Do You Think That You Are Overthinking Things a Lot

[Laakima]

Lately, I’ve been wondering if I tend to overthink things more than necessary. For example, when I send a message and don’t get a reply right away, I start running through every possible reason—did I say something wrong, am I being ignored, or is it just not that deep? Same thing with decisions, even small ones like what to cook or what to wear. I spend way too long weighing pros and cons and sometimes end up doing nothing at all. I'm not even sure if this is just normal reflection or something that needs to be addressed. Has anyone else experienced this kind of mental spiral, and how do you handle it without making it worse?

[Rutthra]

This definitely resonates. I’ve always been labeled as “thoughtful,” which sounds nice, but in practice it often means I go 12 layers deep into every choice. I’ll over-analyze past decisions, future options, even other people’s facial expressions. And ironically, it makes me less decisive, not more informed. One thing I’ve been trying lately is letting the discomfort sit without chasing it. Like, when the urge to figure everything out kicks in, I pause and ask if there’s actually a problem to solve or if I’m just trying to eliminate uncertainty because I hate not knowing. I’m still bad at it, to be honest. But I've realized that the goal isn’t to never overthink—it’s to know when it's happening and not always act on it. Accepting that not all mental noise needs a reaction is something I’m learning slowly.

[Laank]

Honestly, I didn't even realize how much I was overthinking until I started tracking my habits. I was noticing I’d get stuck in place—like, trying to decide whether to go out or stay in, I’d burn an hour just “deciding” and end up doing neither. What helped me was finding external tools that didn’t try to "fix" me but helped me observe what was going on. One of the things I started using was liven—not just because it offered reflection prompts, but because the tone of it wasn’t preachy. It felt more like a quiet nudge to check in with myself, not a demand to overhaul how I think. Overthinking didn’t just disappear, but I started noticing when it started happening, which gave me a window to choose something else. That small shift—being able to notice it instead of being inside it—was a big deal for me.