Why do we keen on overthinking things?

What is overthinking?
When you analyse every aspect and possible outcome of the particular situation trying to anticipate any threat that it might pose to you. So your mind gets fixated on negative side of the story because it wants you to be prepared to deal with any pitfalls or danger, whether real or perceived. But it only makes you feel more anxious or run down…

How does overthinking sound?
It often starts with “What if…” and might end with a nerve-racking prediction about future or a daunting conclusion about past events. Let’s look at some examples below.

– ”What if this happens and I will not cope?”
– ”They will criticise me and I will be completely shattered!”
– “I must have done something wrong if he/she behaves this way…”
– “This mistake will ruin my career/relationship/life”.

It might seem like you are just trying to analyse the current situation and draw some conclusions so you know where you stand and what you should do. But if reflecting on the situation only makes you feel worse you probably ended up ruminating about things or catastrophizing them.

But here is another issue to discuss: why do we keep on overthinking things even knowing it is no good for us? Well, this is our way to grasp as much control as we can over whatever is happening or might happen in our life so we can feel safe and secure again.

Each of us might end up overthinking something, but you are more prone to it if:

– you suffer from chronic stress or anxiety disorder;
– you experienced psychological trauma in the past;
– you have self-esteem issues and try hard to be a flawless perfectionist.

Next time I will share some ideas how to deal with overthinking. Stay tuned for updates!