Our mind plays a huge role in our lives and has a great influence on our emotions as well as the decisions we make in life. One thing I have realized being an English major that I tend to think a lot whether it is analyzing a novel, figuring out that long research paper or trying to come up with ideas for a story. Thinking a lot is good for you in terms of creativity as it helps you develop your thoughts and helps you see things differently than you normally would. However doing a lot of thinking can also lead to overthinking. I have experienced this a lot, especially when it comes to writing a short story. I have had moments where I have wracked my brain trying to come up with an idea for a story, made multiple changes to my story, until I end up completely changing it.
Sometimes, I have scratched the idea completely and started over. I have even had moments where I have made so many changes to a story and then I overthink the ideas so much that I end up going back to my original idea. Part of this comes from a lack of confidence in ones ideas and I know in my case I have had moments where I needed someone else's approval before continuing with my idea and sometimes I still doubted it even with their approval. Over-thinking, in terms of writing, can lead to writer's block as well as delay in progress. When I have begun to overthink while writing, the first thing I do is take a deep breath and then remind myself that I chose writing for a reason and that I need to be confident in my ideas and just have to keep pushing through. I've had multiple professors tell me the best thing that one can do when they begin to overthink their writing is just to write it all out. Get every idea in your head out there on the paper. Once it's all out there then it becomes a matter of editing and choosing what works and what doesn't work. I have used this technique in my writing and can say it has vastly improved my writing for the better.
Overthinking is an issue that has also affected me, as well as others, outside of writing. We are human and we all do it every now and then. We over analyze a situation, we over think the simplest things like a text message or a hug. People overthink what they should wear on a date, or how they should do their hair. It even happens when it comes to picking which school to go to or even just where to go for lunch. It's a common act of human nature but for some it can be tougher for them than others.
Overthinking can lead to anxiety and add unnecessary stress to your life. I know from my experiences that it added a lot of stress to my life that was only created by myself. Overthinking does no good for anyone and only creates problems that aren't even there. Classic traits of overthinking include weighing out every possible scenario in your head, picking apart a text or an email trying to find something that isn't even there. One of the most common cases is where you end up losing sleep because you spend the whole night just letting your thoughts run wild instead of putting your mind to rest. It not only affects you mentally, but also physically. One of my more recent experiences actually caused me stomach pains. I could barely finish a meal because I allowed the thoughts in my head to run rampant and let them affect me physically.
Overthinking not only leads to problems within one's mind but can affect relationships. Whether it is romantic or platonic, one of the biggest things that can ruin a relationship is overthinking. Doubting or questioning someones motives or intentions can lead to loss of trust and ultimately create a rift between two people. When you start to overthink your relationship with someone, soon all of those happy memories can be turned into bad memories. You begin to question what they mean in a text, question why they hug you a certain way, and even question the way they look at you. You need to realize that you are overthinking and remember that this person chose you to be in their life for a reason and you should not question it because it will only drive them away.
I have learned and made it goal to not allow those thoughts in my head get the better of me. The first thing I did was admit to myself that the only reason those thoughts were there to begin with was because I allowed them to be there. The first thing that one must do when they begin to overthink is admit to themselves that they are overthinking. Admit that it is all in your head. Next tell yourself that you'll be okay and take a deep breath. Just let things happen because that's how life works. Life can't be planned out moment by moment or piece by piece.
You can try as hard a you want but life doesn't always goes how you planned it. Things happen and instead of dwelling on them and why they happened, you just need to accept that they happened and move on. Life is unpredictable and instead of trying to understand every detail of it, just go with the flow. Put your thoughts to rest and just take life day by day. Our mind is a great thing but it can wreak havoc from time to time but only if you allow it to. So next time you begin to doubt that paper you're writing or trying to decipher a text message stop yourself and ask yourself, is this helping me? Does this do me any good? If the answer is no, then don't put any more thought into it and move on. Hopefully by reading this at least one person will be able to put their mind to rest and not let those thoughts get the better of them.
