The Effects of Worrying and Overthinking
With the Covid-19 situation, I have witnessed numerous individuals going through periods of overthinking and worrying. I have already written about anxiety, and how Covid-19 has created trauma for many, however, overthinking is just as common, unfortunately. This article will give you an idea of what overthinking is, why we worry too much, and how we can stop ourselves right in our tracks when we notice that we are overthinking and worrying too much.
What is overthinking?
The term overthinking is used to describe a psychological pattern in which an individual becomes fixated on an issue and does not take any time to process the information that is presented to them. Many people are guilty of overthinking at one point or another. There are a number of different types of overthinking, but the main type is when you begin to think that it makes sense to think about a particular issue obsessively rather than engaging with the information you have on hand. You might feel as if it is better to wait and see how things go before you make any decisions and end up thinking about the potential consequences obsessively.
Worrying Too Much Is Bad for Your Mental Health
Worrying is a natural and normal thing, and it happens to everyone at some point. The thing that individuals often do not realize is that by worrying too much, however, they can actually be doing themselves a disservice. By worrying too much about the things they have no control over, you are increasing your level of stress and anxiety, two things that have negative impacts on your psyche and on your mental health. When you realize that you are the one making yourself overthink and worry about a problem, you can start to identify the source of this stress and can act on it.
Take a moment to ask yourself a few questions. For example, is the problem and are the consequences as terrible as you think? Are you being rational about the situation, or is your reaction purely emotional? Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad about feeling emotions, that is normal. However, if you let them get over the rational side of things, you may begin to worry too much about things that really aren’t all that dramatic. This creates a vicious cycle in which you worry, then feel even more stressed about these worries, only to increase your stress further. Read more about what you can do to avoid the detrimental effects of overthinking here.
Do you feel like you overthink or are your worries taking over your daily activities? Reach out today for a free 15-minute consultation to hear more about what you can do to change this.