{"id":2680,"date":"2025-06-16T08:00:05","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T06:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/?p=2680"},"modified":"2025-09-19T08:54:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T06:54:21","slug":"was-ist-ueberdenken-wie-du-aussteigst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/2025\/06\/16\/was-ist-ueberdenken-wie-du-aussteigst\/","title":{"rendered":"Overthinking \u2013 why we women tend to do it more often and how to change that"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Do you keep thinking about whether it was the right decision to start your new job abroad?\nIs it hard to get your ex out of your head?\nWhen there\u2019s a problem at work, do you keep going over it in your mind, wondering whether you expressed yourself well, or how serious the problem is?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">At the same time, you might feel guilty because you haven\u2019t reached out to your friends for days or spent too much time scrolling through feeds that don\u2019t really interest you. You know you miss your friends but just can\u2019t bring yourself to connect.\n\nIf any of this sounds familiar, there\u2019s a good chance you tend to overthink, which means spending a lot of time thinking about something without reaching a clear conclusion. You\u2019re not alone; many others feel the same way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">In the following article, you will learn how to recognize overthinking and change it step by step, so you can experience more clarity, calm, and presence in your daily life.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">Watch or listen to the article:<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Overthinking stoppen: Raus aus dem Gedankenkarussell\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yZbE67yMUY0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">What does overthinking mean, and how does it start?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Sadness, one of our five completely normal and everyday basic emotions, often triggers reflection in many women, unlike in men, who tend to distract themselves instead.\nWhy am I sad? What is causing my sadness?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t<div id=\"text-1707228789\" class=\"text my-justify-class\">\n\t\t\n\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">Reflection can quickly turn into rumination, a term psychology borrowed from biology. Cows chew their cud again and again. Similarly, when we overthink, we repeatedly go over \u201cundigested\u201d thoughts. Overthinking is a process where a person persistently thinks about their feelings and problems \u2013 this passive thinking takes over their attention.\n\nStudies have linked rumination to various mental health disorders. People with depression or anxiety tend to ruminate, which can contribute to the development, maintenance, or relapse of these conditions.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Asking about the causes of your own mood is, of course, important for creating lasting change and shaping a life that aligns with your values and needs. However, caution is needed here \u2013  \u201cmaximizing,\u201d a decision-making style characterized by an exhaustive search for the best option, can quickly lead to overthinking, second-guessing, and regret, which can become exhausting over time.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Women are still influenced by socialization factors that tend to encourage a stronger sense of responsibility toward their environment and the people around them. The greater the sense of responsibility, the bolder the decisions, the more complex the life, and the bigger the heart and tendency to reflect, the more space there is for overthinking. There are countless ways and styles to live your life, which means there is also more to decide, question, and overthink. (I would argue this is more than ever before in our human history, although I\u2019m not a historian.)<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #282828;\">At the same time, a fulfilling life needs another magical ingredient: action. While you are wondering why you haven\u2019t gotten up yet, or why you can\u2019t seem to cook fresh meals regularly, or whether you should be living in a completely different country, or your mind is reminding you that you haven\u2019t reached out to your friends in a long time, you feel less and less motivated and the chances that you will take action decrease.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #282828;\">The ability to reflect, question, weigh options, or ponder philosophical concepts like right and wrong is an incredible achievement of our human species. However, it comes with a cost. In addition to what has already been described, a Harvard study showed that we spend half of our waking time lost in thought. The study further reveals that dwelling on our thoughts instead of focusing on the present moment simply makes <strong>us unhappy.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #282828;\"><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">So, does nothing really matter?\nHow you can stop overthinking<\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">How to tell the difference between overthinking and useful thinking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><span style=\"color: #282828\">It is helpful to differentiate between when you are actually  <b>solving <\/b><b>a problem<\/b> in your mind and when you are just  <b>overthinking unproductively<\/b><b>.<\/b> Because overthinking often even feels productive. Problem solving differs from overthinking in that it involves fewer abstract thoughts and more concrete thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Abstract thoughts usually arise from questions like \u201cWhy?\u201d For example, \u201cWhy did I procrastinate for so long?\u201d or \u201cWas the last breakup really the right decision?\u201d These are examples of abstract thoughts that do not have a clear right answer. Concrete thoughts, on the other hand, relate to specific situations and experiences and focus more on questions starting with \u201cWhat?\u201d and \u201cHow?\u201d This means planning and carrying out actions. For example, \u201cWhat would be a small first step to get started?\u201d or \u201cWhat can I do now to feel better?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Overthinking leads to nothing but more overthinking, especially when two factors are present: the content of your thoughts is highly distressing, or you are already feeling down. It is best to reflect on difficult life questions when you are in a better mood, perhaps while talking with a close friend or in a trusted setting with a psychologist.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">Being present in the moment<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Breaking free from overthinking is possible with practice. Another effective method is mindfulness. This is not only emphasized by traditional philosophical and religious approaches such as Buddhism but is also supported by scientific research. Mindfulness means the ability to focus on the present moment and to approach whatever you find there with openness and even kindness. Guided, classic breathing meditations have been shown to reduce the tendency to overthink.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">You can also practice mindfulness in everyday life by giving your full attention to routine activities, such as drinking a cup of coffee. You can do the same regularly with your inner processes by briefly scanning your body throughout the day to notice what sensations are present. This is also a good first step toward <a style=\"color: #282828;\" href=\"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/2021\/12\/13\/gefuehlen-raum-geben-wieso-und-wozu\/\">making room for feelings,<\/a> learning to observe what is happening in your body without judging it. This can also help you develop a more sensitive awareness of yourself and may allow you to recognize earlier when you are lost in thought, so that you can bring your attention back to the present moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">Creating balance<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Imagine you are lying on a surfboard. When you are going through a difficult phase in life, it is important to maintain balance in order to keep moving forward. If your left arm represents dealing with challenges or processing difficult experiences, and your right arm stands for distraction, you would just go in circles if you only used one arm to paddle. Therefore, a balance between facing challenges and allowing yourself distraction through enriching activities is necessary to keep moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #ab8742;\">You care deeply<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Your tendency to overthink shows one thing above all: you care deeply about things. Yet, it only helps you to a limited extent and can fuel feelings of dissatisfaction, exhaustion, and anxiety. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">If you find yourself overthinking, that is already a success because you have noticed what you are doing instead of sinking deeper into your thoughts. There is no reason for self-criticism even if your mind thinks otherwise. Instead, it is an opportunity to return to the here and now. If there is a problem that requires your attention, you can shift to active problem solving. Ask yourself what you can do in the present moment to make the best of the situation. That means focusing on actions that will bring you closer to the life you want right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">I have created a five-week mini-series on the topic of overthinking that gives you a clear and easy-to-follow tip each week. It is completely free and you can of course unsubscribe anytime.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<section class=\"section\" id=\"section_1580488999\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_1580488999 {\n  padding-top: 30px;\n  padding-bottom: 30px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Your first small step away from self-doubt, sadness, and anxiety toward what truly matters. Sign up now.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"row\"  id=\"row-1260571907\">\n\n\n\t<div id=\"col-1003198340\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/a078741e.sibforms.com\/serve\/MUIFAHA2jvZ6aPdTV7kB3h7NT-1ur2m9zKe3gYCPTKdKS3XoeAm6K-4bhYZSx9JyN9-2zwyykQ3TDugKQMIZ83dCGo1xCEUXsa1aFyid1kdSKbCY92vsjcy8ZaIbsaAzgjlHPBB28C8Er9LVlMlrpL2SGq5BoYHwT6-t-rg57fHpdja2ovad2WJJ8e9-CMmx7rSTmH2fsrvlVIYb\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"button primary expand\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t<span>Access the mini-series<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t<div id=\"col-1898529501\" class=\"col medium-4 small-12 large-4\"  >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-inner\"  >\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t<section class=\"section\" id=\"section_215532750\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-bg fill\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"section-content relative\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Do you have any questions or comments? I look forward to hearing from you!<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Love,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #282828;\">Nina<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#section_215532750 {\n  padding-top: 30px;\n  padding-bottom: 30px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n<p>Sources<\/p>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\">Finkel, D., Andel, R., &amp; Pedersen, N. L. (2018). Gender differences in longitudinal trajectories of change in physical, social, and cognitive\/sedentary leisure activities. <i>The Journals of Gerontology: Series B<\/i>, <i>73<\/i>(8), 1491-1500.<\/div>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/psychsocgerontology\/article-abstract\/73\/8\/1491\/2632025#google_vignette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/psychsocgerontology\/article-abstract\/73\/8\/1491\/2632025<\/a><\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\">Schwartz, B., Ward, A., Monterosso, J., Lyubomirsky, S., White, K., &amp; Lehman, D. R. (2002). Maximizing versus satisficing: happiness is a matter of choice. <i>Journal of personality and social psychology<\/i>, <i>83<\/i>(5), 1178.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12416921\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12416921\/<\/a><\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\">Killingsworth, M. A., &amp; Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. <i>Science<\/i>, <i>330<\/i>(6006), 932-932.<\/div>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1126\/science.1192439\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1126\/science.1192439<\/a><\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\">Hawley, L. L., Schwartz, D., Bieling, P. J., Irving, J., Corcoran, K., Farb, N. A., &#8230; &amp; Segal, Z. V. (2014). Mindfulness practice, rumination and clinical outcome in mindfulness-based treatment. <i>Cognitive therapy and research<\/i>, <i>38<\/i>, 1-9.<\/div>\n<div class=\"gs_citr\" tabindex=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10608-013-9586-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10608-013-9586-4<\/a><\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\">Randenborgh, A. &amp; Ehring, T. (2013). \u201eIch denke, also bin ich traurig\u201c: \u00dcber die Folgen des Gr\u00fcbelns. <em>The inquisitive mind, 1, 2013.<\/em><\/div>\n<div tabindex=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/de.in-mind.org\/article\/ich-denke-also-bin-ich-traurig-ueber-die-folgen-des-gruebelns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/de.in-mind.org\/article\/ich-denke-also-bin-ich-traurig-ueber-die-folgen-des-gruebelns<\/a><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t<div id=\"text-3376518017\" class=\"text\">\n\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\n<style>\n#text-3376518017 {\n  color: #404b3b;\n}\n#text-3376518017 > * {\n  color: #404b3b;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In diesem Beitrag erf\u00e4hrst du, woran du \u00dcberdenken erkennst, warum es dich ausbremst \u2013 und welche Schritte dir helfen k\u00f6nnen, wieder mehr Klarheit und Ruhe in deinem Alltag zu finden.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nicht-kategorisiert-de"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2680"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2680\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2778,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2680\/revisions\/2778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nina-uffelmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}