Important Signs Overthinking May be Holding You Back

Important Signs Overthinking May be Holding You Back

Overthinking occurs when we continually worry and ruminate about the same topics. Overthinking affects everyone at some point in their life. It’s possible that when a problem, anxiety, thought, or concept becomes entrenched in our thoughts, it can cause us to overthink things… too much.

Introverts tend to overthink more than extroverts, according to certain research. Introverts are more likely to spend time in their heads since they are internal processors, yet no one is immune to the negative effects of overthinking.

Worry is Normal, Overthinking is Not 

Worry can be important. Our inner GPS often alerts us that something’s not right and worry can be an indicator that you need to pay closer attention to whatever is triggering it. When worry crosses over into overthinking it loses its benefits and creates a burden. That’s because overthinking can lead to

• Seeking too much advice from others
• Distorted thinking and insecurity
• Health issues
• Mental exhaustion
• Sleeplessness 

and more!

Overthinking might cause you to lose today, and anticipate the future. In many respects, it may prevent you from realizing your full potential in life. Here are some indicators that overthinking is keeping you back.

Sign: You replay conversations and interactions over and over in your mind.

Self-assessment is important. It’s good to replay our interpersonal interactions over in our minds to be sure we are showing up in the best way possible. You may be at risk for overthinking if you tend to fixate on interactions long after they are over.

Additionally, if you spend time dissecting conversations and reading between the lines, you could be setting yourself up for overthinking. Overthinkers tend to dwell on situations with a critical lens which can trigger negative thoughts and feelings. 

Sign: You jump to the worst-case scenario.

We’ve all heard how failing to plan is planning to fail. It’s good to give some thought to what may happen in a given situation but jumping to the worst-case scenario and spending too much time thinking about what could happen can cause overthinking.

Overthinkers tend to create anxiety by looking at every possible thing that could go wrong rather than what’s neutral or could go right. 

Sign: Your sleep and eating habits are off.

When we worry, we tend to experience disrupted sleep and eat too little or too much. Worrying in and of itself can contribute to sleep and eating disorders and many people aren’t aware of the connection.

Rather than attribute their insomnia or appetite to their thoughts, which can be changed, they fail to realize worry is the trigger for their health issues. Overthinkers often suffer from lack of sleep, digestive issues, and difficulty managing their weight. 

You may recognize worry as part of your everyday life and wonder if overthinking has become an issue. If you are experiencing any or all of these signs, it may be important to take a deeper dive into the habit of overthinking. 

Overthinking is a Habit You CAN Break!

Thinking before you take action and reflecting on past experiences are both important and proper ways to manage daily life.

You should always consider the cause-and-effect aspects of decisions you make as well as analyze choices afterward for their merit. Essentially, thinking is a very important job, but overthinking causes problems and can become a habit. 

Root Causes for Overthinking

Overthinking doesn’t happen for no reason. It is often triggered by traits or experiences that cause disruptive thoughts. Some of the main causes include

• Anxiety
• Trauma
• Stress
• Perfectionism

When abuse or neglect occurs, it can trigger obsessive thoughts about what’s happened in the past and whether it may happen again and, in some cases, alter the way our brains develop.

Living with anxiety and high levels of stress can also cause routine overthinking. Perfectionism and wanting everything to be just so can easily create an environment for overthinking since nothing is ever perfect in the end. 

These triggers, and others, can create an environment for thinking about things so much that worry creeps in, and before long everything feels overwhelming. Instead of using healthy analytics, the mind goes beyond the realm of doom and gloom.  

Overthinking Can Become a Habit

Over time, thinking and re-thinking about the past, the present, and the future can become a habit. In some ways, overthinking seems to bring a bit of control to someone worried they have none.

Constantly thinking about something can mimic taking charge and preparing for all the scenarios, but overthinking can include leaping to worst-case scenarios which rarely happen. That’s because overthinking is rooted in fear. Being afraid can include worries about-

• Making the wrong choice
• Reliving a past trauma
• Fear of the unknown 
• Not having what it takes

You Can Break the Overthinking Habit

Like any habit, overthinking can be stopped. Awareness is the first step. Recognizing that overthinking has become routine and disrupting it helps.

Once you’ve seen the pattern of overthinking, you can start to interrupt it and replace it with new, healthier habits. In the beginning, you may not keep overthinking from creeping in. That’s normal!

It takes time to stop reverting to old patterns. Take your time and don’t worry if you can’t banish overthinking immediately. Simply recognizing you are overthinking and trying to shift your mind is a great beginning.

Over time, you will discover new ways to distract your overthinking mind and engage in a more realistic thought process.