How Overthinking Slowly Changes Our Everyday Life
By Gunja Maurya (Therapist)
Sometimes we start thinking about one thing so much that it becomes a part of our entire day. The same thought comes to our mind when we wake up. It stays with us while we are working and comes back again when we are trying to sleep.
At first, we may feel that we are simply trying to find a solution. But after thinking about the same thing again and again our thoughts can become the problem itself.
One of the difficult things about overthinking is that we may start finding problems even in situations that are actually normal. Someone does not talk to us properly and we start wondering if they are upset with us. Someone takes longer to reply to a message and our mind starts creating different possibilities. We make a small mistake and keep thinking about why it happened.
Slowly this begins to affect our everyday life. We may find it harder to focus on our work. Small things may start irritating us. We may not feel like talking to people. Sometimes we even avoid making simple decisions because there are too many thoughts running through our mind.
Night can become difficult too. The body wants to rest but the mind keeps going through old situations and worrying about what might happen next. This is one reason why a person can feel tired but still find it difficult to sleep.
We cannot stop every thought from coming into our mind. Thinking is a normal part of being human. But we do not have to treat every thought as something that needs our attention.
When the same thought keeps coming back, we can ask ourselves one simple question.
Is this a problem I need to deal with right now or am I only thinking about what might happen?
Not every question needs an immediate answer. Some things need time. Some situations become clearer when we stop trying to solve them again and again.
Making a little space for ourselves during the day can also help. Going for a walk. Sitting quietly for a few minutes. Talking to someone we trust. Writing down our thoughts or doing something we genuinely enjoy can give the mind a small break.
The most important thing is to remember that not every thought is a fact.
Sometimes a thought is just a thought.
When we learn to notice our thoughts without getting carried away by them, we slowly start taking back control of our everyday life.
