What is Overthinking? Signs and 5 Effective Ways to Control

Have you ever found yourself spending hours continuously thinking about a past event or a decision you just made? If you often feel anxious, question yourself, or get caught up in thinking more than necessary about past actions or current problems, you are likely suffering from overthinking syndrome, also known as the condition of thinking too much.

What is overthinking syndrome?

Overthinking syndrome is a state when you are stuck in a loop of constant thinking and constant anxiety about past decisions, current actions or future predictions. People with this syndrome often question themselves, leading to painful and restless emotions. Feelings of stress and emotional torment can last a long time, negatively affecting mental health and daily life.

Overthinking syndrome can occur in anyone, regardless of age or gender. The causes of this condition are very diverse, but are often closely related to psychological factors such as psychological trauma, constant anxiety or disorders such as ADHD (attention deficit syndrome in adults). These problems cause the brain to fall into a state of overthinking, leading to prolonged stress.

Early recognizing the signs of overthinking syndrome will help you proactively find ways to reduce stress, balance your emotions and improve your quality of life.

Symptoms of Overthinking – Which signs help to recognize most clearly?

Overthinking (thinking too much) is a common psychological state that makes you constantly question yourself. yourself, struggling in vicious circles of thinking. So what are the specific signs to know if you are suffering from overthinking?

Thinking around and questioning yourself

People with overthinking often have wandering thoughts, questioning themselves about every issue, big or small. The questions “why is that so?”, “did I do the right thing?”, often appear in their minds uncontrollably.

Doubting decisions and worrying excessively

When experiencing overthinking, you often doubt your own decisions, always afraid of making mistakes wrong. Therefore, people with this syndrome tend to concentrateExcessive attention to details, trying to read other people’s minds and explaining even the smallest actions of people around them.

Difficulty controlling thoughts

Another characteristic sign of overthinking is difficulty when trying to control thoughts. You often feel powerless against spontaneous thoughts, no matter how hard you try to control your thoughts.

Mental fatigue and difficulty sleeping

Thinking too much not only puts pressure on an overactive brain but also makes you susceptible to prolonged mental fatigue and boredom. eat, toss and turn, and have difficulty sleeping. This condition can happen even when you are playing, working or resting.

Regularly negatively evaluate personal thoughts

People with overthinking often tend to negatively evaluate their spontaneous thoughts. They often worry and judge personal thoughts, even searching for deeper meanings behind them, exacerbating a sad mood.

According to psychologist David A. Clark, who is famous for his mental health tests, you can identify overthinking yourself by answering the questions in the psychological test below. here:

• Do you often have wandering thoughts and find it difficult to get out of them?
• Do you often ask yourself why you think like that?
• Do you try to find the deeper meaning or personal reason behind each thought?
• When you are in a sad mood, do you often sink into negative thoughts?
• Do you often wonder how the mind works, why such thoughts arise?
• Do you wish to control your thoughts strictly?
• Are you struggling with controlling your thoughts on a daily basis?
• Do you often negatively evaluate spontaneous thoughts or thoughts that are not as you would like?

If most of the answers are “yes”, there is a high possibility that you are experiencing overthinking syndrome.

3 Harmful effects of Overthinking syndrome

Dangers to mental health

Overthinking not only affects the mood but also negatively impacts mental health. When a person falls into a state of overthinking, they easily feel negative, mentally exhausted, constantly question themselves, and tend to critically evaluate their actions. This leads to insecurity, loss of confidence and over time can lead to more serious consequences.

Mental disorders

When thinking too much, the nervous system is overstimulated, causing increased stress. the risk of mental disorders such as depression, difficulty sleeping, eating disorders, and even stimulant addiction or alcohol abuse. People who often overthink are prone to insomnia or poor sleep, causing the body to weaken and reduce the ability to concentrate and work.

If this condition persists without timely intervention, the risk of severe depression is very high. Patients may gradually lose control of their emotions, become pessimistic and withdrawn from society. This not only affects mental health but also negatively impacts daily life.

Overthinking and long-term effects

People with overthinking often have difficulties in overcoming psychological trauma. They tend to over-think and doubt the actions of others, thereby affecting personal relationships and social communication abilities.

Scientific research shows that overthinking can cause the prefrontal cortex to become overloaded, reducing creativity and affecting problem-solving skills. This can cause major obstacles in work, study and daily life.

5 Ways to overcome Overthinking according to psychology

According to clinical psychologist Helen Odessky, many people often confuse overthinking(Overthinking) and problem solving. While problem solving focuses on finding specific solutions, Overthinking makes your thoughts wander around unanswered worries.

Another common confusion is between Overthinking and self-reflection. Self-reflection skills help you understand yourself in a positive way, excluding negative criticism. On the contrary, thinking too much can cause you to fall into harsh judgments about yourself, thereby creating negative perceptions that are difficult to control.

Identify the cause of Overthinking

The cause of Overthinking often stems from past regrets or worries about one’s own abilities. This can lead to mental stress, directly affecting physical health with symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Finding the cause of Overthinking is an important step to help you proactively control your thoughts. Once you’ve identified what makes you prone to spiraling thoughts, you can adjust your reactions or at least increase your alertness to negative stimuli.

The human brain tends to automatically focus on risks and dangers to protect itself. This makes it easy for many people to fall into a spiral of negative perception, exaggerating the problem more than necessary.

However, you can change your perception by looking at the situation from a positive perspective. Instead of focusing solely on risks, turn your attention to possible solutions. When you change your approach, you will find the optimal solution, helping you handle problems more effectively without getting stuck in too much thinking.

Distract yourself to control your thoughts

According to the White Bear Effect in psychology, when you try to force yourself not to think about something, your brain will focus on it even more. The same is true of overthinking, as the more you try to stop your thoughts, the stronger they become.

Instead of trying to quell negative thoughts, you can distract yourself by engaging in highly interactive activities. Some effective suggestions include:

• Read books to immerse yourself in a new world of knowledge.
• Play sports to release energy and improve mood.
• Watching movies and playing games helps reduce stress and increase relaxation.
• Work or study to direct your focus to the positive.

These activities help redirect your thoughts, reducing the feeling of being stuck when you are stuck in negative thought loops.

Meditation – A method to calm the mind

Another effective way to control negative thoughts is to practice meditation. Meditation not only helps you calm your mind, but also helps control obsessive compulsions caused by thoughts causing wandering.

When you first start, focus on deep breathing. This is a method to help stabilize your mind, regulate your emotions and quickly reduce stress. Whenever you find yourself caught up in negative thoughts, gently return to your breathing, helping your mind return to a calm state.

Studies show that just 10 minutes of meditation a day can significantly reduce overthinking and obsessive-compulsive thoughts, while improving concentration and quality of life.

Frequently asked questions about overthinking

Where does Overthinking come from?

Overthinking – or overthinking – often stems from worry, stress and fear about things that have not happened or are out of control. This condition is closely related to anxiety and low self-esteem, making it easy for you to fall into a negative thinking cycle.

What is overthinking in love?

In love, overthinking happens when you constantly over-analyze the relationship, making unfounded assumptions about the other person’s actions or words. This makes you worry too much, doubt yourself and create situations that don’t really exist, thereby affecting the bond in the relationship.

How to check control overthinking?

To escape the overthinking loop, you can apply some effective methods:

• Focus on the present at: Be aware of what’s really going on instead of getting caught up in rumorsy guess.
• Practice meditation and deep breathing: This is a technique that helps you regain calm, reduce stress and control your thoughts better.
• Build positive thinking: Learn to change your perspective, focus on positive aspects to get rid of negative thoughts.

What consequences does Overthinking cause?

Overthinking not only affects the mind but also negatively impacts mental and physical health:

• Causes anxiety, prolonged stress, even leading to psychological disorders.
• Reduces work performance because the brain is always in a state of overload.
• Affects quality of life, weakens social relationships.

What is an overthinking girl?

The phrase “overthinking girl” refers to women who often overthink, tend to worry excessively, and question themselves or others. They often carefully analyze every small detail, easily lose emotional balance and have difficulty controlling their thoughts.

Overthinking can become a major barrier to love, work and life if left unchecked. By practicing positive thinking, practicing meditation, and deep breathing, you can improve your mental health and regain balance. Learn to control your thoughts to enjoy life more fully!