How to stop overthinking

Free yourself from your fear and make the choices that matter again by getting to the root of your need to get things right.

by: E.B. Johnson

Making choices is difficult, no matter what stage of life you find yourself in. As humans we have an intrinsic desire to be right, and that compulsive need can manifest itself in some pretty tricky feelings and behaviors that make it tough to navigate the important moments.

We have more access to high-quality information than ever before, but sometimes that access can lead to greater anxiety, indecision and dissatisfaction. Our need to be right, coupled with a sea of viable choices mean there’s more pressure to get things correct than ever before and that can scare us into staying put and staying unhappy.

Learn how to stop overthinking and overcome your analysis paralysis by learning how to understand yourself and your needs. Only when get to the root of who you are can you make the definitive decisions you need to be happy. Overthinking is hard to overcome, but it can be done with a little understanding and some simple techniques that empower you to make decisions with confidence.

What is analysis paralysis?

Chronic indecision is a real problem that can destabilize and corrode the situations and relationships we rely on for happiness. In the psych-world, analysis paralysis is defined as, “…an anti-pattern, the state of over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation so that a decision or action is never taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome.”

Not all decisions are created equal, but to the chronic over-thinker it doesn’t matter. All choices induce anxiety and all decisions (big or small) induce traumatic or rattling emotions that leave you frozen with fear and paralyzing with a crippling sense of self-doubt.

How overthinking can undermine your personal success.

Analysis paralysis holds us back and keeps us from making the best out of ourselves and our situations. According to a number of recent studies, analysis paralysis not only takes a toll on our productivity — it takes a toll on our wellbeing as well.

Overthinking makes you miserable.

In 1956, the economist Herman Simon came up with the term “satisficer” to describe a decision-making style that leads one to prioritize adequacy over optimization. Those who are satisficers make a decision when their criteria is met. They are the ones that pick a hotel or a restaurant that meets the bare-minimum. They’re happy with just enough because that’s easier than getting the totality of what they need or want.

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s maximizers. Maximizers are those who want to make the best possible decision, all the time no matter what. They are the people who can’t make a decision until they’ve analyzed every option, every possible consequence, reward or outcome.

Both satisficers and maximizers struggle with their happiness and struggle to maintain positive levels of wellbeing. Maximizers, however, showed a substantial increase in negative feelings and emotions, as evidenced by a Swathmore College study which revealed that:

• Maximizers experienced substantially less life satisfaction, happiness, optimism and self-esteem. They also had significantly greater levels of regret and depression compared to satisficers.
• Unlike satisficers, maximizers were more likely to engage in social comparison and counterfactual thinking. This caused them to experience greater regret and less happiness over time.
• Maximizers experienced a greater increase in negative mood when they perceived themselves to perform poorer than their peers.

While thinking through the choices that we make is always a good thing, dawdling in the land of “should I” or “shouldn’t I” ultimately leads to greater unhappiness, and it robs us of both opportunity and joy.

Overthinking lowers your cognitive performance.

High-level cognitive tasks (like learning) take place in our working memory, where most of the thinking magic happens. Our short-term memory maintains a limited amount of information with immediate relevance at all times, which allows us to tackle the task at hand while ignoring distractions and cutting out the negative or irrelevant thoughts.

When your working memory is disrupted by overthinking, it actually lowers your cognitive ability and causes you to lose focus on the things that matter. In laymen’s terms: a decision that disrupts your life in one department sends your brain haywire, causing poor performance and disruption in other facets of your life.

Overanalyzing a situation, continually, increases anxiety, self-doubt and depression. When we increase the stress in our lives, we increase the amount of working memory taken up in the spaces and places we need to follow our happiness.

Overthinking destroys your creativity.

Recent studies (including one completed by Stanford University) have show that not only does overthinking kill our cognitive ability — it kills our creativity too. According to Grace Hawthorn, a professor at the Stanford University Institute of Design, our analysis paralysis has a number of surprising consequences and our creativity happens to be one of them.

In a recent study, a number of participants were placed in an fMRI machine with a non-magnetic tablet and asked to draw a series of pictures based on action words. They were given 30 seconds for each word, and they were later asked to rank each word picture based on it’s difficulty.

After the drawings were complete, they were transmitted to researchers at Stanford who scored them on a 5-point scale of creativity. Next, researchers at the School of Medicine analyzed the fMRI scans for the the brain activity patterns in relation to creativity and decision-making.

“The results [of our studies] were surprising,” Hawthorn reported. “The prefrontal cortex, traditionally associated with thinking, was most active for the drawings the participants ranked as most difficult; the cerebellum [the part of the brain traditionally associated with movement] was most active for the drawings the participants scored highest on for creativity. Essentially, the less the participants thought about what they were drawings, the more creative their drawings were.”

An interesting lesson for those of us who believe that overthinking a problem makes us more creative or well-rounded in the work that we deliver.

Overthinking undermines your willpower.

Decision fatigue is a real thing and it’s one that affects more of us than we like to admit. Every time we make a decision, no matter how small, it chips away at our limited reserves of willpower and leaves us feeling exhausted or unable to make choose when it actually matters.

You can think of your willpower like a muscle. The more you use it, the more you wear it out and when that happens you become overwhelmed and unhappy. Automatic actions are the best way to combat this fatigue, but going to far onto autopilot is also a dangerous risk to run when it comes to sparking joy in your life.

Decision fatigue inhibits our ability to clearly analyze the situations we find ourselves in and it also makes us more likely to fall into negative patterns of behavior like eating unhealthily, drinking or engaging in promiscuous behavior. Overanalyzing not only drains our life of happiness, it drains us of the drive to go on.

Signs you’re struggling with analysis paralysis.

Though you might be able to spot an over-thinker from a mile away, it’s not always easy to spot the traits in ourselves. If you’re suffering from analysis paralysis then the problem might not be as obvious as you think.

Signs you’re dealing with an inability to choose can include physical symptoms as well as emotional symptoms. Know how to spot the symptoms of analysis paralysis and you’ll unlock opportunities you’ve never dreamed of. It takes some brutal honesty, though. And above all — it takes a willingness to change.

Your conclusions aren’t based on reality.

One of the biggest signs that we’re dealing with analysis paralysis is coming to conclusions that aren’t based in reality. These conclusions most often fall along the lines of catastrophizing and leave us trembling with self-doubt and a paralyzing fear of failure. We become frozen by the idea that we are only capable of choosing the wrong things for ourselves and for this reason we begin to believe that only the worst will ever come to pass.

Your fears are based on unknown outcomes.

When we ruminate on all the negative possibilities, we start to formulate our decisions and the way we operate around unknown outcomes. This is the fear that drives us to control situations and people and it, in a way, makes us feel as though we are masters of the unknown.

You see the world in black and white.

For the over-thinker, it can become easy to get trapped in a world of black and white. To the maximizer, things are good or bad; right or wrong. They fail to hold moderate views because they are either all-in or all-out. There is no in-between to the person who can’t make a decision.

You’re suffering from low-mood and insomnia.

A common problem of almost every over-thinker is low mood and insomnia. It’s hard to go to sleep when you’re replaying every decision you ever made over and over again in your head, and it’s hard to be happy when you’re tired or struggling with the guilt of previous choices. The worry spiral is real, and it’s one that can take us down if don’t deal with our issues carefully.

You’re possessed by a fear of failure.

As over-thinkers, we often have an almost possessing desire to be perfect in everything that we do. The problem with this trait is that is makes it impossible for us to accept failure, and it also causes us to internalize our failures in a way that is toxic to our future prospects. When we’re possessed by our fear of failure it drives us to do nothing, rather than to put ourselves in a better position by making better decisions in future.

You can’t stay present in the moment.

When we overthink, we make it impossible to stay present in the moment and we find ourselves dwelling (with anxiety) in the decisions of both the past and the future. Being unable to stay present in the moment means we become unable to enjoy life as it comes. Once that happens, it’s a one-way ticket to victimhood — a miserable place to be no matter how you stretch it.

You *always* second-guess yourself.

It’s natural to doubt our decisions sometimes, but a habitual practice of second-guessing the decisions that we make is undermining to our happiness and our self-confidence. Over-thinkers are driven to analyze, reanalyze and triple analyze situations because of their need for perfection. They don’t want to make the wrong choice so they question themselves constantly, creating a brain fog of disappointment that’s hard to overcome without a little know-how.

You’re constantly tired and in pain.

Analysis paralysis isn’t just an affliction of the mind. It can manifest in some pretty unpleasant physical consequences as well. Believe it or not, overthinking can lead to stiff muscles and joints as well as pervasive fatigue that makes it hard for you to function. While regular exercise can help, the only way to truly overcome it is to overcome your analysis paralysis — a practice that takes time and commitment to master.

How to overcome your analysis paralysis.

There are a lot of reasons that we find ourselves getting trapped in the over-thinking cycle, including childhood traumas and past-experiences. A lot of our overthinking troubles come down to a choice, however, and it’s up to us to decide how and when we overcome it.

1. Learn how to prioritize.

One of the easiest ways to make decisions is to master the practice of prioritization. Prioritization allows us to put our choices into perspective and make efficient decisions that allow us to remain calm and collected when things are getting stressful. Knowing what matters and when it matters is key to reducing the anxiety associated with decision-making, but you have to be honest about what actually requires your attention and what doesn’t.

Learn how to prioritize the choices you have to make by asking yourself a few key questions every time a decision comes us:

• Is this as important as I think it is?
• What could go wrong if I make this decision? What about the other choices?
• Will the outcome of this decision affect my life immediately, or will there be a delay in consequences or results?
• Does the decision have to be made right now or can it be delayed? If it is delayed, how will that affect the choices that you have right now?

Treating all decisions as if they have the same impact on your life will leave your frozen and scared by fear and self-doubt. Learn how to differentiate between the decisions that have to be made right now and the decisions that can wait until you’re in a better place.

2. Break your decisions down into smaller pieces.

Rather than making an important or anxiety-inducing decision all at once, see if you can’t break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces or steps.

When we shift our attention away from one big decision to a set of smaller, more palatable decisions, we make it easier to focus on what we need to do and where we’re going. It can also help you make progress slowly, freeing you of the pressure exerted by analysis paralysis.

3. Learn how to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy pressure.

Pressure can be good in helping us achieve the things we need to spark joy in our lives, but it can also undo our good works by undermining our courage and self-confidence.

Learn how to differentiate between the pressure that inspires you to do better and the pressure that causes you to buckle, avoiding the things that lead to more stress than necessary. This allows you to reserve your willpower, while prioritizing the things that matter and the things that don’t.

Sometimes, a pressure-cooker is exactly what we need to succeed, but sometimes it’s not. Learn how to tell the difference so that you can limit the negative effects of analysis paralysis on your life.

4. Master the art of effective goal-setting.

We often find ourselves unable to choose because we just don’t know why we’re making the decision in the first place. It’s not always our fear of failure that stops us in our tracks — it’s our inability to identify our end-goals. Defining goals is critical in overcoming analysis paralysis, but those goals have to be smart and they have to be effective.

Master the art of effective goal-setting by remembering the 5 critical foundations of any good goal or objective:

Specificity - Your mind and your body need to be aligned in order to accomplish any goal. In order to coordinate this, you have to be specific about what you want to accomplish and how you’re going to get there.

Measurability - Staying on track requires measurability, so whatever you decide to do — make sure you establish specific criteria for measuring and tracking your progress.

Attainability - Despite what we think, not every goal is attainable. Attainability is relative, so it’s important to be realistic. You can establish realistic and attainable goals by getting down to the bottom for your belief system and what defines that authentic, core you.

Realism - The reality of our goals often relates to the state of our inner environment. A realistic goal is not necessarily an easy goal, but an impossible goal is never realistic. You set yourself up for failure or defeat by defining the reality of your goals and going after the things that are realistic…or not.

Time sensitivity - We all have a tendency to procrastinate, but when we’re suffering from overthinking that tendency is doubled. That’s why setting goals that are time critical is imperative for helping to establish confident decision making that is based around realistic and attainable goals.

5. Drop your need for perfection.

Our compulsive need to be right and perfect at all times is one of the biggest reasons we find ourselves paralyzed and unable to make the decisions that matter. Realizing that there’s no such thing as “good-enough” is the only way to free yourself from the restrictive bonds of fear that our overthinking causes.

Every decisions has it downsides and its upsides. No matter what you do, there’s no way to predict how things are going to turn out. Commit a little bit each day to letting go of this compulsive need for control, and try practicing a little radical acceptance instead. You’ll be surprised what changes it inspires.

The best way to let go of this need to be perfect is to practice a mindful journaling practice. Start in a quiet place — free of distractions — and let your mind wander through the thoughts as they come to you. Think about the decisions or conflicts that cause you the most distress and then dig around until you can identify the triggers and root causes that cause this disruptive distress.

Over time, you’ll come to see that your emotions (and the reactions they inspire) are not always based in reality or the current state of things as they actually stand. No one is perfect — they never have been and they never will be. The sooner you accept yourself for the flawed, mistake-prone individual you are, the happier you’ll be.

6. Curb your curiosity.

Sometimes, we get frozen with indecision simply because we allow our minds to wander in the wrong directions. Curiosity is more human than eyebrows, but it’s important to curb it, lest it become a destructive force in its own right.

Satiate that intellectual curiosity that drives you to procrastinate or dawdle when the important choices are coming down the line. Set yourself with clear parameters as to what information you need to make your decisions and (once that criteria is met) allow yourself to make the decision you’re most comfortable with.

If you have all the information, trust yourself enough to more forward confidently and bravely. It’s nice to be curious, but it’s even better to be aware of when your curiosity is working against your wellbeing.

7. Accept that some moons never align.

Even if you have all the information you need to move forward, there will always be more information out there. Decisions sometimes require us to take a leap of faith, rather than follow a detailed set of instructions. Just because you don’t have every single answer doesn’t mean you aren’t equipped to choose. Trust yourself and the rest will fall into place.

Even if you don’t feel like you have all the facts, you can still make the most of what you have by waiting for the optimal moment to make your move. Remember, just because you’ve arrived at one conclusion doesn’t mean you can’t pivot to a new one.

Things aren’t always as permanent as we make them out to be. Usually, that’s just our black-and-white, maximizer brain sabotaging us and make us think less of our self-worth. Don’t let your inner saboteur take control of your life. Accept that some moons never align and make the best choice you can in the best moment.

Putting it all together…

Analysis paralysis can manifest in our lives in a number of different ways, but more often than not it inflicts an array of negative effects. When we find ourselves unable to make a decision, it’s often because we’re overthinking the available alternatives or doubting our ability to move forward. If you want to overcome your overthinking habits, you’ve got to get to the root of your issues and learn to prioritize the things that matter and the things that don’t.

Overthinking is an issue that effects us all, but it can be defeating by stepping up and taking charge of our own thoughts and the way we approach our challenges and opportunities. No one ever has all the information, they just do the best they can. Do the best you can and the rest will follow. Decisions aren’t as hard as we make them out to be…we just have to learn to let go.