What It's Like To Be Someone Who Overanalyzes Everything | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

What It's Like To Be Someone Who Overanalyzes Everything

A glimpse inside my chaotic mind.

85
Overthinking

Imagine you get a text message from someone you like, and it says: "heyyy." You see the message, and your heart starts to beat a little faster. You're about to respond, but then you realize you might seem too eager. However, you don't want to wait too long because you might seem disinterested. As you're waiting, you start to wonder what you should say. If you say "hi," is that going to seem too abrupt and uninviting? If you say "hey," should you also put 3 "y"s? If you put the same number of "y"s, are they going to notice that you copied them and be weirded out? Come to think of it, why did that person put 3 "y"s? Is that just how they say "hey" or are they trying to be extra affectionate?

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to what it's like inside my brain.

Now, writing an article like this is not easy for two reasons. Firstly, whenever I'm writing anything, I'm always overanalyzing it in some capacity. This overanalyzation can be over diction choice, predicting my audience's reaction, how I structured sentences and many other aspects. While it is a bit of a strenuous process, I'm usually satisfied with the final product. The second reason has to do with accurate articulation. In other words, I believe that it's nearly impossible to accurately convey how you're feeling without someone actually being you. Thus, trying to get as close to perfect in expressing my thoughts and experiences is a difficult challenge. However, it's one that I'm ready to tackle.

While the intro gave you a sample of what it can be like in my mind, it doesn't stop there. For me, the part of my brain that overanalyzes feels like a rogue robot. Once I start overanalyzing, it's tough to stop thoughts from popping up. It's akin to the scene in "Harry Potter: The Sorcerer's Stone" when Harry's house was bombarded with thousands of Hogwarts letters. From within 30 minutes of waking up to the time I go to sleep, it's an ongoing process. It's gotten so bad at times that there were moments where I've had to tell myself, out loud, to shut up because I couldn't stop overanalyzing.

Overanalyzation has also made me an indecisive person, at times. Whether it's deciding what to eat, who to text when I'm bored, how to respond to a discussion board, or something else, I always find myself at a standstill on making decisions.

While overanalyzation can have its cons, there are some upsides. Firstly, overanalyzation has allowed me to remain cognizant of the different sides of an argument. For instance, let's take a topic like voicing your opinion. On the one hand, I believe that it's important to speak freely and be candid about how you feel. On the other hand, I also realize that one should be respectful of others when voicing their opinion. However, what if expressing how you genuinely feel is interpreted as disrespectful by somebody? Do you take accountability for being disrespectful, or does the person who felt disrespected take ownership? Who determines what's disrespectful and what isn't? Does disrespect vary based on where you are and who you're with? While I may not have the answer to these questions, I view it as a positive that I take all of this into consideration.

Another positive aspect of overanalyzation is that it keeps me occupied when I'm bored. Sometimes I'll introduce an idea in my head and debate it with myself. Sometimes I'll give myself a problem to solve and I'll come up with creative solutions. Other times, if I know I'm going to have a conversation with someone, I'll role-play the conversation. This way, I might be able to anticipate any aspects of a discussion that may arise, so I'm prepared with an answer or rebuttal.

Now, there is a question that I ask myself sometimes: if I could, would I change my habit of overanalyzation? To no surprise, I've put in a lot of thought towards answering this question. While this may sound crazy, I wouldn't change a thing. Despite the stress, indecision, and frustration that it often causes, it's a crucial part of who I am. My overanalyzation has informed almost every decision I've ever made, and I'm happy with where I am today. I think it's helped me view the world in a unique way. For anyone else who overanalyzes everything, just know that you're not alone.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Health and Wellness

5 Ways To Bring Positivity Into Your Life When All You Want To Do Is Drown In Self-Pity

It seems like life has been serving up more bad than good and in all honesty, the only thing you want to do is crawl under your covers and hide from the rest of the world.

116
5 Ways To Bring Positivity Into Your Life When All You Want To Do Is Drown In Self-Pity
Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash

The first two weeks of classes have come to an end and they have been anything BUT easy. It seems like life has been serving up more bad than good and in all honesty, the only thing you want to do is crawl under your covers and hide from the rest of the world.

Although this seems like the best solution, it is also the easy way out. Take it from the girl who took basically a whole week off from her life because she just could not handle everything that was being thrown at her. This caused her to feel extremely lonely and even more stressed out for being behind in classes that JUST began.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends

1. Thank you for being my person.

2. Thank you for knowing me better than I know myself sometimes.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Things We Learned From Brooke Davis

"What's more important? What we become or how we become it?"

73
Brooke Davis

"She was fiercely independent, Brooke Davis. Brilliant, and beautiful, and brave. In two years she had grown more than anyone I had ever known. Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday, and I'm not sure she even knows it." - Lucas Scott, An Unkindness of Ravens

Brooke Davis of the hit show One Tree Hill was the it girl - she had it all, or so we thought. She started out as a stuck-up, shallow, spoiled, head cheerleader who didn't have her life together. She slept around a lot and loved to party - sounds like your typical high school teenager right? Wrong. B. Davis had so much more to offer. Caring, loyal, and outspoken, she has taught us some valuable lessons throughout the 9 seasons that OTH was on the air:

Keep Reading...Show less
Honorary Roommate
Rachel Zadeits

For some of us, coming to college was the first time we ever had to share a room. It was a big change, but a fun one. As you meet more and more people over the course of your college career, it seems to be a pattern that you will at some point have that one friend that doesn't live with you, but acts like they do. We call those people, "Honorary Roommates" and here are 11 signs you have one in your life.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why It's Awesome When Your Best Friend Gets New Friends

She may not be with you 24/7 but it's all good because you're soul sisters.

1928
super friends
Gabi Morales

We all have a person, and when that person makes some new friends, we tend to forget all the great things that can come out of it. Never forget how special they are to you and why you are best friends.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments