Deep Thinking & Overthinking
I'm a deep thinker. I like to know the "hows & whys" and the "cause & effects" of things. How does this work? Why did this happen? What caused this issue? What effect will this have?... That's not necessarily bad. A lot of times if you understand those things, you can figure out how to resolve an issue or avoid a problem all together. After all, not thinking things through can get us into a heap of trouble sometimes.
While deep thinking may have its benefits, I'm also an over thinker at times, and that isn't quite as beneficial. In fact, it can be detrimental if we allow it to overtake us. Simply put, overthinking is spending too much time dwelling on things. Everyone has occasionally put too much thought into something. Whether it was second guessing decisions, being concerned about the future, or recalling things of the past. But when it happens too often, it can be a symptom of depression or anxiety and even a form of OCD. A severe overthinking episode is sometimes described as the merry-go-round of the mind. Trust me, it isn't as fun to be on as the spinning playground equipment of younger days, and it isn’t near as easy to get off of. It's a vicious cycle that can include intrusive thoughts of doubt, guilt, or shame.
One thing I've found of myself and many others that struggle with the same thought process is that we're well aware of our own struggles. Most of the time, people that are over thinkers know this about themselves. As a result, they'll sometimes let things that need to be addressed go on longer than they should. That’s usually because they want to be absolutely sure that anything they consider to be an issue has been put to that litmus test first.
Since starting this blog journey, I've had people tell me, "I may be overthinking this. Can you help me understand it?" I've had others tell me that because they're a known over thinker, when they have valid concerns they're often not taken seriously, and others say that they figure they’ll just be dismissed anyway. Because of this, I think it's important to understand that if someone trusts you enough to bring an issue to you, it’s important to them and it should be to you too. Love them enough to listen. More than likely, they've already made sure it was a valid concern before they ever brought it to you.
Although some of us may be wired differently, we know that we still get all of our answers from the Lord. One of the most descriptive statements I've read on anxious thoughts is the New American Standard version of Psalm 94:19 which reads…When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. While I feel for the psalmist, who was asking God to bring justice to the wicked at the time, it's nice to know that we aren't the only ones that have faced multiplying thoughts that were more than we could handle on our own. The Lord is there to comfort and delight our soul even when we feel that we are at the mercy of our own minds. His peace will guard not only our hearts, but also our minds if we pray and ask Him to.
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. -Psalm 94:19
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:7
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