Hello there, friend. It seems we share a commonality that bonds us in a way only we can understand. You, too, understand those sleepless nights, lying awake for literally no reason at all. We are the overthinkers, the anxious souls with the overactive imaginations. It's just the way we are, but I am here to tell you that it's okay and you are not alone.
When you're an overthinker, seemingly unimportant and every day situations can turn into an all-day thinking event. The best is when this happens right before bed because is there truly anything more fun than lying in bed with your overactive brain going at full speed? The answer is no, there really isn't.
The problem with being an overthinker is that certain situations and comment that are normal to most people send your brain into overdrive. Here are some of those situations.
1. When you walk by someone and they smile and you smile back, but they were smiling at the person behind you.
Ahh, excellent. I'll just feel awkward about that and overthink it for the next hour, and then years from now I'll probably remember this moment and cringe in agony.
2. Someone taking over 20 minutes to respond to a text after they texted back within seconds to the previous one.
I'm sorry, what happened? Did you die? Is your mom okay? Are you throwing up? Did you forget about me? Are you deciding to cut me out of your life forever?
3. The anticipation of a serious conversation with someone.
I'm just going to play out approximately 100 different ways that the conversation could go. I'll think of every potential thing I could say and then every possible response they might have because that's the rational way to approach this.
4. "I just remembered, someone said something about you the other day, but I forget who it was or what they said."
Are you serious? You're just going to casually throw that out there with nothing further? Really. Well, I know what I'm thinking about for the next day and a half.
5. Getting the "call me when you can" text from your mom.
Oh no, is everyone okay? Is someone in the hospital? Am I getting financially cut off? Are we moving? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!
6. "Your hair looks different -- did you do something to it?
Um, not to my knowledge. I wonder what she meant by different. Does it look bad? Shorter? Maybe I should get a haircut anyway.
7. Getting an email from a professor that asks if you can come by his office tomorrow.
Well, I could be getting praised for my excellent work. Or he could be mad at me for something. Or maybe I didn't do so hot on that last test. Or he could possibly have a job opportunity for me? Well, at least I have 24 hours to allow my mind to process every potential option.
8. "What do you want for dinner?"
Well, what do you want for dinner? I don't want to be the one choosing because what if it's not at all what you want. Do you have a craving? Do I have a craving? Can't you just pick?
