Are You an Overthinker? Don't Overthink It.

Hi Vocal, it's been a while. What a crazy little ride this whole life thing is lately, huh? I've missed writing something that is not a script, so I'm back! I was thinking (ironically) a lot lately about something that I consider one of my worst flaws- overthinking. What am I overthinking? Oh, well, pretty much everything. Someone had a slightly different tone speaking to me? = What did I do? Someone asks me a random question? = Why did they ask me about it? Should I know more about this?

One time, someone on the train asked me where they needed to get out to get somewhere, and I accidentally said a wrong stop. I spent the entire day thinking about whether they eventually found their way and worrying about how it might have affected their day. Sometimes, it comes back to me in the weirdest moments, and I end up showering thinking of a total stranger who I directed wrong to Hyde Park two years ago.

One of the most admirable yet wild for me to understand qualities in other people is when they can completely snap out of one thing and not think about it anymore. I still cringe at 2 am when I randomly remember something dumb I said when I was 13. And once I start, it's like an avalanche of embarrassing memories getting on my mind one by one. It's like a PowerPoint presentation, and my inside voice goes: "Oh, you think that was humiliating? Adorable. Buckle up for 24 different and better points you should have used in that 2016 argument."

As funny as it all is, it is also draining. It gets to the point when all the overthinking puts you in a very anxious mode. Thinking about past situations and what might be in the future steals our focus on the present moment. So what do you do when the river of thoughts gets a bit too ferocious?

Things to ask yourself when you start overthinking:

• Can I do anything about it? If yes, is it worth it?

• On a realistic scale, how important is it?

• Am I worrying about something that's out of my control?

• Would my [insert someone with an "okay that happened, let's move on" mentality] let it consume them like that?

• Do I even have time for this right now?

• On a scale from 1 to 10, how dumb is the thing I'm currently overthinking? In my case, 90% of the time, it's a strong 9.

Things to tell yourself when you start overthinking:

• Everyone's been there.

• There's no point in overanalyzing it.

• You're not present in the moment.

• I'm too badass to worry about something that's out of my control.

• One day at a time.

Things to do when you start overthinking:

• Slow down and take a deep breath.

• Listen to your favorite music or anything that will make you relax a bit.

• If you have a lot of things to do, make a list. Prioritize the things that are most important right now.

• Call your favorite person and let them give you a pep talk which in my case usually goes something like: "Marcel, seriously?" That's usually all I need to snap out of it.

Especially now, when the world is mad crazy, and we are all facing yet another wave of the pandemic, overthinking is bound to enhance. So many times, I think of 10 different things I need to do next week instead of focusing on the one thing I should be doing right now. Whenever that happens to you, remember:

One day at a time, one thing at a time.

It's all going to be just fine.