Wellness Wednesday: How To Identify The 10 Types Of Overthinking

Overthinking is something that happens to everyone occasionally, it is something that people battle with in different ways and can be damaging if not dealt with. However, how can you know how to battle it if you are not aware of which type of overthinking you are going through? That is exactly why I created ways to identify all 10 types of overthinking to help you overcome them and start working towards not letting it affect you. Read on to find out how to do this.

The following is created by @thebraincoach on Instagram so follow for more advice like this!

Mind reading

This involves jumping to conclusions when you assume you know what the other person is thinking. It can lead to negative interpretations as sometimes some actions or behaviours can be misunderstood. Remember, we cannot mind read!

Worrying about the future

Known as “fortune telling”, sometimes people expect the worst-case scenario and go down a negative spiral of “what ifs”. 

Mental filtering

This is when more focus is put on the negative aspect of a situation, while disregarding any of the positives.

Emotional reasoning

“Our feelings are a reflection of our thoughts”, but it is important to note that our thoughts are not always correct.

The past

This is when a negative event in the past is remembered constantly or turned over in your mind, leading to embarrassment and getting hurt over the past.

“Should” statements

Saying statements starting with “I should…” is usually based on expectations of yourself and your attempt in motivating yourself to achieve them. However, this in fact leads to guilt or self-criticism instead.

Overgeneralisation

Drawing a conclusion based on one experience can lead to pain and never wanting to experience it again.

Labelling

This is the act of labelling oneself after a negative experience, which causes you to get stuck on a “negative thought loop… leads to low self-worth”.

Hopelessness

“Fixating on a thought based on a circumstance to the point that you may start to truly believe it.”

All or nothing

This is a black or white thinking, where you do not see the in-between and only see two sides of an extreme.