Racing thoughts, worrying, thinking too much.
The frenetic thought pattern has so many names yet describes a single common experience: overthinking.
What is overthinking?
Overthinking is defined as repetitive and unproductive thought patterns.
However, the “thinking through” oftentimes leads nowhere.
“Part of our survival as humans has depended on anticipating danger,” she explains.
So, overthinking is asurvival mechanismthat was actually useful to our primal ancestors.
But it’s proving not so useful in today’s world.
Why am I overthinking so much?
There are many reasons why someone might be overthinking.
Here a few of the big causes:
You’re dealing with heightened emotions.
It may be a sign of other mental health concerns.
Overthinking has beenassociated with depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, and eating disorders1.
Relatedly, a2018 study2also found that if you already have depressive symptoms, overthinking can reinforce depressive thought patterns.
This process is best explored with a therapist.
It’s what you saw growing up.
A1963 study3tested the power of observing behavior with an experiment that exposed moral judgment to children.
It’s a trauma response.
“This causes hypervigilance as a way for our brains to keep us safe.”
It’s part of the culture.
Our culture and environment can also contribute to overthinking, says Siadat.
One review4published in theSocial Science & Medicinejournal studied the language around “thinking too much” across global populations.
The good news iscultural sensitivityis starting to become more commonplace in therapy practices.
Your job encourages overthinking.
Your job may also be adding to your overthinking thought pattern.
Some occupations require multiple facets of thinking before taking action, leading to chronic overthinking, says Siadat.
The conditions of your surroundings shape the way you think.
Some personality types may be more prone to overthinking.
Some people have minds that are just wired for jumping from idea to idea without pauses, says Siadat.
“Overthinking is a plague of the brilliant,” Siadat asserts.
“The capacity that brilliant people have to think quickly and with great depth can be astounding.
Tanchanco also sees overthinking as common amongcertain personality types.
13 ways to stop overthinking.
Overthinking is a habitual thought pattern that is specific to you.
For example, you may tend to overthink when you’re home alone.
Becoming aware that you’re overthinking is the first step to disrupting the behavior, says Siadat.
“Ask yourself: What is usually the first clue that I’ve been overthinking?”
“Then the next step would be to identify what you would like to do instead.”
Become aware of your patterns.
After you notice that overthinking is happening, start to practice mindful awareness.
Move your body.
Allowing your body to process thoughts can help ease the unnecessary chatter in your mind.
Practice other forms of mindfulness.
“Mindfulness practices are proven to be helpful in managing overthinking and disruptive thoughts,” says Martin.
Don’t venture to suppress the thoughts.
“Suppressing negative thoughts can lead to more overthinking,” says Martin.
Reflect with a journal or other creative expression.
A good place to start is to jot down your thoughts, then gradually move intogratitude journaling.
Additionally, you’re able to use alternative ways of getting your thoughts out like doodling or crafting.
Schedule worry time.
Scheduling worry time is a classic technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy, says Martin.
“The idea is to table your worries until your scheduled worry time.
This prevents you from spending too much time dwelling on random worries that appear throughout the day.”
Here’s how she suggests doing it:
Shift your environment.
Sometimes being in a specific space can trigger you to overthink.
So moving to a new space or changing up the environment that you’re in can help.
Prioritize things you enjoy.
If you don’t know what brings you joy, it is a worthwhile journey tofind out what does.
Practice self-compassion.
If your overthinking tends to revolve around your own insecurities, Siadat suggests developing a dedicated self-compassion practice.
Self-compassion allows us to hold ourselves with kindness.
But self-compassion is closer than you may think.
These practices can help you to start cultivating self-compassion right now.
Talk it out.
Worrying in relationships is normal, especiallyif trust is fragile.
The best way to understand another person is to open a line of clear communication.
Talk it out with a therapist.
Cut yourself some slack.
“Overthinking is not a weakness,” Siadat reminds us.
“It is a natural byproduct of being brilliant and in a world that encourages a lot of heady-ness.
The negative effects of overthinking.
It can help to consider the trade off that you’re choosing when you overthink versus moving on.
Overthinking can:
FAQ:
Is overthinking a mental disorder?
Overthinking by itself is not a mental disorder, but it can be a symptom of one.
This behavior is common among those dealing with anxiety, PTSD, or depression.
Diagnoses aside, overthinking may simply be an indication that something is off internally.
Journal, reflect, or work with a mental health professional to find the root cause of your overthinking.
Is overthinking every day normal?
Some of us are also predisposed to overthink more than others.
How can I stop overthinking?
The first step is to notice that you’re overthinking.
Finding the right approach to address your specific overthinking pattern may take some time, so be patient.
Know that every bit counts toward creating new thought patterns for yourself.
The takeaway.
Overthinking is a habitual thought pattern that can be reinforced by our surroundings.
