To start, it’s important to recognise that overthinking often starts with good intentions. If we’re putting a lot of attention on something it’s likely because we care about the outcome. Of course, overthinking can sometimes be fear-based and driven by insecurity but this is often something distinct called rumination, often found in obsessive compulsive disorder. In that case, the thoughts are unwanted and pop up spontaneously, which drives the continuous replay in people’s heads. On the other hand, with overthinking, we choose to bring those thoughts to mind. Often when we overthink, we want to arrive at solutions that will enable progress of some kind, particularly in the workplace. It will also often involve other people — anticipating other people’s perspectives and opinions, whether that’s focusing on the content of a work presentation or what you wear to present it.
