Numerous events can have an effect on your mental health, including the holidays, months without sunshine, divorce, death, miscarriage, losing a job, and much more. Try Not to Overthink Things: I find that worrying and overanalyzing go hand in hand. It also doesn’t help that my training as a lawyer requires me to scrutinize every detail and identify problems. I’ll obsess about what I’ve read, what someone said, and what they didn’t say. Writing and interacting with friends are two of my go-to tactics for reducing overthinking. Among other things, expressive writing has been demonstrated to reduce rumination and alleviate depression symptoms. Writing about a difficult issue helps your brain get a little distance from its own stream of ideas, which tends to lessen the intensity of the loops. It also doesn’t have to be elaborate or take a lot of time; even ten to fifteen minutes spent writing about a difficulty might be beneficial. It’s also beneficial to discuss it with a trustworthy person. My lovely sister-in-law and a few other friends serve as sounding boards for me; when I confide in them about a problem, they can help me see holes in my reasoning or suggest possible fixes. This is significant because social support is helpful when it is directed toward addressing problems rather than engaging in excessive problem-talk.
