Every behavior has two sides – costs and benefits. In this article, I’m going to share 3 of the costs most often reported by clients who experience overthinking.
1. Overthinking can be an Energy Drain
When we spend time thinking and thinking and thinking about things, our energy goes to that. Even if we’re doing other things, living our lives, and being somewhat productive, our thoughts are continuously running in the background. Think of a computer. Even if we aren’t actively doing much on it, the battery can get drained because of all the operations running in the background to keep the system working properly. That’s what happens to our brains and bodies when we are overthinkers. It can feel like running on empty, both physically and mentally exhausting.
2. Overthinking can lead to Stuckness
Overthinking can be a vicious cycle. We think, then we think about the thinking, then we have feelings about that, and that can lead to more thinking. it can be a difficult cycle to get out of. We may feel trapped or indecisive or stuck. Stuck in the cycle, in lack of clarity, in indecision, in feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and/or fearful. We try to think our way out of the stuckness. But thinking is what got us there in the first place. We need to do something different. While it’s impossible to stop thinking, there are things to do that shift our attention and focus away from our thoughts. Mindfulness is a great tool for re-training your brain to get out of this stuck point.
3. Overthinking can have us Believing Our Negative Thoughts
When the same thoughts spin around long enough in our heads, we can start to believe them. I’m not talking about the good stuff. Overthinking tends to be fraught with the negative stuff – thoughts that can leads us to question who we are, our capabilities, and our value or worth. It can wreak havoc with our self-esteem.
The ability to bounce back from overthinking and its effects is a skill. It involves questioning the thoughts (rather than ourselves), using tools to help us focus on things other than our thoughts, and replacing the thoughts with more positive ones.
To learn more about Overthinking, check out these other articles: 3 Signs You’re an Overthinker, 3 Benefits of Overthinking, and 5 Steps to Overcome Overthinking.
If you’re woman in Arizona and want support overcoming you’re overthinking, check out the Overthinkers Group for Women.
