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For some of us, everything is a catastrophe. They are just certain times where we find ourselves, making huge deals in our own mind about every possible negative that could come up in the future and, when those situations come to pass, it’s never really as bad as we think.

Did your boss call you into the office from your desk, chances are, they have something very mundane or moderately unfortunate to tell you. Are you going to think of every possible horrible thing that could happen during this chat on the walk over? Probably. 

This “catastrophizing” as it tends to be called is something a lot of people experience, and it can be a symptom of several different disorders. “Rumination,” or the act of dwelling on the past for much longer than normal, is a similar story.

This, though, has got people to wonder: is overthinking itself a disorder? Is there such a thing as overthinking disorder? If there is, how can it be treated? These are all perfectly valid questions, so let’s take a look at a few common causes for overthinking and what we can do to mitigate them!

Is there an overthinking disorder?

Here’s what doctors say

The simple answer is no. There is, according to our current medical standards for diagnosis, there is no such thing as an “overthinking disorder.” There is no medical textbook or common case study that will show you a specific disorder with the primary diagnostic criterion is just overthinking.

Of course, that does not mean that overthinking has nothing to do with mental disorders and mental health. Ruminating and catastrophizing are two very common symptoms of several other disorders, particularly those linked to depression and anxiety. Some common specific disorders are 

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Specific phobias
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Major depressive disorder

Wow, that’s a long list, and that’s not even all of them. The fact is, even though overthinking on its own, isn’t a particular, diagnosable disorder, it’s a really common symptom of many others.

Now, that above list may seem a little scary, so it’s important to recognize one big thing: an article on the Internet is not the same thing as a psychiatrist, and neither are you. To actually, properly be diagnosed with something, you should go see a professional. There are plenty of medications and treatments out there for these disorders. That being said, a little research can’t hurt. Another thing, though the mere presence of some form of overthinking does NOT imply that you definitely have all six disorders listed above, most of these disorders tend to have pretty similar treatments.

So, if you weren’t necessarily sure what issue is specifically causing your overthinking to occur, you may want to try out some mental health treatments that are less about tackling your specific issue with medication and more about leading a generally healthier life. Let’s look at some ways you can do that.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Often the mind can find ways to heal itself

A lot of modern movies have given meditation a bit of a bad rap. Just through the media we consume, plenty of people believe that yoga is only something upper middle class hippies with money to burn on supplies like yoga mats, exercise balls, and self-help books do. This is a very outdated view of mindfulness.

Really, mindfulness is just a fancy way of talking about living in the moment. It can refer to yoga of any intensity level, but it can also refer to the simple act of sitting in silence and breathing. There is no barrier to entry for mindfulness.

Sure, you technically can go out and buy the mats and the balls and the books if that’s what you fancy, but you definitely don’t have to. If you want to get started with mindfulness, the best step one it’s just sit on a flat surface, like the floor of your house, and take a few deep breaths. There are a lot of great mindfulness exercises out there that can really get you into the best headspace, but before we get into that, let’s look at why mindfulness can be helpful to combat overthinking. 

The two main types of overthinking are catastrophizing, or getting worked up over all possible bad things in the future, and ruminating, or feeling down about all the bad things in the past. Dwelling on either of these for too long is nothing but trouble. The great thing about mindfulness is that the entire point is that it brings you back to the present. You won’t have time to focus on the negatives of the past or the negatives of the future if you’re too busy focusing on the present. If you are in a place where you are safely able to do something mindful, then there is nothing going on in the present that can cause enough distress to stop you from mindfulness. Basically, as long as you have a couple minutes to sit on the floor and close your eyes, the pains of the past, and the agony of the future can’t hurt you.

Mindfulness is your way of being in the now, and putting yourself in that mindset regularly can really help break down a lot of the feelings that create catastrophes and ruminations. So, what are some tactics we can use to engage in mindfulness?

Body Scan

A body scan is a way to connect your brain to how your body is currently feeling. It’s an overall very simple activity. All you have to do is lay down, maybe on your floor or a bed, and think about your own body. Make sure your legs are extended out flat and your arms are at your sides, palms up. Now, starting from your toes and working your way up every little bit of your body, try to notice yourself physically. You don’t have to move, in fact, you shouldn’t move, but you should try your hardest to feel each little bit of your body.

A body scan involves you asking yourself several questions, such as: 

• What is my breathing like right now? Is it fast? Is it deep?
• How does each individual muscle across my body feel when I tense it a little?
• What is my throat feeling when I swallow?

These are just a few of the many things you can think about while doing a full body scan. This activity will get you engaged with the rest of your body and ground you in the moment.

Square Breathing

Speaking of grounding, basic breathing exercises are an amazing way to bring yourself to a state of mindfulness, especially when you’re in the middle of a panic attack or other sudden onset of rumination or catastrophizing.

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There are a few ways to go about square breathing, each with varying counts, but I personally prefer the classic method:

• Breathe in on a slow count of four
• Hold for four
• Breathe out for four
• Hold for four

The most difficult skill you need for square breathing is to be able to count up to four. Just make sure your counts are slow enough that you aren’t increasing your heart rate. 

Self Acceptance

This one is a little less structured, but still definitely worth a shot. Basically, all you have to do is go up to a mirror, look at yourself, and treat yourself the way you would treat one of your good friends. Literally, just once a day, go up to the mirror and tell yourself something nice. I guess it sounds a little dumb, but it really does work.

Just give yourself a tiny little compliment, even if you’re not sure you mean it. If you tell yourself something enough, you'll always start to believe it. The great thing is, it’s not lying to yourself. Catastrophizing and rumination are forms of lying to yourself. Giving yourself daily affirmations of self acceptance is a way to combat that with a bit of truth about how cool you are. Just give it a shot, and you’ll start to feel the results in no time.

Music therapy

We all knew it was coming

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I’m sure that, by now, we’ve all heard of one of the latest crazes in pop psychology. Music therapy, though, is much more trustworthy than a lot of the typical TikTok pseudoscience you tend to see. Music therapy is a trusted form of mental health treatment that involves a trained therapist who specializes in treating people through music.

Music therapy can take a lot of different forms, so you don’t have to know how to play an instrument to get involved. Some of the many forms you can take involve playing music, but most of them don’t. Sometimes you dance, sometimes you analyze lyrics, and sometimes you just listen.

There’s really no harm in trying music therapy. Of course not everything works for everyone, but music therapy works for most people. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Let’s put this question and our overthinking to bed

Overthinking, on its own, is not a disorder. It can, though, be caused by a lot of other things. Make sure to explore all the avenues you can when looking for a way to help work on your rumination and catastrophization.

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