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It begins with the intention to "do the right thing". You're trying to make the right decision for your career, or you want to have a good interaction with someone. But the mind quickly gets stuck. It doesn't stop, but keeps spinning around in the past or anticipating the worst in the future, until a simple task becomes overwhelming.
What Is Overthinking? (And Why It's Not "Problem Solving")
Overthinking, simply put, is over-analyzing and over-evaluating a situation such that the cost of thinking (the opportunity cost) outweighs the benefit of the thinking. It is marked by standstill. Thinking moves us forward, overthinking moves us in circles.
This is something that psychologists tend to split into two types:
Rumination (Overlooking the Past):
This is excessive past focusing. This is when you go off into the past and think about a social event over three years ago or worry about a mistake you made at work last week. Rumination is about asking "Why?" questions such as "Why did I do that?"
Future Trip Worrying (Crystal Ball):
This involves getting in a time machine and thinking about the future. It's fear-based and is in the form of "What if" questions: "What if I fail?" or "What if they judge me?"
What's common about these processes is they take your attention away from the only thing you can do: now.
Why is My Brain Doing This?
Overthinking is usually not a "disease" of the brain; it is simply overprotective. Understanding why helps to stop
The survival mechanism: We survived by predicting danger. The sound of a lion may be in the grass, so our brain began to process everything. Today we process work and rejection the same way.
The Illusion of Control: We delude ourselves that we can control a situation if we think about it. We think about, rather than think through.
Perfectionism: We fear to make the "wrong" decision. If you believe there is only one "right" choice, then the pressure to make the right choice becomes paralysing and you fail to make a decision.
Overthinking is Bad for Your Health
The impact of a mind that is thinking is not just psychological. The body is placed in "high alert."
Physical Fatigue: Thinking is energy-intensive. More thinking can leave you as tired as a day cleaning.
Insomnia: The "evening brain" is notorious. With fewer distractions, your mind thinks of all the things you "wish you could do", making you wide awake.
Lack of Confidence: Self-doubt is a symptom of second-guessing yourself.
5 Ways to Quiet the Mind
To stop overthinking, start changing your approach to worrying from passive to active. To clear the mind, try these tips that are Google-friendly:
1. Use the "Two-Minute Rule"
Make decisions that take less than two minutes (like deciding what to wear or replying to a straightforward text or email). This prevents "small decisions" piling up and affecting your decision-making.
2. Have a "Worry Window"
It may sound counter-intuitive, but you can worry. At 4:00 PM, set a 15 minute timer. Think of all your worries and jot them down. After 15 minutes, "close the file". For any concerns, say, "I'll worry about that tomorrow."
3. Go from "Why" to "How"
Rumination is in the "Why". (Why did this occur?) Solving is in the "How." (How do I solve this?) When you are caught up in a spiral, shift language. Ask: "What is the tiniest thing I can do next?"
4. Practice Sensory Grounding
Overthinking is a "head" problem so the solution is "bodily". Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique:
- List 5 things you can see.
- 4 things you can touch.
- 3 things you can hear.
- 2 things you can smell.
- 1 thing you can taste.
This helps to get the brain to deal with the present rather than fiction.
5. "Good Enough" (Satisficing)
Overthinking is a symptom of perfectionism. "Satisfice": Good enough is good enough. Decide and don't look back. After all, "good" now is better than "perfect" in two weeks.
Final Thoughts: Strengthen Your Mind
Overthinking is like a garden; if you don't weed it, the weeds will grow. But you are not your thoughts, you are the witness of your thoughts.
You don't have to know it all today. 80% of the time, the answer you are looking for is not thinking more, it's doing more. By taking action, the overthinking will end. You are learning to have a calm mind, be patient with yourself.