The time is 1:47 A.M. and you're trying to find the will and motivation to fall asleep and stay asleep. It's been a long day and you anticipate tomorrow to be even longer, but your mind isn't ready for bed...it didn't get the memo. You're lying in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, mind speeding through various thoughts...analyzing every last detail. You replay the past 24 hours, scrutinizing over things that could have gone better, things that could have been said differently...how it could have changed the different outcomes; perhaps the day would have been better.

The clock now blinks 3:19 A.M., an hour and a half later than you had originally planned to stay awake. Frustrated, you put a pillow over your eyes, hoping to stifle the thoughts. Stop, just stop thinking. But then you begin to ponder about situations that happened years ago, things that definitely could have gone better; things that would have changed a lot had you had said things differently. But, no, it's out of your control now. What's said is said and what's done is done, but that doesn't change how you feel about it. And now you're left in a sea of worry and pain over things you'd repressed or thought you were over. Things that you now fear will happen again. Things you fear you'll have to say again. People you fear will show back up.

That's what overthinking does, it hinders you from doing things in a timely manner like sleeping or schoolwork or even actual work. It causes irrational as well as rational fears to spring up. It causes immense worry and anxiety, things that can follow you for the rest of your life and try to control it as well, if you aren't careful. It brings up negative things as well as positive things in an attempt to warp the situations to make them worse than they actually were; over-analyzing every little detail, trying to read between the lines.

It's hard to not overthink, I know, and it is difficult to overcome. It's not impossible, though. I've been told to replace every "what if" to "what if it isn't" or "what if it doesn't," whatever the case may be. I know, it's easier said than done. But remember that overthinking can destroy you, it can ruin your perception on certain things including people. Things you don't want to happen. It's difficult not to overthink, I definitely understand that, but try not to let it ruin you and destroy the people and things you love, okay? That's the important thing. Don't lose yourself.