Overthinking

By: N. George

Worth Noting:

• Most of events that happens are interrelated with others and have many triggers, researching on every aspect of every task is lengthy, tiresome and resource consuming.
• If you overthink you will have a lot of unfinished businesses in your head. You will keep remembering the challenges of life even during the time that you are supposed to rest and sleep, deprive yourself of sleep and add worries to your life
• Willingness to wait and putting no time limit for you to get solutions to your problems is an indication that you are lagging behind taking most of your time trying to solve past occurrences.

Over-thinking is characterized by excessive thinking and taking no action. The thoughts may be of past experiences or future expectations. Over thinkers have deep thoughts about situations most of which they have no control over.

Overthinking is exhaustive and time consuming, it’s dangerous, does not provide solution to challenges rather it creates problems like anxiety, depression and regrets.

Overthinking leads to deterioration of mental health. .

There are two types of overthinking involving excessive dwelling in the past and excessive worrying about the future.

Overthinking is not the same as problem solving thus we should use the past experience to solve current challenges.

In life there are many fortunes both good and bad. In labour we talk of division and specialization, all tasks cannot be undertaken by a single person. It is prudent to find support if the tasks at hand are new to you or are likely to be overwhelming instead of overburdening yourself with what at times may be beyond your control.

Naturally everyone has his or her own gifts so there are areas which you can handle effectively even without any formal or informal training.  In each and every situation that exists in life there is someone who can offer a solution since all humans are created differently. Therefore, it is necessary to seek for support from others.

Overthinking should not be confused with self-reflection. Self-reflection is purposeful and helps us to use our past experiences as a learning experience and provide solution to similar situations in future.

Signs that show that one is overthinking include:

 Constant gathering of additional information

Most of events that happens are interrelated with others and have many triggers, researching on every aspect of every task is lengthy, tiresome and resource consuming.

Whatever you do whether good , bad or when you remain passive people are always listening and watching at you. They have all sorts of ideas about you, they will always have opinions about your actions or inaction and they will always express them.

If you spend your time trying to know why they think the way they do, you will develop stress and other overthinking related problems.

Sleeping problems

If you overthink you will have a lot of unfinished businesses in your head. You will keep remembering the challenges of life even during the time that you are supposed to rest and sleep, deprive yourself of sleep and add worries to your life

Trying to make others happy

Each creature is different from the other in one way or the other. Understanding of issues by one person is different from that of the other person. With people being diverse, attempts to please everyone will be straining, tiresome and time consuming.

Urge to know cause of everything that you come across

The need for someone to know the source for each and every encounter will cause unnecessary strain and frustrations in life.

One cannot know all processes a hundred percent. We should trust what others tell us bearing in mind that sufficient information is not necessarily total information.

Being too patient

Willingness to wait and putting no time limit for you to get solutions to your problems is an indication that you are lagging behind taking most of your time trying to solve past occurrences.

Thinking a lot and taking very few actions

If you find yourself in a situation where you analyze issues and not arrive at solutions and you are unable to know the way forward, you should seek external support.

This excess thinking with little or no action may be detrimental to your health.

 Rarely letting things go

Some people never forget each and every encounter that they have in life and regularly keep thinking about it even when it does not affect their present lives.

The habit of retaining and keeping thinking of past uncontrollable memories may do to you more harm than good by wasting your time and causing regrets.

Worrying too much of what will happen in future

Every day comes with its own blessings, life is dynamic much as we can talk of time to come we can just predict but many things may happen before we get to that time and alter the cause of things. It is advisable to plan and allow a room for unexplainable variables. Never stress yourself with what is beyond your control.

Trying to give explanation to every issue

Know it all attitude may be dangerous not only by making you a liar who tries to explain issues that you know little or nothing about or concentrating on issues which are of little or no importance to you.

It is prudent to lay emphasis on what is important and what you are best at since you cannot be know everything in life.

Too much apologizing

If you find yourself apologizing on almost every issue then you should know that you are dwelling too much on whatever have happened and looking into faults in every issue, regretting and trying to get cleared from blame by apologizing.

Each and everyone makes mistakes in one issue or the other and at times you may be right but be misunderstood and treated as if you are on the wrong. It is good to look at the bright side of life, avoid negative energies and focus on your strengths.

Appearing insecure

Inability to arrive at solutions with finality may lead to overthinking. This indecisiveness makes the affected person to feel incomplete and insecure due to unfulfilled expectations and lack of self-confidence.

A general look at life is that it is full of choices, good choices leads to good quality life, bad choices results to regrets. Whatever is in your control, take care of it by making wise decisions. If in doubt seek support from those whom you trust.

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