How do you stop overanalysing?

[lilali]

In my life I periodicaly tend to overanalyse everything. It usually starts when I experience motivational problems. I'm a history student, and each period when starting new courses I'm very enthousiastic and have a lot of ideas regarding my topics, but after a couple of weeks I tend to have some kind of fallbacks, where somehow attending classes and concentrating on my study is blocked by an feeling of inadequasy, and because of that I'm stuck in the addiction of finding a solution for this. This causes me to analyse my passed, my physical health in the prospect of finding an explanation. At the and of the process it always ends with me analysing the fact that I analyse everything which leads me often to conclude that their is nothing wrong and that I have to stop analysing everything and just focus on my fields of interest.

I think part of the problem is that I had some traumatic experiences in my childhood, I'm not really sure if trauma is the right word, because I never thought they were traumatic but the fact that I can't forget those experiences and repeat to analyse them, and explain the origin of the occurance, to understand the reason why it happened, leads me to conclude that it was traumatic.

But I've reached a point in my life that I wan't to end it, so thats why I'm writing this thread, I'm curious if anybody else experience the same things, and how they handle it.

 

[TheManBeyond]

why do you get a feeling of inadequeasy? in which sense? do you mean you don't like your career?

 

[lilali]

More in the sense that I've the feeling that I'm blocking myself. I know that I could do so much more, but the fact that I'm constantly in my own head all the time. It's not that I'm actually failing, but I have the feeling that I'm failing because I'm not living up to my full potential.
So I keep on analysing what the hell is mentally blocking me all the time.


I hope I've clarified it enough.

 

[Polaris]

Have you considered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?

I think part of the problem is that I had some traumatic experiences in my childhood, I'm not really sure if trauma is the right word, because I never thought they were traumatic but the fact that I can't forget those experiences and repeat to analyse them, and explain the origin of the occurance, to understand the reason why it happened, leads me to conclude that it was traumatic.

I went through the same process. It is common for people who have lived through trauma.

Edit: Welcome to the forum

 

[biggbosshoggin6]

an estj helped me out with this. we can learn from other personality types and how they go through life. so i can tell that your in your head allot with probably a confused look on your face thinking about past and future. now what he told me, hes starting to understand me which most types do not, but he said, " You need to get out of your head". now just him saying that, i made a revelation in my head. I thought about how i needed to focus on the current and stop worrying about the past and just reflect on me and my current actions and put myself in the current moment and think about what i was doing and not about all thing that could go wrong or what if they did go wrong, and the outcomes of those events. we intps live in our head and it is hard for us to take practical steps towards things as most S types do. because of our Ni, we dwell too much on shit that doesn't even matter in all reality. whenever u catch yourself in that deep of thought where you don't want to be, take a deep breath, and realize your surroundings. use your senses to become acclimated to the environment around you and to become caught in the present. Smell the air, hear the sound, see the beauty around you, taste the saltiness on your fingers or the taste of the air if that's weird, and feel the environment around you. this helps me get out of my head when i don't want to be there.

 

[Missfortune]

Have you considered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?



I went through the same process. It is common for people who have lived through trauma.

It goes away with time. I used to have something which might be similar. Someone or something would remind me of an event and it would be days or weeks before I could get out of my head. I would go over and over the same thing obsessively. It was really really hard to not be ultra aware of my surroundings, so devoting my full attention to a book, for example, would be impossible. It does go away, seriously.

While definitely not a long term solution, sometimes doing things like washing the dishes or folding laundry and putting it away can help.

 

[Jennywocky]

Well, I have had the overanalysis issue in spades. I have also had things in my life that were traumatic, including dealing with an alcoholic dad and the burden I felt for a long time to "save" him (AKA "If I had just interacted with him differently, he might have gotten better!" syndrome)... so I replayed events and conversations, examining everything in my mind, figuring out what details might give me leverage to no avail, etc. Not just that, lots of big issues where I would just analyze and not actually do anything. I wanted to understand the problem, but was never sure of how to act on it.

for a long time in my life I felt powerless as well. I think the cycle of analysis and powerlessness can sometimes go hand in hand. I overanalyze because I don't feel strong enough to resolve my problems; and this prevents me from engaging my problems directly and overcoming them, so I remain powerless.

What changed some things for me was mostly getting older, gaining experience and knowledge, and realizing at some point I had to accept the risk of acting to resolve (whatever) situation to make a change, versus trying to find the perfect understanding and solution in my head. I had been very miserable and felt very trapped. Moving from the internal to the external was very empowering, if scary; and by that point, I realized all that analysis had actually given me insight to make changes and succeed in the long term, and that any failures didn't need to derail me.

I also am still working to develop "discipline" in the sense of putting boundaries and limits on my over-thinking to move me into actually "doing" (which is another form of knowledge but an active one and one that brings resolution to things). I don't naturally force closure, but it's a necessary skill if you want to actually achieve things outside your own mind. So you learn all those fun little SJ-style tricks to keep yourself moving forward and focused. There's a lot of conscious choices to make along the way, to stay on track and moving.

While I think all typology systems are just perspectives rather than universal truths, I found the Enneagram model relevant for me with the Direction of Integration from 5 -> 8. It's the classic description of Five, which internalizes everything, is feared to risk and lose power and possessions -- is afraid to act, so everything remains intellectualized. A Five gains power and confidence by moving towards Eight style behavior, which is active and operates from the gut... except the Five's "gut" here is essentially all that analysis and head knowledge you've been packing away for years. It should give rise to certain instincts eventually that allow you to act rather than merely "think about acting" ... which in turn is empowering. That thinking you've done is not useless, it is very useful... but it has to be put to use and not just stored up in fear you might fail or make an error of some kind. One of my big battles was with "fear of being stupid / fear of making an error with lasting impact," but at some point you can trust yourself enough to step out.

 

[Reluctantly]

You'd have to come to terms with what's bothering you, which isn't easy. I imagine a large part of your problem is that you feel you can't because you have other stuff going on and/or aren't quite sure what exactly bothers you to begin with. Unfortunately, people often seem to think that focusing on work or school or something else will allow them to forget about their past problems, but then they don't know how to deal with them when they do show up again. And it seems like a recurring problem for you.

I'd say allowing yourself time to think about it on your own terms until you can pinpoint what exactly is bothering you is a good idea. Then you can start to come to terms with it how you think is best.

 

[crippli]

I try to keep the actual problem in focus. And make an effort to not let my mind stray off target. Finding answers also helps to avoid the "over-analyzing" label.

I'm a history student, and each period when starting new courses I'm very enthousiastic and have a lot of ideas regarding my topics, but after a couple of weeks I tend to have some kind of fallbacks, where somehow attending classes and concentrating on my study is blocked by an feeling of inadequasy, and because of that I'm stuck in the addiction of finding a solution for this. This causes me to analyse my passed, my physical health in the prospect of finding an explanation.

Aha. You let feelings dictate thinking. Have you tried separating the two processes? To avoid having one take dominion over the other?

 

[TheManBeyond]

there's no true way, try to practice mindfullness breathing exercises from buddist monks

 

[Kita]

Honestly, what helped me was just talking about it to anyone who is open to it. A therapist was a good start, because you are PAYING them, so not only are they usually good listeners, I wanted to get my money's worth so I actually opened up and talked instead of clamming up. They only work if you want them to. They didn't work when I was young and didn't want to be there.

Lately, short on money and spiraling a bit again to the point where I am having trouble convincing myself to trust another human like a therapist again, I have just been typing shit out like a mad woman. No one even needs to be able to read it, I just made a blog no one looks at (may be best to do an anonymous blog for super personal stuff too, so it can't be tied to you and you won't have comments and such bringing you back.). I found it helpful to just get things 'out there', and knowing it is there, I don't feel the need as strongly to relive it or even reread what I said about it. I guess in a way, my brain became satisfied with this new, fancy way of storing the information, and no longer tries to bring up the stuff nearly as often after I type everything out stream of consciousness style. My brain knows it is stored if it ever needs it again, and starts to let go instead of nagging me. I imagine old fashioned written journals work just as well too. Personally, my brain just likes digital more because the thinking part knows I can 'search' digital storage easier than analog, to a point where it can be more efficient than even searching my own jumbled brain. Not that I ever do actually dredge up posts. Just another layer of comfort that lets my brain be OK with it, I suppose.

 

[lilali]

I think the problem is that I have a hard time identifying feelings. It's often only in retrospect that I can identify the feelimg I had in a situation, in the momemt itself I'm just stuck in my head analyzing every aspect of a particular occurance or problem.

 

[lilali]

A couple years ago I went to a therapist but was not ready for it. I instantly realized the pherapist could not tell when I was telling the truth so not telling the truth was the easiest way out.

I've also tried writing on forums and even started a book but I've never finished a story or actually post it on a forum. I've just storaged everything somewhwere on my laptop without knowing in which file or under which name. I guess writing it is more fulfilling then actually sharing it.

What do you prefer writing or pherapy, and which one is more effective in your experience?

 

[Ellenora]

Over analyzing must mean wrong analyzing. After all analyzing is looking at a situation in detail. If the details send us into the forest where we get lost in the trees we loose our vision of where we want to be which is what to do in the forest. If we find ourselves going down the wrong path which is very easy best to leave the forest and reenter on a new path.

 

[Vrecknidj]

How do you stop overanalysing?

I stopped over-analyzing by 1) giving up, and 2) age.

 

[RandomGeneratedName]

1. Acknowledge the anxiety (somethings setting you off)
2. Let it fall over you
3. Repeat.

E.g If it's something like body ache and you immediately reach for the mouse to search symptoms, break the chain there.

If it's a reoccuring topic, try TEA CBT (Thought Error Analysis, it's a piece of cake and can do at home by self)

Break the "stare" as soon as can. At least for me, it only gets more difficult the longer it goes on for.


"fuck it" also works.
or "so what..."

There's more, but don't wanna over whelm