By Eileen Rachman & Emilia Jakob
Have you ever spent the whole night wide awake, replaying moments from the past that you regret, wishing you had done better? Perhaps you kept thinking, “If only I had tried harder to convince that executive,” or “If only I had prepared a more thorough presentation,” and so on.
Or maybe you found yourself unable to sleep, caught in a loop of anxiety about what the future might hold—what if the economy doesn’t recover? What if something happens to my children on their school trip?
Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as overthinking—a tendency to dwell excessively and repetitively on particular thoughts or scenarios. In today’s hyperconnected and high-pressure workplace, where competition is intense and expectations are relentless, it’s no surprise that many of us get trapped inside the echo chambers of our own minds.
We second-guess our leaders’ intentions, worry about the implications of new policies, or question every decision we’ve made. In organizational life, this slows down decision-making, causes missed opportunities, and breeds a risk-averse culture that stifles growth. Left unchecked, overthinking doesn’t just derail careers—it erodes our quality of life.
Melody Wilding, a professor at Hunter College, identifies three main faces of overthinking: rumination (chewing on the past), future-tripping (being stuck in the “what ifs” of tomorrow), and overanalyzing (getting lost in excessive doubt).
Chewing on the Past
Rumination is marked by a compulsive rehashing of past events, coupled with regret and self-criticism. It’s like a cow endlessly chewing the same cud—exhausting and unproductive. Rather than producing solutions, it leaves us drained. Worse still, this emotional toll extends to those around us, who may grow weary of our inability to move forward.
One antidote to rumination is reframing our inner dialogue. Instead of saying, “I failed in that meeting,” try, “I learned something valuable from that meeting.” Gaining emotional distance also helps. Often, we are much harsher on ourselves than others would be. Sharing your regrets with someone you trust can also offer perspective—chances are, they see the situation less harshly than you do.
Stuck in a Future That Hasn’t Arrived
Future-tripping is the habit of imagining all the worst-case scenarios that could happen. From unstable economies to the unknowns of AI disruption, uncertainty feeds anxiety. People caught in this spiral constantly feel unprepared—even after careful planning. They create Plan A, B, C, D… yet still feel unease.
The key here is selective ignorance. This doesn’t mean ignoring reality, but rather curating the information we take in. Avoid doom-scrolling. Focus only on information relevant and actionable in the present. Choose clarity over clutter.
