There’s a thin line between thinking and overthinking, and we’re here to make the thought process easier for you. Thoughts are indispensable, even constructive at times. While problem-solving and self-evaluation are productive, over-thinking is not – it becomes really important to differentiate. This week, we are posting the next 5 questions in our overthinking series that will not only help you understand when you’re overthinking but could also help you escape the cycle with some honest self-reflection. We’ve already posted the 10 questions on our socials; herein the blog post, we’ll be helping you explore these questions in detail with some add-on support from us. Let’s go!

Here onwards, we are taking you through part two in the ten-question list that helps us figure out (most of the time!) if we have been overthinking:

Am I over-analyzing something that somebody has said to me or done for me. People say things, it’s worthless to keep pondering on the why’s and how’s of what they say. First things first, intention matters. If it’s being said or done with the wrong intent, there’s not a second you should waste over this. On the other hand, if the person saying or doing it has nothing but good will for you, consider if you agree with them. If you don’t, let it slide. If you do, let it enlighten you without the stress of being judged over someone’s words.

Am I simply brooding about a situation because it has not turned out the way I would’ve preferred or liked it to be. Don’t we all just love things turning out the way we want. Convenience is always a preference, however we can’t always get things done the way we want them to be. Accept that you could put in further actions to pave a way for yourself that works for you. Nevertheless, don’t go into a thinking loophole over something that you no longer have control over.

Am I trying to control something that I ethically shouldn’t. That could probably explain why it’s been on your mind so much. We try to be such hefty minds, trying constantly to be “no-shits-given” kinda people in this world. Of course, it sometimes gives us the strength to avoid being manipulated and taken advantage of by others. However, it also sometimes pushes us down the wrong road, makes us take decisions we shouldn’t have. Control and arrogance, they’re addictions that fog a brain into viewing unethical as otherwise. Let go! You’ll instantly feel ten times better because deep down we all just want to be lighter at our hearts.

Am I pondering over unanswerable “what-if” questions or intractable “should-have” situations. Break the “what-if” cycle; ditch all the “should-haves”. You can still make a decision, you can still change the direction of your life the way you want it to go. All that precious time you while away thinking about “what-if” – you could actually muster up some courage and turn your dreams into realities. Stop all the wishful thinking, proactivity is what can make your “what-if” real.

Am I making up a situation that worries me a lot to distract myself from an underlying issue. Yes, people tend to do that and you might even tend to start believing your own made-up scenarios. You might actually believe that your distraction is the real issue here, while side-lining your real pain points. Take a moment, gather your thoughts, journal them down if that helps with gaining some clarity and think – Is this what is really bothering me or have I made this up to avoid sorting out what I’m really going through? A minute of thoughtfulness and you jump up the mindfulness ladder.

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Knowing whether you’ve been overthinking is the first step if you wish to stop. And disclaimer // We are not mental health professionals, we’ve not taken up professional studies and we cannot offer you professional mental health support. These resources are curated by us through personal experiences; having experienced these innumerable times ourselves, this is a portion of what helps us figure out our thoughts and it could be a start for you. The above are not professional pieces of advice; however, keeping our thoughts in check can be of great productive help in general. We hope we supported you in an escape from some of the overthinking slumps that you were in or helped you invest your time in something more productive than incessant thinking today!