Don't Overthink It

Do they like me? Is my essay good? Do my clothes look okay? What if I embarrass myself?

Does that sound like you? If so, you may be an overthinker like me. We tend to worry about things we probably don’t need to worry about. It can be hard to enjoy ourselves when we’re always wondering all these things. Luckily, there are ways to stop yourself from overthinking:

-Look at the situation from another perspective. Say you bump into someone in the hall, and you think, Oh no, they’re so mad at me! What would you think if your places were switched? Probably something more like, Oops!

-Challenge the thought. If you think, That girl doesn’t like me, ask yourself why it matters. You have friends and family who love you, so her opinion shouldn’t determine how you feel!

-Take a step back. If you feel trapped by your thoughts, push them away. Focus on the good. If you’re worried you’re no good at sports, think of what you’re great at. When you feel like you have no friends, remember everyone who cares about you.

If you really overthink, and it interferes with your daily life, talk to someone and keep your mind healthy. Keep in mind that whatever you’re thinking about now will probably be totally different after a week, a month, a year, and new wonderful experiences will be coming your way.