Signs You Are An Overthinker And Ways To Overcome It

Do you ever feel overpowered due to your thoughts? Several people do express their frustration, even anguish while having continuous experiences of self-imposed mental interrogation. It happens as an unavoidable urge to analyze practically everything one thinks, but particularly the unwanted, spontaneous thoughts that just pop up into their mind.  

Let’s assume a person who is seeking a treatment for curing anxiety but after sometimes it was seen that the person is trapped in his own visions. Spontaneous negative ideas created a painful process of self-analyzing as a result, becoming more anxious.

Do you also, see yourself trapped in a never-ending cycle of overthinking your thoughts? Overthinking is a visible characteristic of worry, reflection, and extra thinking. But they are not restricted to these only in fact it can have a negative effect on your emotional health, happiness, contentment, and overall well being also.

An Overthinking Mind

Psychologist Shivani Misri Sadhoo says the habit and the tendency of an overt monitor, analyze and effort to control all types of thought is referred to as an overthinking mind. Overthinkers are not only greatly aware of their thoughts, but they also use a lot of time trying to understand the reasons and the meaning of their thoughts.

Overthinking is a problem when it is about negative intrusive thoughts. When you pay excessive attention to such thoughts, overanalyze their causes, and try extra hard to control them, you can fall into unhealthy forms of thought, like worry, reflection, obsession. And when one overthinks negative intrusive thoughts, one can end up being anxious, depressed, and frustrated.

Today, in this article, Top Delhi based Psychologist and Relationship Expert Shivani Misri Sadhoo talks about the signs that one is an overthinker and ways to overcome it.

Signs That Shows One Is An Overthinker

If you want to know if you are an overthinker look for the following signs.

·         Are you easily aware of what you are thinking at any given time?

·         Do you mostly question why you are having specific thoughts?

·         Do you mostly search for the deeper meaning/personal importance of your thoughts?

·         When you are upset, do you only focus on what you are thinking?

·         Do you have a greater need to know or understand how your mind functions?

·         Do you think it is essential to have a strict check over your thoughts?

·         Do you have a zero-tolerance for immediate, unwanted thoughts?

·         Are you usually in a tussle to control your thoughts?

If you think most of your answers are in yes then there is a probability that you are an overthinker.

There are 2 threats to this. If you are overthinking vital aspects of your life, you can get trapped in indecision, avoidance, or procrastination. A person thinking about his relationships, health, career, self-identity matters, and the like requires to spend time in thoughtful reflection, but excessive time in the head can be harmful. While, if you have negative, intrusive thoughts that should be best left alone. Sparing time on those thoughts can lead to big personal distress.

How To Overcome Your Overthinking Mind

If you think you are becoming a victim or falling into the trap of being overthinking here are some of the ways to overcome it.

Recognize Your Triggers

Even the most seasoned overthinkers do not do it every time. Perhaps there are specific thoughts or concerns that are more possibly to trigger overthinking. If you are worrying, for instance, thoughts about the near future may be more possibly to trigger overthinking. For another individual, it could be thinking about their competence or if they are admired by others. Whatever the situation this is important to know the active spots that trigger your overthinking.

Be Aware

To lessen your overthinking, you have to know when it is happening. What are the sure signs that you are overthinking? Is it while you are attempting to interpret the meaning of an extensive thought when it likely has no hidden meaning? Is it when you are attempting too hard to manage or suppress the thought? Or is it while you become bothered or anxious with the thought? There may be other symptoms too that suggests you have got into overthinking.

Completely Embrace Its Uselessness

You will not be able to restrict overthinking as long as you feel it has value. Re-evaluate your past experiences with overthinking and note down how it helped. Did the overthinking result in any worthy solution or revelation? Were there more positive or negative outcomes linked with it?

Disassociate

When you are far too much in your head, this shows over-engagement with unwarranted thoughts. The opposite way is to disassociate yourself from the thought. So, the ideal way to restrict overthinking is mindful acceptance in which you observe but do not judge your unwanted thoughts. The next approach is a focused diversion, in which you shift your attention to another path of thought or act, without getting busy in an effort to resolve or understand the unwanted thought you are overthinking.

Overthinking is risky to your emotional health, particularly when it is aimed at unwanted, instant, negative thoughts, images, or memories. Luckily, you can learn to restrict this unhelpful method of thinking through bigger self-awareness and the practice of mental detachment.