Overthinking: an endless stream of thoughts
Alexandra Sasidharan-Scherrer
Have you ever caught yourself thinking about situations that you can't change, but you somehow try to change them in your mind? “If only I had made this decision back then, everything would be different today.” Or perhaps you keep dwelling on situations in which you question your decisions: "What if...?" and "If only I had…" or "Would've, could've, should've..."
This is what these sorts of thoughts sound like, and what they all have in common is that they involve overthinking. This is a phenomenon that is also known as overanalysing or repetitive thinking. Thinking things over is a natural process that happens automatically. With overthinking, on the other hand, it's difficult to stop a certain train of thought, and instead of being helpful, it takes increasingly extreme forms until it eventually becomes pathologically unhealthy.
When your thoughts undermine you
You read too much into people's gestures, facial expressions, statements and actions, and your thoughts about people, situations, the past and the future multiply exponentially. If you get caught up in these negative thought patterns that revolve around hypothetical situations and are often negative, you'll become your own worst obstacle because it becomes increasingly difficult to be in the here and now. You feel ashamed and guilty about it, and the vicious circle is hard to break.
At some point, people around you will notice this behaviour in a negative way as you keep talking about the same thing over and over again. So how do you know if you have a tendency to overthink? It will be evident if you use hypothetical formulations such as "What if...?" or if you ask "Why?" questions about past situations for which there is no answer. Persistent thoughts can make you tired, disrupt sleep patterns and cloud your enjoyment of everyday life.
Causes of overthinking
- Low self-esteem
- Negative experiences in the past
- Worries about the future
- Perfectionism
- A need for harmony
- High sensitivity
- Anxiety
- Mental illness
It is usually a sign that our autonomic nervous system is on alert. The mind is desperately trying to achieve a sense of security through control. But real reassurance comes not from thinking more, but from somatic regulation; by signalling to the body that we are safe in the here and now."
However, those who aren't able to stop overthinking run the risk of losing touch with reality, reinforcing negative emotions and losing control, which can manifest itself in stress, social withdrawal and an increased risk of depression or anxiety disorders. That's why it's important to realise that life is a process. You can start by having an inner dialogue with yourself. Instead of criticising yourself, it's important to be more compassionate with yourself and in regard to your life.
Learning to deal with overthinking
- Self-compassion instead of self-criticism: From "I'm so stupid that I made this mistake. I never do anything right" to "That was a mistake, and it hurts. But everyone makes mistakes – that’s part of being human. I can learn from it and do things differently next time."
- Mindfulness: It helps to perceive feelings physically rather than cognitively. You could ask yourself: “What and where do I feel in my body? Is my chest tight/heavy, for example?” and “It’s okay. Even if it feels uncomfortable, this feeling will go away.”
- Acceptance: Sometimes something just is the way it is. Not every unpleasant feeling has to be "solved".
- Take action: Constructively making amends for the guilt you feel will help more than endlessly pondering mistakes. Overthinking is a sort of lack of action, which is why it is important to focus on what can be done now instead of just thinking.
More articles on guilt and shame can be found in our current issue of the customer magazin.
Self-help for coping with mental stress
santé24 offers SWICA customers a variety of scientifically tested online self-help courses for various psychological issues. You'll work independently through the lessons in the course, at your own pace and anywhere that it suits you, and receive written feedback from your personal coach.
SWICA customers receive annual contributions of up to 900 francs under the Completa Forte, Praevita and Optima supplementary insurance plans for participating in mindfulness training offered by MBSR or TLEX.
