Can’t Turn Off Your Brain? You May Be An Over-Thinker

Mar 20, 2018

Do you get stuck in your own thoughts, so much so that you think more often than you actually act? What should be enjoyable moments often pass you by since you can’t seem to be present in them because you’re consumed with replaying the past and analyzing the future?

Do you look for meanings within every facet of life? Everything must be orderly aligned and perfected. You’ve probably been called hyperactive, obsessive, an over-thinker, or anal-retentive.

While having an overthinking personality may be frustrating at times, it’s actually a very useful personality trait and quite common amongst highly intelligent people. 

Of course, overthinking things isn’t a one-size-fits-all personality category. Different people do it to different degrees, triggers, and frequencies, but most over-thinkers do have some universal tendencies that can either help or hurt them in life. 

1. More Prone To Suffer Anxiety/ Depression. 

Intrusive thoughts on replay can be quite overwhelming, especially if it involves examining and reexamining negative emotions. Your shortcomings, mistakes, failures, tragedies, and traumas being obsessed over can create or worsen anxiety and depression.

The result is distress about the past, worry about the present, and fear of tomorrow. 

2. More Prone To Make Mistakes. 

The problem with the idea of perfection is that the reality rarely turns out perfect. A speech or test even rehearsed and studied for weeks, is rarely delivered without a stumble and mistake or two. This may seem like prudent preparation, but overthinking can actually increase your likelihood of a mistake because you’ve:

1. set an unrealistic expectation of perfection
2. are overthinking to the point of second-guessing yourself  
3. distracting your mind from focusing solely on the task at hand during the delivery. 

3. Relax? What’s That? 

With a constantly-in-motion brain, you find it difficult to relax, unwind, and even sleep. Chronic intrusive thoughts often spawn a number of health issues, including hypertension and sleep deprivation. 
 

4. You’re The Picture Of Responsibility. 

Better safe than sorry. When it comes to ensuring something gets done the right way, you’re the person to call. Over-thinkers typically ask questions, seek precise answers and clarifications, are mindful of every detail, take everything as serious, and are perfectionists.

This makes over-thinkers the ideal candidate to handle tasks that require responsibility and reliability. 
 

5. The Solution Is The Problem: The Problem Is The Solution. 

Thinking is like your diet. Too much and you’re obese. Too little and you’re malnourished. 

• Don’t think of a pink panther • 

Over-thinkers are not only thinking of a pink panther now, they’re also wondering why they can’t think about it, who said they couldn’t, what will happen if they do or don’t think about it, and how the panther became pink anyway.

Most over-thinkers realize at some point that they’re going into this wormhole of thought and want to stop it. The problem is that active problem-solving requires thought. So, the over-thinker is going to overthink problem-solving their overthinking problem.

6. With So Many To Choose From, There Are Some Monumental Thoughts In There Somewhere. 

Clearly, overthinking can be distracting and self-destructive, however, it can also lead to profound inspiration. Some of the greatest minds in the world have been obsessive over-thinkers.

Take Thomas Edison for example. It took Edison over 1,000 tries to finally invent the lightbulb. He was, by any measure of the word, obsessed. He was later asked by a reporter how it felt to fail so many times. His reply was that he hadn’t failed, but rather that the lightbulb was simply an invention with 1,000 steps. 
 

7. Patience Is A Virtue. 

Over-thinkers are patient creatures who want all their ducks in a tidy and accurate row. Time is taken to ask questions and collect data so that all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. You put forth great effort and pride in all that you do.

Sometimes, this may lead to a stalemate, especially when it comes to decision making. It can also be rather inefficient when the subject requires productivity and volume. However, if quality and accuracy are the priorities, then the over-thinker typically excels. 

8. The Shut-Off Switch. 

Not all over-thinkers have the shut-off switch that enables them to turn over-thinking off in critical and extra special moments, but some do have it and can utilize it upon demand. 

As you can see, being an over-thinker, in general, can have both positive and negative effects on life, and it’s likely that over-thinkers are overthinking these effects. But, if overthinking has become a detriment to your health, mental stability, relationships, or employment, then consider confiding in trusted a professional therapist about it.

Was this article interesting? Enlightening? Do you know an overthinker? Show them this article now!