Life can be difficult if you are an anxious overthinker.
If you are an overthinker, you are probably aware of how easily your mind can turn a completely neutral situation into something negative or even frightening. Despite being aware that it is their mind that makes things sound, feel, or look worse than they are, anxious overthinkers do not know how to stop the thoughts from poisoning everything around them. Those who have never experienced anxious overthinking may never truly understand just how difficult this can make one’s life.
In fact, there are 9 things that only anxious overthinkers can relate to.
1. They read between the lines.
When an anxious overthinker receives a text, they will read it multiple times. They will analyze everything that has been said including the words, punctuation, and emojis that have been used. While most people receive a text, give it a quick glance, and then type out a short response, anxious overthinkers can spend ages wondering how to respond. First, they read the text several times, try to figure out what the other person is thinking, and then carefully plan out how they will respond. As you probably guessed, living this way can be difficult and tiring.
2. They analyze body language and often assume the worst.
Anxious overthinkers tend to be extremely observant. Just like they read between the lines, they analyze the body language of those around them. Unfortunately however, overthinking can also drive them to automatically assume that people are angry with them.
3. They create problems which do not exist.
An anxious overthinker can take any normal situation and turn it into a problem. That is, they will pick at all the little things and form issues out of them. Eventually, they will be left wondering how something that seemed so meaningless has caused them so much stress and panic.
4. They are terrified of dating.
Before they even go out on a date, anxious overthinkers have already created a problem in their head as they anticipate the worst. On a date, they tend to overanalyze every word, glance, gesture, and expression. In other words, they think that everything has a hidden meaning when in reality, this is not true. An anxious overthinker can convince themselves that their date had a horrible time even if it was actually wonderful.
5. They have trouble sleeping.
Just like everybody else, anxious overthinkers get tired and once the sun sets, their bodies begin to crave sleep. However, once their heads hit the pillow, sleep does not come easy. No matter how exhausted their bodies may feel, their minds work incessantly. They worry, think, and overthink until they notice that it is 3am and they are in the middle of a made up scenario, stressing over problems they’ve created.
6. They fear that they upset people.
Anxious overthinkers are generally kind-hearted and sensitive. As a result, they also tend to fear confrontation. Unfortunately, they often worry about upsetting people. If someone leaves their text on read or says something short, anxious overthinkers begin to panic. They stress and anxiously try to remember everything they might have said or done to upset someone. In reality, more often than not, they never actually upset them at all.
7. They tend to have nightmares.
When anxious overthinkers finally do fall asleep, their mind continues working. There, it creates even deeper issues, often creating nightmares and upsetting dreams. Unsurprisingly, once the overthinker wakes up, they can spend the entire day wondering what the dream may have meant.
8. They always have a Plan B.
Because they anxiously overthink everything, they always anticipate the worst. Once they create problems in their head, they begin to look for solutions to these issues. Ultimately, they are prepared for the worst and for the perfect way to solve the problem.
9. They are excellent problem solvers.
While overthinking can cause extreme stress and anxiety, it can also be helpful. People who overthink tend to examine things from every single angle. After dedicating hours and days to an issue, they can come up with numerous solutions.
