Aarti
People who overthink tend to get caught up in endless cycles of anxiety and self-doubt. Worry is apprehension about a negative future event. To ruminate is to think about something repeatedly after it has passed. Conversations, choices, and errors made by the past are often revisited by overthinkers.
Distraction, physical stress symptoms, and disturbed sleep are just some of the negative outcomes that can result from excessive worrying and ruminating.
1. Develop personal criteria for when you will make the next best decision.
I had to undergo a blood test not too long ago, for instance. I debated whether or not to have it right away, in addition to getting other standard labs.
The ideal situation would be to receive all of the relevant blood tests in one sitting. My doctor had requested a blood test, therefore the next best thing would be to have it done as soon as possible. But I put it off for a week since I couldn’t decide what else I should buy at the same time.
I didn’t want to be unhappy with myself afterwards for thinking, “Oh, I also should have gotten…”
If I have considered the optimal course of action three times but have yet to act, I will immediately go with the next best, but much less taxing, option.
If you have a tendency to overthink, rather than getting caught up in the pursuit of perfection, you may want to develop personal criteria to determine when you should shift towards the next best, easier action or decision.
2. Recognize that having limited bandwidth is normal and not a personal flaw.
Try to picture this: In addition to another prescription you take that needs to be consumed at least an hour before food, your doctor has instructed you to take this new medication four times daily with food. You feel this discipline will be quite onerous and challenging to adhere to. But you’re too ashamed to bring it up. If you don’t inquire, you won’t discover out there is a medicine option that requires dosing just twice day. You believe it should be possible to plan your day around eating four times, as instructed by your doctor.
Overanalyzers who are hard on themselves frequently feel they need to seize every chance and obey every order. It’s common for them to assume that other intelligent and successful people fill every waking moment with something worthwhile doing. They believe they need to be completely self-controlled.
Instead of thinking that way, keep in mind that you, like everyone else, have finite amounts of time and energy. It’s not a character defect to be honest about your limitations and say, “This is all I can handle.”
It’s better to blame the regime’s complexity for your inability to conform than to blame your own lack of self-control. If you ask for a different option, you’ll usually be given one.
3. Recognize what you’re trying to avoid by overthinking.
When individuals overthink, it’s often because they want to spare themselves the discomfort of making a poor choice and facing the inevitable self-criticism that comes with it.
To illustrate this point. To keep from being too hard on myself, I decided to forego a second, equally-useful blood test that I might have gotten at the same time.
Overthinking can be a defence mechanism for persons who are afraid of social rejection or disgrace. For instance, rather than asking their doctor for a substitute, the patient obsesses on how they will remember to take their medication four times daily with food. After all, the doctor’s reaction could be unfavourable. When others don’t agree with their request, overthinkers may be harsh on themselves, even if they were reasonable.
Also Read: From Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Imran Khan, Pakistan jailed ex-PMs.
You can learn to stop overthinking by first figuring out what it is you’re attempting to avoid. Having another potentially helpful blood test pop into my head right after my appointment would have been annoying, but it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. The loss would have been manageable for me. A less disruptive and less damaging alternative would have been to stop thinking so much.
If you’re attempting to prevent anything unpleasant like regret or embarrassment, ask yourself if the pain and other consequences of overthinking (like reluctance) are worse.
