Overthinking: Why Your Brain Won’t Let You Relax

Have you ever experienced that feeling when you are lying in bed, you are tired, but your mind is not ready to take a break? One idea triggers another, then another--then all of a sudden you are reliving a conversation you had several years back or anxious about things that have not even yet occurred.

Welcome to the exhausting circle of overthinking. Everybody feels it almost all the time, and once it turns into a routine, it may turn into an almost impossible task to relax.

The Brain Is Designed to Think, A Lot

To begin with, it should be mentioned that being an overthinker is not completely an anomaly. The brain of a human being developed to continuously process a situation and identify threats, as well as forecast potential outcomes. This is a skill that assisted our ancestors in surviving in hazardous situations.

However, this very survival mechanism may become counterproductive in modern life.

Rather than bothering about being preyed upon, we now worry about email messages, social life, what profession to take or what to do next. The brain continues its quest to find solutions - even when we are not facing any problem at the moment.

That is, it is not your brain that is out to torture you.
It is actually attempting to defend you, it is only being a bit too pushy.

The “What If” Trap

The process of overthinking usually begins with one simple question: What if?

• What if I said the wrong thing?
• What will happen to spoil everything in case of this decision?
• What happens tomorrow in case something goes wrong?

These are questions that set forth a chain reaction. Your brain starts to play through all the possible situations, attempting to get you ready for each one of them. Most of these envisioned situations are however, negative, and this leads to unwarranted stress.

In place of getting answers, you are trapped in analysis paralysis.

Why Your Brain Won’t Switch Off

In order to relax, the brain has to be assured of its safety. However, when you are overthinking, your brain thinks that there is something that should be solved.

So it keeps working.

Psychologists occasionally equate this to a computer that is having too many processes running in the background. Your brain gets saturated with concerns, recollections and incomplete ideas.

That is why overthinking is usually no better at night. The removal of the distractions gives the brain an immediate room to take unresolved thoughts to the surface.

The Illusion of Control

The other cause of overthinking is the need to have control. Reflecting on a case is at times productive- you are planning out what lies ahead, or you are avoiding mistakes.

However, at a certain point, thinking becomes non-helpful and, on the contrary, detrimental.

The fact is that it is not possible to predict many situations in life. Even mental rehearsal will not ensure an ideal result. Overthinking is an actual illusion that makes us believe that we are solving a problem when, in reality, we are just circling the same thoughts and ideas.

When Overthinking Becomes Emotional Exhaustion

Overthinking is not only a mental thing but it also depletes your energy as well. It may cause stress, sleeping difficulties, lack of concentration and even anxiety.

The more your brain overthinks, the more it becomes automatic. It becomes an addictive behavior, such as the endless scrolling of your phone.

But habits can be changed.

Breaking the Cycle

It is not possible to cease overthinking altogether. It is not an aim to keep thoughts out of your mind but to ensure that they no longer rule over you.

It can be assisted with the help of some basic strategies:

Write your thoughts down
Writing down your concerns is a way of taking them off your head and into a different light.

Set “thinking limits”
Allow yourself a certain time to ponder over an issue. Then take your attention elsewhere.

Engage your body
Exercise, stretching or walking breaks the mental loop.

Practice mental distance
Ask yourself: Will this be an issue in a week, a year, or five years? The solution, many times, decreases the severity of the concern.

Your Brain Isn’t the Enemy

Overthinking has the effect of creating the impression that your brain is working against you. But the real fact is that it is only trying to save you, to avoid making errors, being unpredictable, and being remorseful.

The trick is knowing when to listen to your thoughts and when to let those thoughts go.

Since there are times that you do not need to think harder, but rather the most productive thing you can think.

It is now allowed to take a rest.