How Do I Deal With Overthinking? Helen

So today we are going to talk about how we recognise overthinking instead of simply thinking things through in a healthy way.

So one of the bigger signs is when your mind keeps replaying the same situation again and again without coming to a conclusion.

For example, you might keep analysing a conversation you had earlier, wondering if you said the wrong thing or if someone's upset with you instead of just helping you move forward.

The thoughts just seem to go in circles.

Another sign is imagine in worst case scenarios, overthinking often makes small problems feel much bigger than they really are.

So a delayed reply to a text message suddenly becomes, oh, they must be angry with me, or one mistake at work becomes I'm going to fail completely.

Overthinking tends to turn uncertainty into fear.

Physical signs of this can also appear, so you might notice trouble sleeping, headaches, feel intense, or struggling to concentrate because your mind never seems to switch off.

Sometimes people overthink so much that they avoid making decisions because they're afraid of making completely the wrong choice.

Overthinking also steals us away from the present moment.

So instead of enjoying what's happening now, we become stuck in the past or worried about the future.

We spend more time inside our heads and actually living our lives.

A useful question to ask yourself is is this all helping me or is it just keeping me stuck?

Healthy thinking usually leads to action, understanding, or problem solving.

Overthinking usually leads to stress, confusion, and exhaustion.

Recognising overthinking is important because once we notice it, we can begin to manage it.

Simple things like talking to someone we trust, writing our thoughts down, taking breaks from social media, or focusing on facts instead of assumptions can really help calm the mind.

In the end, overthinking is something that many people struggle with, especially during stressful times.

Recognising it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you, it just might simply mean that your mind needs to rest and to gain some perspective and to be assured.