Ten Signs You Are Overthinking.

In psychological terms, overthinking is defined as repetitive and unproductive thoughts continually during the day. Thousands of books on Amazon declare ways to cease the habit, which is precisely what it is. Our brains are miraculous organs that assist us in making conscious and even unconscious decisions daily. It’s estimated that it may handle more than 35,000 decisions per day.

Many seem to think it is problem-solving; however, in the case of overthinking, the problems may or may not exist, and the person may not even be working on resolving the issue. It can often affect how you deal with family, friends, and associates, keeping you from being present and enjoying relationships.

Studies have shown that dwelling on perceived or real stressful events over an extended period will affect how you cope with everyday stresses and issues. Overthinking can be a significant barrier to living a fulfilling life, often leading to stress, anxiety, and missed opportunities.

Here are ten signs that might indicate you’re overthinking:

Difficulty Making Decisions:

When you spend excessive time weighing options for even simple decisions due to fear of making the wrong choice, you are overthinking. You have an issue if you go to a restaurant and have difficulty selecting because you are overthinking. Granted, not all decisions are binary, but many basic ones are and should be simple.

Constant Worrying:

Worrying about things that are out of your control or haven’t happened yet leads to a cycle of anxiety. Worrying becomes detrimental to everyone when things are out of our control, and we can do nothing to influence it differently. All you can do is take a deep breath and move on in search of things you control, building up your confidence and decision-making.

Second-Guessing Yourself:

Frequently doubting your actions and decisions, even after they’ve been made, leads to feelings of regret or what-ifs. Regret and what-ifs are incredibly harmful to one’s mental health. When things happen, we are ravaged by anger, frustration, and guilt because we believe we could have done something different, thereby avoiding the issue. However, living in the past always takes us out of the present and deprives us of the future at the same time.

Difficulty Sleeping:

Lying awake at night, thoughts racing about what happened during the day or what might happen tomorrow, is fruitless, and we know it; however, it is still real and will deprive you of sleep. The constant churning makes it challenging to focus on anything other than these typically circular thoughts, I recommend that you focus on a positive mindset before you go to bed. Consider what you will do tomorrow to improve your position, skills, or thought patterns. Learning to pick yourself up and continue the momentum is critical to a good night’s sleep.

Perfectionism:

When you believe things must be done a certain way or avoid starting tasks, fearing they won’t be done perfectly is challenging because the market continually talks about being perfect. This becomes more difficult when you believe you are the only one who can do it right or your way is the only way anyone else can do it. Trust me, no one, no product, no service is perfect, and there is always room for improvement. Learn to strive for excellence instead of perfection. Allow yourself and others to learn from mistakes rather than criticism and anger.

Reliving Past Mistakes:

You are in the proverbial deep rut when you obsessively consider what you could have done differently in past situations. This can be crippling in many cases making daily living complex and cumbersome to navigate. Allow yourself to learn from the mistakes, but don’t allow them to control your career or life.

Struggling to Be Present:

Finding it hard to enjoy the moment because your mind is elsewhere, worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. We used to call this daydreaming until it became a daily habit. Struggling to be present is a way to hide amid chaos and turmoil. However, it does nothing to resolve the issues and restore harmony. Focus on listening to conversations and processes around you and letting people know you are listening to them.

Analysis Paralysis:

When you overanalyze situations to the point where no action is taken out of fear of potential outcomes, you have made a decision and are not going to do anything about it. It’s that simple. Too often, we use this one as an excuse not to decide because of fear or personal revenge.

Resisting Communication:

When we overthink something, we often find communicating what we are thinking or doing challenging. Some of this is fear; other times, it may be pride or ego. Either way, you are missing opportunities for growth and success. If you don’t feel comfortable making declarative statements, ask relevant questions to open up the dialog.

Seeking Reassurance:

When you constantly seek validation from others because you distrust your judgment, you fall into a dangerous trap. If it becomes a habit, others will avoid being around you when you are bugging for thoughts and acclamation. Learn to reflect on your accomplishments to reinforce your thinking and document your successes. However, ensure you document them with the right credits provided because it often takes a team for success.

In Summary:

Recognizing these signs in yourself can be the first step toward managing overthinking. Strategies such as mindfulness, setting time limits for decision-making, and challenging negative thoughts can reduce the tendency to overthink.

You must realize that many of these can become conjoined; however, you will see progress by sorting them out and terminating the proper habit. Also, in business today, many of these are used as management tools to micromanage or focus on getting one’s way in a decision, so that is another habit: selfishness.

So, the final note I leave you with is that to overcome overthinking; you must focus on finding the right attitude, understanding your motives, being self-aware, being present, recognizing your biases, and respecting others. When you navigate your day with these tools in hand, you will find success.