When does overthinking become anxiety?

TheChadAllen352352

TheChadAllen352352

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People say you can be a huge overthinker but not have anxiety but i thought it was part of it.
 
They're two sides of the same coin. You can't have one without the other.
 
When you consistently make bad decisions in life and you have no internal locus of control.
 
I used to be a big overthinker. It was one of my biggest strengths as in incredibly anayltical and good and parsing information and figuring out what's important etc. The problem is that's it's an enormous barrier to success and problem solving as one of the most important things in business and life is being able to make decisions.

I bet most people who don't even consider themselves as overthinkers procrastinate and take too long to make decisions.

There is a whole topic around 'decision fatique' where all the small and unimportant decisions in life make you weary and slower to make decisive choices when it actually matters in your life. This can be things as simple as picking clothes to wear in the morning. It's why guys like Steve Jobs wear the same shit everyday and get into a routine.

I keep my life incredibly simplified for the same reason and it really works.
 
I can relate to this question. I got switched to graveyard due to covid and for the first time I understand what people mean by "anxiety". I don't know if its the lack of sleep or drinking way too much caffeine but my mind has been racing with "what ifs" about dumb shit I've done in the past. Some of it ten years ago or more. I can't stop thinking about it and its a pretty horrible feeling
 
mb23100 said:
I can relate to this question. I got switched to graveyard due to covid and for the first time I understand what people mean by "anxiety". I don't know if its the lack of sleep or drinking way too much caffeine but my mind has been racing with "what ifs" about dumb shit I've done in the past. Some of it ten years ago or more. I can't stop thinking about it and its a pretty horrible feeling
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I'm overthinking job-related questions to the point of dreaming with them, and it's indeed terrible. A part of me kind of wishes they would just fire me so I could find a job that causes me less stress. Too bad I can't afford being unemployed right now.
 
TheChadAllen352352 said:
People say you can be a huge overthinker but not have anxiety but i thought it was part of it.
Click to expand...

you can overthink something that you are really excited about, and not be anxious. on the other hand, you can become incredibly anxious if you overthink something that is bothering you.
 
TheChadAllen352352 said:
People say you can be a huge overthinker but not have anxiety but i thought it was part of it.
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That usually occurs when you focus on negative thoughts or things that you have no control over. If you're an overthinker or suffer from frequent intrusive thoughts there are ways to cope with those issues. You can learn how to focus on the things that don't cause you anxiety & block out the negative stuff. But it takes time.

It all depends on how severe your problem with overthinking & anxiety is, of course, but a little therapy never hurt if you feel that your issues are debilitating in any way. A good counselor can teach you how to deal with those things rather quickly.

Good luck.
 
Dreaming Dead said:
I'm overthinking job-related questions to the point of dreaming with them, and it's indeed terrible. A part of me kind of wishes they would just fire me so I could find a job that causes me less stress. Too bad I can't afford being unemployed right now.
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I'm kind of the opposite. My job is so slow right now I have nothing but time to just think of other shit. Anyway I don't really know the answer to your question but I hope it gets better for you.
 
A certain level of anxiety energizes people and leads to productivity. Pretty sure it's when it has the opposite effect that it becomes an issue. That's what opiates are for. Lots of opiates.
 
Oeshon said:
I used to be a big overthinker. It was one of my biggest strengths as in incredibly anayltical and good and parsing information and figuring out what's important etc. The problem is that's it's an enormous barrier to success and problem solving as one of the most important things in business and life is being able to make decisions.

I bet most people who don't even consider themselves as overthinkers procrastinate and take too long to make decisions.

There is a whole topic around 'decision fatique' where all the small and unimportant decisions in life make you weary and slower to make decisive choices when it actually matters in your life. This can be things as simple as picking clothes to wear in the morning. It's why guys like Steve Jobs wear the same shit everyday and get into a routine.

I keep my life incredibly simplified for the same reason and it really works.
Click to expand...
Absolutely!

This is why I live a very neat and organized life, everything I need is at hand BUT all put away, rarely anything material in my home is visible, IE pots and pans are in cupboards, nothing on my dinning table except fresh flowers, clothes away, laptops stored away, shoes inside of pullout shoe rack etc.

Complete minimalist, I learnt it from colleagues in Japan, keeps the mind relaxed and focused.

Over thinking is death in many fields, but to be able to shoot answers and make choices require experience, the correct preparation for several outcomes (for me this is re: R&D or sales) and loss prevention beat constant thinking.

Procrastination might be valued in some fields but they have to be very few.
 
When you start believing in your stupid thoughts and attach emotionally to them as if they are real. Aka illusion.

Illusion leads to suffering. Buddhism 101.
 
Your brain is a sensor that transmits and receives. Overthinking creates worry, and your body physiologically reacts by activating your adrenaline, because the base response for survival is fight or flight and adrenaline provides energy for action. However, because your brain perceives no danger coming from the outside the adrenaline has no place to work but against you. This is why the idiom has been revised to FIGHT, FLIGHT, OR FREEZE.

Control your breathing, control your adrenaline, control your thinking. It's a three step interchange.
 
mb23100 said:
I'm kind of the opposite. My job is so slow right now I have nothing but time to just think of other shit. Anyway I don't really know the answer to your question but I hope it gets better for you.
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Thank you, man. It's been as while since it started ruining my weekends.
 
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