"Overthinking" during the Coronavirus pandemic

As we are nearing the end of Mental health month, May, I wanted to talk about the topic of "overthinking", or, the concept of thinking too much during the Coronavirus pandemic.

I want to say in advance: I am no psychiatrist, counsellor or mental health expert. I am simply conveying what I have experienced and my perception from conversations I have had with people during this time.

The global pandemic has resulted in us thinking deeply about our lives, relationships and careers in a way that we probably didn't know we could.

When life was normal and things were constantly on the go, anytime we gave more attention to a thought or feeling, it was considered bad for your mental health. Thinking too much about a boyfriend you are unsure of having a future with, a friend you just don’t feel understands you or that career you’ve worked so hard for and are now unsure you really want.

When we try to speak out about these thoughts to the people around us, we are told to stop overthinking. We internally dismiss this as just a low mental phase, or something we are just too busy to deal with-- anything to dismiss it really because going with the flow is easier than challenging it. We are after all creatures of habit. We then convince ourselves that we have overcome it when all we have managed to do is temporarily and successfully suppress it. And then weeks later the same thought passes through your mind, and the whole cycle begins again.

During times like this, we perceive this as our negative mindset momentarily taking control. We recognise this as a low moment, and we then label our thoughts being stimulated as a result of feeling low. When we then overcome the low moment, rather than actually dealing with those supposedly stimulated thoughts and feelings, we simply suppress them by escaping into our daily lives.

And, we get by. Life always kept us preoccupied enough to have these thoughts but almost immediately as they came, we would push them down and they go. Our daily life demands that we remove them somehow, because how else will we focus on the now.

However, now that the 'now' has changed and life has come to a pause, our thoughts are catching up with us. Not only is the lack of rush, buzz and constant movement no longer keeping our minds preoccupied, but it has also made room in our mind to think about these things. And this is the time to really learn what’s important and what isn’t.

And now is the perfect opportunity! We have this time and space in our minds for a reason, and that reason is to thoroughly think about and explore these thoughts that you have been subconsciously battling with. It’s truly a beautiful thing, that has sadly been perceived negatively as ‘overthinking’.

But what truly is overthinking?

According to a licensed psychologist, Dr Jeffrey Huttman, “overthinking” is the ‘process of constantly analysing and anguishing over one’s thoughts. It may include rumination, in which an individual is stuck mentally rehashing their past or present decisions and/or actions.”

The specific side of ‘overthinking’ I speak of is a ‘present’ situation that will require your ‘decision’ and it needn't be a negative experience.

In fact, another licensed psychologist, Dr Marny Lishman actually says that “overthinking is a tool that allows us to learn from the past to avoid future mistakes – great for problem-solving and decision-making.”

Both definitions here say the same thing but simply vary in positive or negative terminology. The reality is, there is no ‘overthinking’ (that is of course within reason) there is just thinking or reflecting (note how suddenly the positive associations to these words change its meaning and thus perception). There is no measure to how much you should think about something, especially if it is something you care about. It’s only when you let your thinking affect your physical being that you should take a conscious step towards changing your perspective. A perspective I am aiming to share with this piece.

Society has forced us to believe any thinking that becomes too deep or takes two more seconds than our normal thoughts, is negatively ‘overthinking’. I guess some of it is true as being lost in our thought can deter us from managing our life, careers and ambitions effectively. But at the same time, these are things that will change, and we need to take the time to think to decide whether we want them to change before we act towards them. There comes a time when we must reflect, think deeply and go through ‘overthinking’ or, thinking, in order to really make the decisions we want in life.

The pause in human life is factually because of the virus, but is mentally for people to journey through their minds. For those struggling with a healthy mentality, this could be an opportunity to really observe your thoughts and feelings without subjectively attaching yourself to them. Easier said than done, I know. But guided meditations, mindfulness and self-help cognitive behavioural therapy can be extremely helpful in observing what comes and goes in your head.

How can we work through our thoughts?

One way to identify those lingering suppressed thoughts is to start off by following guided meditations to calm your mind. Observe your thoughts during this process and just as easily let them go. Throughout the day be conscious of where your thoughts go and make a note of it too. Eventually, you will find your thoughts migrating towards a certain subject or feeling, that will let you know what you should think about and whether it is important enough to be deeply thought about.

Use the unlimited time that has been bestowed upon us to think. Try and explore your thought. If it is something you know is an overreaction, then try and explore the reasons behind this and why you are overreacting to this particular situation. If it is a thought that will change something in your life, again explore your reasons for why this has entered your mind and be conscious of your feelings towards it. If you can, try and think back to where you first felt this feeling, as this will help you identify the possible source. Also, be aware of what other feelings or thoughts stem from it. Keep a journal close to you and write down all you feel as you explore this thought. Through thinking during this time and definitely through writing, will you come to a conclusion.

Mental Health charities like Mind are a fantastic resource, they suggest that ‘describing how you’re feeling and thinking help you find information that’s useful to your situation.’ They have a writing platform, where you can write down all your answers to your thoughts and feelings and email them to yourself to view whenever. To do so you can browse the link here. I am personally a huge believer of whatever happens in our life happens for a reason. The universe wants it to happen. Although this time is an uncertain and difficult time, it is also the universe’s way of giving us space and time to really think about what we want without being swept away by our daily life. It is a time of great reflection for our actions, thoughts and our being.