How to Stop Overthinking Every Little Thing

Cosmo is pleased to present Feel Good With Fiama, a monthly series on mental health, in collaboration with ITC FIAMA. This month, we discuss the perils of overthinking. By Dr Prerna Kohli, Clinical Psychologist, and Founder, MindTribe

- Dr Prerna Kohli

You know that voice in your head that endlessly worries about occurrences in the past...and what might happen in the future? Yep, her name is Ms. Overthinking...and she can turn you into a pool of stress! “If you find yourself repeatedly thinking about failures, actions, and possibilities, or can’t sleep because you can’t switch off your thoughts, you could be an overthinker,” says Dr. Prerna Kohli.

Generally, overthinking rears its annoying head in two forms: excessive rumination of the past, or worrying about the future. And both can take a toll on our well-being. It can exhaust us by robbing us of the present and can hamper our ability to take meaningful action by causing something called ‘analysis paralysis. There’s more: being in our own head for too long can also trap us in endless loops of negative thoughts, making us more susceptible to issues like stress, anxiety, insomnia, even depression. Sigh!

But there are ways to identify and stop overthinking, as Dr. Prerna shares with Cosmo and Fiama. Ladies, take notes...