One of the interesting aspects of my personality is that my mind is able to think of different aspects to a given situation or problem with the intent to find the best “solution” or path. If I am not aware of an immediate solution, I will naturally gravitate towards material to find alternative solutions and additional “dimensions” to that particular challenge.
While this technique works well in the professional arena, it can introduce numerous challenges in an interpersonal one. Thinking about a particular challenge or problem in this way can turn one’s life into a “mental prison” from which she/he may find it impossible to escape.
A natural response to this dilemma is “How can one escape?” Ironically enough, I think finding the answer should first start with an understanding of the problem. That would naturally lead us to understanding the concepts of overthinking or overanalyzing. I actually think we should start with the basic concept of thought.
You may be familiar with the phrase “I think, therefore I am” by René Descartes. This phrase basically says that if you have any doubt that you exist, the simple fact that you are doubting this possibility means that you do indeed exist because there is an “I” who is doing the thinking.
So, at the “root” of all thought is yourself. Your thoughts then start branching out from that single node. One thought leads into another and then another, with interconnections building between the various nodes. This, of course, is natural and is how normal learning occurs; you start with a fundamental concept and then you connect it with others to increase your skills.
If you think about a given topic long enough, a direct connection from the root node (“I”) will start to develop directly to that thought. The more you think about “it”, the stronger that connection becomes and eventually that thought becomes associated with “you”. The question then becomes “Are these connections referencing positive thoughts or negative ones?” That determination is a quick way to identify who you are at that point in time.
Time is also a key element in this equation. How long you think about a particular subject directly reinforces the linkage between “you” and that thought – the greater the duration and/or frequency, the stronger the linkage.
The depth of the thought is another key component. “Depth” in this context refers to the degree of “links” from the base thought to the “target”. The greater the depth, the greater the reinforcement. Again, this measure of “thought depth” can be positive or negative.
For example, let’s say that you receive critical feedback at work for something that you thought would be accepted as “positive”. The fact that these events are normally direct opposites (i.e. doing the right thing does not always lead to a positive outcome) can result in some degree of additional thought (due to dissonance). The degree of the thought can vary depending upon the person and the situation at hand. One path could result in a very shallow depth of thought:
1: Myself > 2: Feedback received > 3: Initial dissonance > 4: Reflection > 5: Accept disconnect > 6: Advance normally.
Another path with a greater depth of thought could result in significantly more “reflection”, a resistance to the original dissonance, and a “web” of thoughts that ultimately center back on the root thought node (“I”). It’s not surprising that thoughts with greater depth of thought can ultimately “entangle” the person having these thoughts.
These concepts ultimately represent what I call the “mental prison”. When the thoughts are associated positive elements, the prison becomes a place of enjoyment – when the thoughts are negative, it’s desirable to find an immediate exit.
Having a basic understanding of the mechanics behind overthinking or overanalyzing is the first step to cease doing so. Gain an understanding of what you are thinking about, and identify whether the topics are positive or negative. Start introducing positive thoughts immediately. If the amount of time you’ve spent thinking about a given topic is significant, “start the clock” on a different thought stream and begin reinforcing that pathway. If the thought pathway is “deep”, become conscious of the pathway and “self-correct” back to the root thought – yourself. Reinforce the positive to combat and eliminate the negative.