Sometimes, I think too much about small things. Like if I say something in class, I keep wondering if it sounded stupid. Even if nobody reacts, my brain keeps playing it over and over, making me feel weird. If a friend takes too long to reply to a message, I start thinking, “Did I say something wrong? Are they mad at me?” Most of the time, it turns out they were just busy, but by then, I’ve already imagined a hundred different reasons why they might be upset. It’s exhausting.

I guess I overthink because I don’t want to make mistakes. I want to do everything right, and I don’t want people to think badly of me. But the more I think, the worse I feel. It never actually helps. I’ve realized that when I catch myself overthinking, the best thing to do is stop and do something else. I put on music, go outside, or just distract myself with something fun. Sometimes, I tell myself, “Will this even matter next week?” and most of the time, the answer is no. Writing things down also helps because when I see my thoughts on paper, they don’t seem as big anymore.

Overthinking feels like running in circles, getting nowhere but still feeling tired. I’m trying to remind myself that not everything needs to be figured out right away. Sometimes, it’s okay to just let things be and move on.