fears induced by past or present situations,
- An illusion of control,
- An illusion of certainty,
- Mental barriers such as fear of conflicts, overgeneralization, secondary gain(pity, attention, sympathy)
- Physical barriers, such as underlying associated mental conditions
Our Surroundings-
Stressful events or surroundings can always induce a lot of fear becoming the major reason to overthink.- High Competition and low guidance
- Deadlines and Consequences
- Comparison
- Lack of knowledge and skills
- High Expectations
- Toxic circles or relationships
- Stressful environment
- Lack of sense of comfort or safety
How to deal with Overthinking?
Try to focus on your thoughts and what they are trying to tell you, especially on the problem-solving area than the problem itself. When start identifying yourself when you are stuck, helps you to understand your needs better in dealing with issues. Try to work on one thing at a time instead of saving the world.Here are some tips that you can try to manage overthinking:
- Distract yourself by doing journaling, mindfulness, puzzles,
- Set up a worry period
- Meditation
- Make a list of your thought without repetition and prioritize works accordingly
- Pay attention to small things that you can control
- Talk to someone you trust
- Practice positive affirmations
- Music and