Overthinking - Anyone else?

Orlando_Virgin

All,

Just wondering if anyone else is like me. Every time I go through scenarios in life I think of every possible, scenario, outcome and sometimes when I'm dealing with something that it is difficult for me to understand, I drive myself absolutely insane. I cannot seem to just put it to the back of my mind and get on with things!!

For example, if things aren't going absolutely peachy with my relationships, I look in to a million different reasons as to why and what the root cause could be, and I know full well I look too deep into issues that don't need to be!!

Does anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it?

Just realised the irony of this post!! I've been thinking about how much I overthink stuff and posted this!!:rotfl:

God help me!!

duchy

Sometimes the act of writing stuff down rather than let all those thoughts circle round and round in your head can be helpful in itself. It tends to give a bit of perspective.

Have you considered keeping a diary of your thoughts -it might help ?

belfastgirl23

I find exercise also helps, especially walking. There's somehing very soothing about repetitive motion. Getting it down in writing is also very helpful too as Duchy says.

Identifying the problem is the first step towards solving it though, so well done on getting this far. I used to be terrible for this but have got much better over the last few years

purpleshoes_2

Orlando_Virgin wrote: »

All,

Just wondering if anyone else is like me. Every time I go through scenarios in life I think of every possible, scenario, outcome and sometimes when I'm dealing with something that it is difficult for me to understand, I drive myself absolutely insane. I cannot seem to just put it to the back of my mind and get on with things!!

For example, if things aren't going absolutely peachy with my relationships, I look in to a million different reasons as to why and what the root cause could be, and I know full well I look too deep into issues that don't need to be!!

Does anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it?

Just realised the irony of this post!! I've been thinking about how much I overthink stuff and posted this!!:rotfl:

God help me!!

Sounds like it could be anxiety. Or just being a natural worrier. Some people are. CBT could help, even just a book on CBT, theres a book called cognitive behavioural therapy for dummies, it helps people avoid thinking about the worst case scenario when events happen which I have to say Im guilty of at times.

Sometimes its just a matter of trying to turn the chatter in your head off or down if that makes sense.

Orlando_Virgin

I'm a nightmare for it. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel depressed or down for long. But if I focus on a particular situation too long I get dragged down by my thoughts and won't let it drop.

I must admit, I feel better when I exercise, have a routine, and am focused on what I want to achieve. When I give myself time to analyse where I'm at in any major walk of life, I get overrun by my thoughts.

Ironically, I get told I give good advice to people yet I know full well that sometimes I don't even take my own advice when I'm saying it! I tried a diary for a little while, but I got bored and stopped doing it, maybe I should start it up again!

adrisco

This sounds like me. I tend to look for the worst possible scenario and read things into what other people say and do. Am always quite surprised when things go well. I don't have a solution .. wish I did! .. I get tired of being in "anxious mode" for much of the time. OH talks me down .. he's a "glass half full" type of person. Often wish I had a switch to turn off my thoughts. Will be interested to read other comments.

Orlando_Virgin

It's strange really, because on the most part I am not a worrier when it comes to work, money, and general situations. I tend to go with the flow and get on with it. It's usually when I've got a personal big decision to make and I start to reflect on things and do the decision to death. If I'm being honest, mostly in relationships.

fairy_lights

I am very guilty of overthinking things - someone can make a passing comment and I will spend all day analysing what they could have meant. It happened just now in fact, someone knocked to the door of my office and when I opened it I said I had heard a noise and wasn't sure if it was someone knocking or noise outside in the street, and she said "ok" quite curtly. Now rationally, looking at it written down I can see that there is nothing particularly weird about that conversation but will still spend ages worrying that I said the wrong thing or that the woman thought I was odd. (Which makes me sound completely insane, I know!)
In my case, I know this is caused by my social anxiety. I have to try and stop myself overthinking things like that or I get caught in an insane spiral of worry
I think a big part of stopping yourself from overthinking is to learn to recognise when you're doing it. When you realise you have started to over-analyse little details and it's not necessary or helpful you have to tell yourself to stop and try to find something else to occupy your mind.

purpleshoes_2

Orlando_Virgin wrote: »

I'm a nightmare for it. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel depressed or down for long. But if I focus on a particular situation too long I get dragged down by my thoughts and won't let it drop.

I must admit, I feel better when I exercise, have a routine, and am focused on what I want to achieve. When I give myself time to analyse where I'm at in any major walk of life, I get overrun by my thoughts.

Ironically, I get told I give good advice to people yet I know full well that sometimes I don't even take my own advice when I'm saying it! I tried a diary for a little while, but I got bored and stopped doing it, maybe I should start it up again!

Sometimes the people who give out the best advice are the worst at taking their own. I worked in jobs for years where part of what I did was to work with people in dysfunction and chaos and did it well and my own life wasn't chaotic, Im not a perfectionist, but all I can say is sometimes I give myself a really tough time over ridiculous stuff that in the scheme of things doesn't matter at all.

Some people are just better at hiding how they really feel, other people let stuff go in one ear and out of the other, for me, it was something I read, probably in that CBT book was, what if the worst case scenario did happen, would I still manage to cope and most of the time the answer was yes.

Also, taking life one day at a time, its easy to be bogged down in the past or looking forward to stuff you want to achieve, but the present really is all most of us can hang onto.

I put myself through agonies at times, particularly in assessment situations, Ive had to sit a lot of exams recently where Im practically assessed and have an assessor at my shoulder, some folk will just get up in the morning and think eff it, if I pass I pass and if I fail I fail and Im like that to an extent as well, but on the weeks leading up to it, I have to work my socks off and the night before I wont sleep as my brain won't switch off.

I'd love to be one of these people who just sail through life, easy osy, but Im not and I know Im not, however I have realised that there's nil point getting up every day with a lot of negative stuff floating around in my head when there's so much positive stuff going on as well.

You can get the CBT for dummies book on ebay for around 2 quid, it might be helpful.

Orlando_Virgin

I will definitely have a look for the CBT book. Sometimes though, I am proud that I think things through. I have always been there for my friends and like to think I give as much analysis and thought to situations that they might not have! So some good does come of it

I just do my own head in when it comes to negative thoughts, because it really does take some shifting when I start to view a situation as too big for me to control or solve. I get frustrated and go round in circles.

happyandcontented

I have this exact same problem.