Overthinking can be a blessing and a curse, depending on how you use it. However, only the brilliant mind possesses this gift, and only brilliance will lead to using it right.
We all tend to overthink things from time to time, and it seems so natural when you think of it. However, what happens when you tend to overthink everything? Overthinking is a tough job that takes much energy.
The biggest problem about overthinking is that no matter how much you think about the things in life, they will happen as they do, and overthinking will eventually get the best of you and leave you unable to cope with all the information.
Overthinking leads many to various problems that their minds have created out of thin air, it seems. But it can also lead to some perfect solutions. It all depends on how you use it.
Whatever the case, there are some things that an overthinker does and others cannot realize. If you are an overthinker, you will agree that these 11 habits come very naturally:
- You seek meaning in everything
It is not that it is wrong – everything has meaning behind it, and you know this very well. Your overthinking tends to remind you of it, really. You tend to think and think about that text you did not receive back in time from your sweetheart or the look that somebody gave you at the subway.
The list can go on indefinitely, as everything can go with the question “WHY?” How about letting things be as they are? Knowing the meaning behind everything will not change the fact that these things happen as they do – but your overthinking won’t allow such nonsense, will it?
- Of all that ‘thinking,’ you forget ‘doing’
Before action comes thought (at least it should). And your overthinking mind knows this too well. But in your case, it is not ‘a thought’ – it is thoughts and thoughts and thoughts. So much thinking that you do not do anything in the end.
It is a typical analysis paralysis, and finally, when you cannot decide what idea is the best, you turn to the pessimist that you can become, and you decide that perhaps doing nothing is the best option.
Next time, try to stick to one option and go bravely – it is better than doing nothing, isn’t it?
- Solving problems makes you feel ecstatic
You do not overthink things out of mere fun – you do that because every problem needs the most proper solution. And when you come to such solution, you cannot help but jump over the moon.
Nobody said that overthinking is always bad, but you are aware that all these solutions come from one thought. Why not turn your overthinking in thinking how your reasoning works and how you can come to that one thought that is the best?
- You are not prone to letting things go easily
In fact, there’s no need to let things go when there’s a solution to everything, isn’t there? Your overthinking mind will agree – there has to be that right thought in your mind that will lead to the perfect solution.
However, sometimes it is better to let go. All things need fixing, but you are not the one who should fix everything. It is here that your overthinking turns against you and you are helpless to prevent the wrecked nerves that come.
- Always on the hunt for new information
Knowledge is power, and the more information you get your hands on, the more knowledge you possess. You will hear a bit of information, and you will do everything to learn everything about it.
Every day is a new thing to learn, and you later use this information in your systematic thinking analyses.
- You despise small talk
Who cares about this stuff? Not you, for sure. You could not care less about what someone had for lunch, or what café they went to. What you want to know is much deeper and genuine.
You want to talk about deep things, about the purpose in life, about the meaning of things. This makes you feel satisfied. Small talk is gibberish you do not want to waste your time on.
- You analyze everyone
People, the way they behave, the things they do – everything reveals something about them. And you just happen to know the perfect way to put every of those pieces in the complex puzzle a person can be.
You like to know everything about the people around you. And this does not involve gossip, but rather their genuine ways of behavior and the reasons behind them. You like the secrets that lie behind the façade, and you have a way of learning them.
- You like to chill out
You are aware of just how tiring overthinking can be, but you also know how to balance your overactive mind with some chill-out time. You like spending some alone time doing nothing, taking long walks, exercising, meditating, writing – things that will let your mind relax.
Whatever you choose to do, you choose it because of the action involved that prevents thinking. If you have not chosen a chill-out activity yet, it is best that you do it soon or you will burn out quickly.
- You often tend to be pessimistic
Overthinking comes with all possible scenarios involved in every possible situation. And when you get to the adverse scenarios, you cannot help but rewind them in your head more. Why? Better safe than sorry, you may think.
However, holding onto the worst-case scenario makes you very pessimistic, and this is why you tend not to do anything, lest it turns out wrong. Relax, even if it does, it is not the end of the world.
- You find simplicity as disturbing
Nothing can be that simple, can it? The mystery of the simplicity of things sometimes disturbs you. It cannot be simple, in your mind, it is most probably something that only seems simple but has a whole complexity you cannot get a hold of.
That is why simple people are not your cup of tea – you are sure that they are hiding something, you cannot put your finger on what that is, and you do not like that.
- You may feel like you are suffering from anxiety
Anxiety has some overthinking in it, doesn’t it? So, what’s the difference then? You cannot help but think that you may be anxious too. You do overthink everything, and you do sometimes get pessimistic when worst-case scenarios pop up.
However, anxiety comes with only the worst-case scenarios. It does not voluntarily involve overthinking solutions to problems, but rather the problems themselves and what dreadful effect they will have.
Don’t worry – you are not anxious, you may have thought of it because, yes, you do overthink everything!
What do you think?
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A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.