Calm Down, Beware of Overthinking!

"Can I enter PTN?"

"Confused about what major to go to college, if accepted, would it suit me or not?"

"If later I don't get accepted to the destination PTN, I'd rather have a gap year or what?"

*

Maybe some of you have or often think like that. Thoughts that in the end actually make you so absorbed in these thoughts.

Have you ever heard the term overthinking? What about 'excessive anxiety'? The term may have become a topic that is often heard or felt by many people, especially among teenagers.

Calm down! Overthinking or excessive anxiety doesn't mean you have a certain mental disorder. If it's still in the "right" portion, overthinking is a normal thing that someone goes through when facing an uncertain future.

What is Overthinking?

Overthinking is a behavior that can happen to anyone, involving thought processes commonly experienced by humans. If a person has some hyperbolic or exaggerated thoughts, the consequences will hinder the progress of his life. If you think too much about something, someone will experience a decrease in health because they get pressure from themselves. Someone who experiences overthinking has the possibility to get stuck in anxiety, or experience anxiety disorders.

Why can you overthink?

The reasons you experience overthinking can vary, both from within and outside of yourself. The common cause is when you consider a decision too much, understand the actions of other people, even worry about the future.

In addition to general causes, there are also specific factors that can cause overthinking, such as:

a. Pesimistic attitude

b. Perfectionist

c. Too closed attitude

d. Comparing yourself to others

e. Too stressful environment

f. Overly controlling parents

g. Stressful past experiences, stress, and trauma

Overthinking can be avoided

After knowing what overthinking is and its causes, you may still often wonder, “Duh, can you do that or not? Pass or not huh? Thank you or not?"

Subconsciously, it can drain energy and reduce our ability to make decisions. Or make us more irritable, and can make it difficult for us to concentrate. Of course it will be a burden for yourself right?

In order to avoid overthinking, and so that you can live your day more comfortably, you can apply the following things:

1. Realize if you are overthinking

Try to evaluate or think about what makes you overthink something, so you don't get stuck with what is weighing on your mind.

2. Stay focused on solving the problem

Try to direct your mind to find a solution that you can do, and you can ask yourself what steps to take, so that you can solve the problem and not continue to delve into disturbing thoughts.

3. Tell people you Trust

Try to start telling a problem or thought that bothers you. It can be friends, friends, girlfriends or parents you trust. After the story you can ask for his opinion to solve the problem you are thinking about.

4. Positive reframing

With positive reframing you can turn your negative emotions into positive ones. The trick, you can motivate yourself with positive thinking or you can do activities that you like. With that, you will be surrounded with positive emotions that will make you happy.

5. Write what you think (journaling)

If you like writing, journaling can be the right choice. With this habit you can write down all your feelings, spill all the emotions you are feeling without feeling ashamed or embarrassed. Because here there is only you and your writing.

6. Practice gratitude (gratitude exercise)

As is well known, overthinking is caused by ourselves, where we feel lacking in something, so we think about it continuously. This is a burden on our minds. To overcome this, you should be grateful for what has been achieved so far. Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, it's better to focus on continuing to hone your skills to support your future career.

***

Editorial Team:

Aida Novisya, Azalia Duhitha, Adnan Syauqi Faiz, Ayu Wanda Fatma Aulia, Hanna Iffah Nur Idris, Hilal Najmi, Kahla Dinar Khairunnisa

 ===

References:

- Bergland, Christopher (2017). New Research Explains Why Overthinking Can Hinder Creativity. Retrieved 16 January from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-athletes-way/201706/new-researc h-explains-why-overthinking-can-hinder-creativity

- https://www.halodoc.com/artikel/5-dampak-overthinking-pada-kesehatan-mental (diakses pada tanggal 7 Juni 2023, pukul 11.40).

- Nelson, E. & Kennedy, E. S. (2018). Ruminasi : Gagal Move on yang Bikin Depresi

- Yulianti, N. M. R., & Juniartha, M. G. (2022). Pranayama Nadi Sodhana untuk Meredakan Overthinking. Maha Widya Duta: Jurnal Penerangan Agama, Pariwisata Budaya, dan Ilmu Komunikasi, 6(1), 58-68.

- Zimmerman, R. (2019). Overthinking. The Echo, 21(2), 42-42.