What is overthinking? How do I know if I have anxiety to a point that is not normal?

Over thinking is a state of unproductive thought - it could involve the past or future, but you will be absorbed on your focus to this event. In overthinking it might appear we are going over the same thought in a loop without finding any resolution.

We might reflect back on the past and wish we had never taken a certain course of action, holding regrets about the event. On the other hand it might be that we spend time thinking about something we never said last week, this involves constantly dwelling on the thought and becoming preoccupied with it.

Sometimes overthinking can take up space in our mind when we should be giving our thought to our work or something else that we need to be progressing with. Often being preoccupied can lead to anxiety or depression. One of the signs of this condition is lying awake at night with a constant flow of thoughts going though the mind. Overthinking is a protection process - you might find yourself not being able to sleep because you are worried about your finances or maybe you had an argument you didn't really need to have with a close friend.

We never overthink on purpose - who would say to themselves "today I am going to fill my mind with an uncomfortable thought."

If you find yourself falling into this pattern you will want to find ways to ease your mind.

• Often taking a good walk in nature can be good for you.
• Mindfulness is a great skill to learn it helps you step back from the problem and look at the issue from a distance. When you learn and it will take time to do this you learn to seek a different perspective of what you worry about.
• You might want to consider that thoughts are not facts just because you think something it does not have to be true. Always challenge the evidence on your thinking when you learn to do this you can spend a lot less time in a state of worry. An example of this could be 'I must have upset my boss he did not speak to me today." Have you examined all the facts - perhaps he was very busy himself?