3 TYPES OF OVERTHINKING AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM
Overthinking can contribute to anxiety and burnout, create bottlenecks, slow decision-making, and cause missed opportunities.
To tackle this issue, it's important to first acknowledge and understand the three forms of overthinking: rumination, future tripping, and overanalyzing.
Here's how to identify and manage each of these types of overthinking, according to the Harvard Business Review.
RUMINATION
Mental loop where you dwell on past events, particularly negative or distressing ones.
SIGNS
Fixation on negative feedback.
Repeatedly discussing past failures.
Over-checking work to avoid mistakes.
STRATEGIES TO MANAGE
Schedule worry time: Limit ruminating to 15-30 minutes a day at a set time and place.
Categorize worries: Separate worries into controllable and uncontrollable. Act on controllable worries with practical steps.
Use visualization for uncontrollable worries: Imagine placing each worry into a balloon and releasing it.
FUTURE TRIPPING
Excessive worry about upcoming events and potential scenarios, often impedes progress and causes stress.
SIGNS
Over-preparing for every possible outcome.
Struggling to enjoy current successes.
Feeling restless or agitated by a never-ending to-do list.
STRATEGIES TO MANAGE
Temporal distancing: Project yourself into the future beyond your current worries to gain perspective, like imagining how a current project fits into your larger career path.
Selective ignorance: Intentionally limit exposure to stress-inducing information that isn't directly relevant to your immediate tasks or decision-making.
OVERANALYZING
Excessive focus on the details of a topic or decision, which can delay action and increase stress without adding value.
SIGNS
Procrastination due to a need for more research.
Seeking excessive approval from others.
Inability to prioritize tasks, leading to decision backlog.
STRATEGIES TO MANAGE
Satisfying: Opt for decisions that are "good enough" rather than perfect, by setting clear criteria that a decision must meet.
Set key decision criteria: Establish up to three main criteria for decisions, focusing on the most significant factors like cost, impact, or personal fit. This helps in streamlining decision-making processes, especially in group settings.
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