Dating an overthinker isn't easy and would require more work and effort from your side to keep the ship sailing smoothly. However, if you handle them and their obsessive need to overanalyze, well, it could be the most loving relationship, because they genuinely give two hoots about you and the relationship.
Overthinkers are very critical of themselves and others. This can be frustrating for them as well as for others around them. Once an overthinker makes up their mind about something or someone, it's hard to change it because they will always try to find the negative things in a relationship or any situation they face.
They seek reassurance
An overthinker wants to know that you still love them. They need to be constantly reassured by their partners in a relationship. Even if the cause of their restlessness is completely unfounded and out of the box, focus on assuring them that everything is fine and that you still care about them.
Overthinking can make you assume negative consequences and jump to false conclusions. This can obviously lead to arguments with your partner who might feel upset for being misunderstood almost every time. Obsessing over little things and situations can impact your mood and dent your self-esteem.
In romantic relationships, overthinking gradually—day after day, month after month—can turn into a bad cognitive habit. It shortens our bandwidth for awareness, empathy, curiosity, and whatever is happening in our own hearts.
Overthinking strikes all of us at some point, but if it goes unchecked and unresolved, overthinking can certainly morph healthy relationships into toxic relationships. If you fall victim to your thoughts and allow them to go too far, they can end up driving a wedge of distrust between you and other people in your life.
If you are in love with an overthinker, you need to be able to give them their space in a way that isn't threatening to the relationship. You have to let them come to their decisions on their own. It might take time, but they'll get there.
Overthinking is caused due to various reasons like fear, intolerance to uncertainty, trauma, or perfectionism. Overthinking can also be a symptom of already existing mental health conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, or depression.
Plus, whether you're fixating on the past or catastrophizing about the future, thought patterns that are more destructive than constructive can take a toll on both your mental health and physical health. "Studies show that ruminating on stressful events can, over time, lead to anxiety and depression," warns Dr. Fowler.
Overthinking — also referred to as rumination — is when you repetitively dwell on the same thought or situation over and over to the point that it disrupts your life. Overthinking usually falls into two categories: ruminating about the past and worrying about the future.
The good news is that just as with many behaviors that harm mental wellbeing, overthinking is something that can be changed. It takes some effort, but keeping your overthinking to a minimum is 100% feasible and 1000% worth the work.
Overthinking is patronizing a person, demeaning their thoughts and punishing them for thinking. There is no authoritative stance on the act of thinking, and there is no acceptable way of telling someone their thoughts are invalid.
No. Overthinking isn't thinking, it's having the same thought and never moving on. It's unhealthy. Intelligence is practically the total opposite of overthinking.
Setting boundaries will help in improving your love and self-esteem. Stop being available always or being overly dependent: You can't allow your partner to take over your life. Get a new hobby that's just for you and add value to your “me time”. Try not to seek constant support or intimacy.
He's less responsive to your texts and phone calls.
Signs a guy is losing interest through text include taking a long time to respond, being unavailable to chat, and a lack of enthusiasm when you do talk. Do you notice that he has time to post on social media but isn't getting back to you?
Overthinking is a common trait in people with mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Overthinking can tamper with our ability to think properly and trap us in a cycle of negative thoughts that interfere with our ability to cope with stressors. In life, it can be necessary for us to re-evaluate and re-think an event to understand it completely and make the best possible decision.
The roots of overthinking can be traced back to stress and worry. Aside from these primary causes, low self-esteem and insecurity are also common contributors to excessive thinking.
Overthinking is commonly associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), says Duke. GAD is characterized by the tendency to worry excessively about several things. “Someone can develop GAD due to their genes. Or it could be personality factors like the inability to tolerate uncertainty in life.
It's a common stereotype that is often humoured, but it turns out there is actually scientific backing to it. A study reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease has confirmed that women overthink more than men do, due to their brains having more activity.