Am I overthinking this?

You are probably overthinking when you keep going over the same thing and nothing new comes out: no fact, no idea, no decision. Answer five questions to see if this is a loop and what to try, then check the thought itself. No score, no label, and nothing you choose leaves this page.

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Have you gone over this more than a few times today?
The last time you went over it, did you get anything new: a fact, an idea, a decision?
Is there something you could actually do about it in the next day or two?
Does the thought feel unwanted or "not like you", and push you to check, ask for reassurance or do something to make it go away?

This question helps us point you to the right kind of help.

What is it mostly about?

Check the thought: fact, guess or prediction?

A thought that keeps coming back usually mixes three things: what you know, what you are guessing about other people, and what you predict will happen. Pulling them apart shows how much of the loop is guesswork. The NHS suggests looking at a worry from another person's point of view, for example by asking yourself what advice you would give to a friend.

Write it as it sounds in your head, in one sentence.

What do you know for sure?

Things you could show someone: what was said, what happened.

What are you guessing?

Anything about what someone thinks, feels or meant.

What are you predicting?

Anything about what will happen next.

What else could explain it? Write at least two.

Not the nicest story: other stories that fit the same facts.

What’s your next step?

Write two other explanations to see your summary.

If the thought is unwanted and keeps pushing you to check things or ask for reassurance, this tool is not the right kind of help for it. Read about OCD on the NHS website.

Thinking it through, or going round in circles?

Thinking something through moves: you learn something, you decide something, or you do something. A loop stays still. You return to the same question, often with the same feeling, and come away with nothing new. Research on rumination finds that it enhances negative thinking and impairs problem solving.

That is why the check asks whether the last time through gave you anything new. If it did, give the thinking a time limit. If it did not, a different step works better than another lap: a plan, parking the worry for later, or looking at it from outside.

Questions people ask

Is this an overthinking test?

No. It is a reflection, not a measure. It does not give a score or say anything about you as a person. It names what kind of loop this seems to be and points you to a tool that fits.

Why does it ask whether the thought feels unwanted?

Because some repeating thoughts are not overthinking. OCD involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts that keep coming back, and compulsions such as asking for reassurance or checking. The NHS says it is important to get help if it has a significant impact on your life. If that sounds familiar, the check points you to help instead of a thinking tool.

What happens to my answers?

Nothing leaves your device. The answers live in this page while it is open, and are gone when you leave. If you want to keep the thought check, print it.

When to get help

These are self-help tools, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Talk to a doctor, or one of the lines below, if:

  • the thoughts stop you sleeping, working or seeing people most days;
  • you feel low or hopeless most of the time, or you have thoughts of harming yourself;
  • the thoughts feel unwanted and push you to check things or ask for reassurance again and again. OCD involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts that keep coming back, and compulsions such as asking for reassurance or checking. The NHS says it is important to get help if it has a significant impact on your life.

Free, confidential lines

  • US:988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988Free and confidential, 24/7. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org.
  • UK & Ireland:Samaritans116 123Free to call, day or night.
  • UK:NHS 111111, mental health optionUrgent help from the NHS when it is not an emergency.

If someone's life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent help in the UK, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and choose the mental health option. In the US, in life-threatening situations, call 911. Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.

Sources

  1. Anxiety. NHS Every Mind Matters. nhs.uk
  2. Nolen-Hoeksema S, Wisco BE, Lyubomirsky S (2008). Rethinking Rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science 3(5):400–424. PMID 26158958
  3. Symptoms - Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). NHS. nhs.uk
  4. Where to get urgent help for mental health. NHS. nhs.uk
  5. Suicide Prevention. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). nimh.nih.gov
  6. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
  7. Contact a Samaritan. Samaritans. samaritans.org

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