08/09/2025
What Is Overthinking?
📖 Overthinking is a cognitive pattern where your mind gets stuck in a loop of repetitive and often negative thoughts. It can manifest in different ways:
🕔 Rehashing the past: Constantly replaying past conversations or events, analysing what you said or what you should have done differently.
😟 Worrying about the future: Creating "what if" scenarios and catastrophising potential outcomes.
✋️ "Paralysis by analysis": Getting so bogged down in a decision that you're unable to take action.
Is Overthinking a Mental Illness?
📖 Overthinking itself is not a mental illness. However, it is a common symptom or coping mechanism associated with several mental health conditions, including:
⚫️ Anxiety disorders: Excessive worry and rumination are central features of conditions like Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
⚫️ Depression: Rumination on past failures and negative emotions is a major risk factor for depression.
⚫️ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Overthinking can resemble the intrusive thoughts and repetitive mental acts characteristic of OCD.
⚫️ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Individuals with PTSD may overthink traumatic events in an attempt to make sense of them.
📖 Causes and Effects;
Overthinking can be triggered by a variety of factors:
Anxiety and stress: High-stress situations often cause people to overanalyse in an attempt to regain a sense of control.
Fear of judgment: Worrying about how others perceive you can lead to endless second-guessing.
Perfectionism: The desire to control every detail can lead to a cycle of overthinking about things that are uncontrollable.
Past trauma: Overthinking can be a coping mechanism to try to prevent past negative experiences from happening again.
📖 The effects of chronic overthinking can be significant:
Mental and emotional distress: It's strongly linked to increased anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness.
Physical symptoms: The stress it causes can lead to headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, and sleep problems.
Impaired decision-making: Instead of leading to better decisions, it often results in indecision and inaction.
Social isolation: Constant mental preoccupation can cause you to withdraw from social interactions.
📖 Strategies to Manage Overthinking;
While it may feel like a difficult habit to break, you can learn to manage overthinking with consistent practice.
🧘♀️ Mindfulness and present moment awareness: It's impossible to ruminate on the past or worry about the future when you are fully engaged in the present. Try breathing exercises, body scans, or simply paying attention to your senses.
🤔 Challenge your thoughts: Ask yourself if your thoughts are realistic or based on facts. Question whether you are exaggerating the negative.
🕔 Schedule "Worry Time": Set aside a specific, limited amount of time each day (e.g., 15 minutes) to worry or ruminate. If a worrying thought comes up at another time, tell yourself, "I'll think about that during my worry time," and redirect your focus.
💪 Find a distraction: Engage in an activity that requires your full attention, such as a hobby, exercise, or a conversation with a friend.
✔️ Focus on active problem-solving: Instead of dwelling on why something happened, ask yourself what you can do about it. Break down problems into small, actionable steps.
😍 Practice self-compassion: Treat yourself with kindness and understanding. Remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect.
If overthinking is significantly impacting your daily life, relationships, or overall well-being, it may be a sign of an underlying issue. Counselling may help you change unhelpful thought patterns and to help understand your thought patterns effectivly. PM this page if you would like to find out more about beginning individual counselling sessions.
