How Overthinking can Overpower Your Mind
It is natural for a person to sit back and think about his current life situation and possible ways to get over problems. But if the process of thinking happens all the time or a situation or problem is constantly being thought of in all possible angles and possibilities and it ends up making you feel anxious and stressed, then it is being overthought of. Overthinking is a widespread problem in today’s time as every other person seems to be overthinking a problem or life situation.
One of the major factors responsible for overthinking is the lack of decision-making skill. When you are not confident about taking a decision, it delays the entire process of reaching a conclusion and that stretch of time is spent in overthinking the same event/problem in your mind. It's because you are not able to reach a decisive point where you can tell yourself, “Ok, this is it. This is what I have to do to tide over the current situation and I know I will”.
Many a times, it so happens that inspite of having taken a decision, you keep feeling that you have made a mistake; maybe you should have waited to consult someone or maybe you should have gone ahead with the other alternative that you had in mind. So, you see, when there are so many “may-be(s)” in your mind, you will constantly be torturing yourself with the same thought. Do you worry too much? Or do you feel that it’s better to think and be prepared before ahead for a problem/situation that might just crop up out of nowhere, as life is unpredictable? So, you are constantly worrying and anticipating trouble and that does not help your mind to relax.
Overthinking is a dangerous syndrome. It does no good to anyone, it never did and never will. But, for most, there is no major difference between thinking and overthinking. Unless you are aware of the borderline between the two and the harm that overthinking can cause, not only to you but to people around you, it might take time for you to start giving your mind a break. Thinking is what helps us see a problem or a situation as is and take calm, concrete steps to overcome it. Overthinking is equivalent to being stuck in a zone of “fear, anxiety and stress”. It does not help you move forward easily and eats up your energy
Here are 6 common ways in which overthinking overpowers you. They might help you realize why you should control over thinking :
1. It Puts You in Constant Fear
One of the most common dangers of overthinking is that you live in this constant fear of “what if”. It’s as if you are gripped by some demon that just won’t let you take a breather for a while. You constantly anticipate problems that aren’t even there.
2. It Robs Away Positive Energy
Trust me when I say this, overthinking saps your life energy. You turn into a sulking, brooding, paranoid person who seems to have forgotten how to be happy and positive in life. It takes a toll on your ability to think positive and only adds to your levels of dissatisfaction.
3. It doesn’t Let You Enjoy the Present
All right, so you have been ditched by a friend or a lover in the past or your boss humiliated you in front of the entire team because you could not submit a project on time. I agree it is painful and something that everyone wishes they don’t have to go through. But hey, guess what, that was in the past. A long time back. Are you still stuck there having those feelings all over again or thinking, sorry, “over-thinking” how it can happen to you again.
There is a chance it might, just as there is an equal chance of it not happening again. But you cannot predict or foresee future events or problems. Yes, sure, you can take your lesson from whatever happened in the past and be better prepared to deal with something similar. But that does not mean you stop living your present and just live in anticipation of a problem.
4. It Makes You Lose Opportunities
You have been living in the past and in fear of problems that might never happen. In doing so, you are losing out on all the good opportunities that are coming your away. Constantly brooding over past problems and being indecisive stop you from grabbing a great opportunity that comes your way.
5. It Causes Physical and Emotional Problems such Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia
Need I say anything? Overthinking can cause various mental and physical problems such as anxiety and depression. The more you remain stuck in the ‘indecisive, over thinking’ zone, the greater the degree of anxiety you will feel. Anxiety and depression can cause you serious trouble in sleeping well.
6. It Makes You Feel Hopeless
When you do not have confidence in your decision-making ability and lack control over your mind, it is bound to make you feel hopeless. A person who has the confidence in his ability to face any challenge that life might throw at him will not lose hope easily.
What you make of your life is totally up to you. Make the most of it, as you won’t get another chance of living life all over again. Practice being happy and with conscious efforts and mindfulness, no problem in the world is difficult to overcome. Seek the help of your friends and family. Stay positive and don’t let the blues get to you.
