PHOTOGRAPH: PÅL HANSEN. HAIR AND MAKE-UP: CARL STANLEY
Overthinking a situation or a problem can happen to anyone. Perhaps it has happened to you. You are in bed, ready to sleep and an issue pops into your head – an interaction with a colleague, an email you received, a chance remark with a loved one that you now think may have been misinterpreted… You begin to ruminate, analysing outcomes, how you could have approached the situation differently and, suddenly, you can’t sleep any more, no matter how tired you may be.
Overthinking can also manifest itself as analysis paralysis. This is when you spend so much time mulling over ‘what ifs’ that you hold back from taking any action at all. It may seem a trivial problem to some but, if it is unchecked, it can have a serious effect on a person, leading to anxiety and severe depression. Some may resort to unhealthy behaviour as a distraction.