Day 32: Overthinking

Do you consider yourself an overthinker? Do you allow your thoughts to run constantly through your mind, considering every angle and side to them? Thoughts are incredible aspects of our life, they make us alive and unique. Yet they can easily be taken to the extreme and leave us feeling confused or stressed.

Recently, I have come to realization that I may gravitate towards the side of overthinking. Not necessarily in a particular part of my life, just in general. I take a thought and I let it consume me. Keeping that thought readily assessable in my head, I am able to consider it for days from every side. I go through every stage, thinking it through on some sort of normal level, stewing over it, allowing stress over that thought to rear up, replaying it over and over again, etc.

Do you consider yourself an overthinker? I did not for the longest time. Nothing has drastically changed in the way I think recently, I've just come to the realization that maybe just maybe I've made thinking far too complicated.

The thoughts we have in our mind do not define us. They are part of us, but we are the master of our own mind. Allowing a simple thought to consume us and send us spinning into a whirlwind of confusion is not healthy.

We must think and any sort of self contemplation comes from exploring our thoughts. However, there is a healthy balance between thinking and overthinking. Finding that balance will be a struggle, I have not been able to find it quite yet, but it is possible and in the end it will be worth it. Overthinking only leads to more stress, an irrational stress.

Take the time to evaluate your thoughts and how you are processing something. Have you been stewing over the same thing for a few days now? Has your opinions about something shifted back and forth from "this is fine" to "this is awful"? These can be signs that maybe you are allowing yourself to overthink.

Step back and release the thought from your grip. Allow yourself to think and to evaluate, however, do not let your thoughts master you. When your thoughts control you, your life will be a stream of confusion and unneeded stress. Let them go and free your mind from a war of overthinking.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt