An example of overthinking is obsessively replaying a work meeting in your mind, analyzing a single comment for hours and worrying it sounded "stupid" or offensive, despite no negative reaction from colleagues. This involves rumination (dwelling on the past) and, if continued, often leads to anxiety and inability to move on.
10 Examples of Overthinking (and What To Do Instead)
Weekly wellness tip: 3 Types of Overthinking and How to Overcome Them
7 Types of Overthinkers (and How To Break Free)
Overthinking is also referred to as rumination. It's when you 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.
Some of the common signs that you may be overthinking can include:
An overthinking personality is characterized by several key traits. Individuals with this personality often have high levels of anxiety and perfectionism. They are typically detail-oriented and highly conscientious, which can be advantageous in certain contexts but detrimental when it leads to constant second-guessing.
Critical thinking is a higher-order thinking skill. Higher-order thinking skills go beyond basic observation of facts and memorization. They are what we are talking about when we want our students to be evaluative, creative and innovative.
Postpone and reduce your worries and ruminations.
One way of challenging the belief that overthinking is outside your control is to introduce a 'worry/rumination time'. Set half an hour a day at a specific time where you can freely worry and ruminate.
Often overthinking can be the result of feeling strong emotions of fear, panic, anger, excessive worry, etc.
While overthinking can manifest differently in each individual, some common signs include:
The good news is that you weren't born an overthinker. Overthinking is the result of one fact of human existence: we all have patterns to our behavior. These patterns, good and bad, develop over time based on life experiences. And just as patterns are learned, they can also be unlearned.
The 5 Types of Overthinking
Physical signs of stress
The biggest challenge is paralysis. Overthinkers often struggle to act because they're caught in endless loops of doubt and “what ifs.” This can delay decisions, drain energy, and heighten stress, creating a cycle that is hard to break without intentional strategies.
6 Tips for Intelligent Thinking
The so-called "God spot" in the brain is a theoretical concept that there is a single structure or area of the brain responsible for religious belief and experience. Most studies, however, have not shown there to actually exist this localized area responsible for all religiosity.
About 75% of your brain is water, making hydration crucial for cognitive functions like memory, focus, and reaction time, as even mild dehydration can impair these abilities; the rest is primarily fat and other tissues, with water essential for creating hormones and neurotransmitters.
While some research suggests correlations between certain types of intelligence and tendency to worry, overthinking itself is not a direct measure of intelligence. Many highly intelligent people don't overthink, and not all overthinking reflects intelligent analysis.
The same thoughts that make them anxious are the same thoughts that make them love harder. They're careful with hearts, because they know too well what it feels like to have theirs broken. If you love an overthinker, don't see them as a burden. See them as someone who cares deeply, sometimes too deeply.
Chemicals believed to cause anxiety include serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
The #1 worst habit for anxiety isn't singular, but avoidance (procrastination), poor sleep, and negative thought patterns (like catastrophizing) are top contenders, creating vicious cycles where anxiety fuels these behaviors, and the behaviors, in turn, worsen anxiety by preventing healthy coping and creating more stress. Other significant habits include excessive caffeine, poor diet, too much screen time, and social withdrawal, all disrupting the body's ability to manage stress effectively.
Teas for stress and anxiety relief
The Four-Word Sleep Phrase: “This Thought Can Wait”
This simple sentence packs a surprisingly powerful punch. When you say it to yourself—gently but firmly—it creates a boundary between you and your runaway thoughts. It doesn't require solving, denying, or arguing with your brain.