I can’t sleep at night. I often feel unable to escape all the thoughts wandering my head. They haunt me everywhere. I am curious about everything. I think. I think even about the thinking itself.
I hear that constant voice in the back of my mind. Everything that is simple becomes complicated, and each easy decision transforms into a complex one. I get stuck in my mind and don’t let things happen.
Does the same happen to you? If yes, then, you’re an overthinker, just like me. Welcome to the club, pal.
Here are 8 things you’re doing because you’re an overthinker.
1. You analyze everything and everyone.
Including yourself. You question everything: “When”, “What”, “Where”, “How”. You want to know the “Why” as well. It seems like you can’t stop your curiosity.
You are interested in vivid details. Instead of looking at things from the surface, you analyze in depth. You observe people wondering about the way they feel and why they act the way they do it.
Moreover, you analyze every word you hear, wondering whether there is a hidden message and what is the real meaning behind it.
2. You love deep conversations.
You can’t stand the idea of small-talk. What did I have for breakfast? Come on! An overthinker doesn’t like to waste their time talking about meaningless stuff!
You always dig deeper. As an overthinker, you want to know what someone’s life purpose is, what motivates them to do what they’re doing, how their actions help the world.
3. You think a lot but do a little.
Thinking rethinking, overthinking, analyzing, overanalyzing… all these things seem to lead you nowhere. You analyze things so much that this thinking process paralyzes your mind. You get so stuck in your own thoughts that you end up doing nothing.
So, when you’ll need to decide about something, instead of thinking too much, take one option and stick to it, try to act.
4. You find meaning in everything.
Nothing happens without a reason and everything has a meaning for you, right? You constantly torture yourself with the holy “What does it mean?”
Why do you waste your time seeking the meaning of everything? Instead of focusing on some banal things that don’t deserve your attention, try to pay attention to more important things.
5. You get excited when you solve a problem.
You always seek a solution to a problem. You spend a lot of time figuring out how to come to the best one. And when you find it, you feel over the moon.
Nevertheless, your overthinking doesn’t stop there. You suspect whether this solution is the right one or you should analyze it a little bit deeper.
6. You are unable to let things go.
When someone does wrong to you, you may forgive them but not forget. Your mind focuses on those moments and you find yourself unable to erase them from your head.
No matter how much people apologize, you always remember what they did to you. No matter how much you try to escape it, you get caught in your memories.
7. You enjoy doing things that calm your mind.
After all that overthinking, you like to chill out and switch your brain off. You feel tired. Overthinking makes you feel exhausted.
Therefore, you enjoy activities that bring a sense of peace to your mind: Exercising, meditation, long walks in nature… they all seem to bring the deserved break.
8. You get worried when you don’t get a quick response.
You send a message to someone and wait for their response. A minute passed but to you, it seems like a year. There the questions go: “Why didn’t they reply?”, “Did I say something wrong?”, “Do they ignore me?” …You can’t stop torturing yourself.
Moreover, if you notice that someone didn’t accept your Facebook request or unfollowed you on Instagram or Twitter, you will spend a whole night awake just to find out WHY they did it.
And finally, overthinking can be exhausting and annoying but it’s a great power of the mind not everyone possesses.
Don’t think about it. Learn to use it to your advantage.
Image: Ma_Co2013
Sandy White is a creative writer with a vivid imagination. The power of curiosity leads her to explore people’s inner world which is portrayed in her articles.