August 22nd, 2019
“Overthinking, also, best known as creating problems that are never there.”
– David Sikhosana
Do you spend much of your time overthinking things? Contemplating decisions? Well, stop! You’re wasting your precious time. And not to mention, you’re not doing much for your mental health.
As human beings, we overthink because we’re natural answer-seekers. Whether it be a problem of the past, present, or future, we tend to crave information regarding the who, why, and how of the situation — whether or not it’s meant to be available to us.
Psychologist Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Ph.D. says our brains are truly hardwired for overthinking. “When you are in a bad mood of some type — depressed, anxious, just altogether upset — your bad mood tends to trigger a cascade of thoughts associated with your mood. These thoughts may have nothing to do with the incident that put you into a bad mood in the first place, as when a poor job performance causes you to think about your aunt who died last year”.
There are other contributing factors such as a desire for perfectionism, low self-confidence, or using overthinking as a mode of protection that can also perpetuate the habit. If we regularly feel the need to perform in the areas of our life without ever making a mistake, we may begin to overanalyze our every move to an unhealthy degree.
Overthinking from a need for perfectionism can cause the overthinking to be before, during, and after any situation we face. Low self-confidence is perhaps one of the most common causes of overthinking and has the ability to further diminish self-worth. Overthinking as a result of attempting to self-protect can often feel like our own personal mental hideaway.
If we relive a situation over and over again in our mind, it can almost feel as though we don’t have to live it in reality. While this kind of overthinking can sometimes feel as though we’re handling a situation within the confines of our mind, it’s really just preventing us from facing it head-on.
While it may sometimes feel natural to overthink, the truth is it does not prove to assist in dealing with any situation, however big or small.
According to a study published by the Journal of Abnormal Psychology in 2013, “dwelling on your shortcomings, mistakes, and problems increases your risk of mental health problems”. This is just one of the negative consequences of overthinking and dedicating too much of our energy to rumination. While honest reflection can be healthy for personal growth, the morbid reflection of what we cannot change does not serve us in a positive way.
Another downside to overthinking is the interference it has with problem-solving. Overanalyzing a situation or circumstance can prevent us from seeking solutions to our problems, and instead translate to analysis paralysis.
Furthermore, overthinking can significantly disrupt healthy sleep patterns. Studies confirm that most overthinking is done when we retire at night, and doing so will likely cause us to toss and turn for hours.
Psychology Today developed six simple steps to implement if your overthinking has become unmanageable…
In the research published by Psychology Today, it’s suggested to engage in activities like exercise or an enjoyable hobby when overthinking begins to brew. Engaging in conversation with an entirely separate subject can also help distract your mind for long enough to “change the channel”.
At Clarity Clinic, we have highly trained staff specializing in therapy and psychiatry services. To learn more about how we can support your mental health, call Clarity Clinic at (312) 815-9660 or schedule an appointment today.
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