In 2020, a global pandemic was declared owing to the outbreak of the virus Covid-19 which originated from Wuhan.  It quickly spread like wildfire.  Amidst these unprecedented times, news portals were consistently showing  the financial and healthcare impact of Covid-19 around the globe.  Declining mental health was the silent blowback from the pandemic.  Individuals were pressured during this trying time – students, working adults and so forth.  It is not uncommon to feel anxious and to overthink. 

The possibilities as to why an individual tend to overthink is endless – too much emphasis on results, people-pleasing, lack of self-confidence and fear of failing – are some of the primary reasons.  An individual who overthinks tends to manage crisis in their head because they are so worried about what the outcome may be.  In some occasions, this can be seen as a form of ‘risk management’ however that is only ideal when it does not affect one’s rationally or ability to still go ahead and approach the task/situation at hand to the best of their ability. 

In a work environment, an individual may be overly worried about pleasing their superior instead of being result-driven to produce quality work.  They may constantly be bombarded by the thought of their work not being liked or approved by their superior, which lead to lack of self-confidence.  Fear of failure is also a factor for individuals who overthink as they often imagine worst-case scenarios.
 
All of the above reasons outline one single outcome – the likelihood that these feelings will affect productivity.  Some of the ways that an individual can manage overthinking is by mitigating their expectations.  For instance, perfection is an ideal thought that a lot of people strive for and while it is a level most people would like to attain, no one individual is or can be perfect no matter how hard they try.  Be that as it may, an individual should strive to give their 100% and by trying each and every time, there is room for growth and with every experience confidence comes naturally.  One must always remember that it is okay to not know everything and optimism goes a long way.  Being optimistic is commonly misinterpreted as ‘setting’s oneself for disappointment’ when it is merely a state of mind that encourages you to do your best and expect results that falls within those efforts. 

For overthinkers that have people-pleasing tendencies, try having a healthy relationship by constantly communicating with the people you're trying to please.  For example, more often than not, the office superiors do not have unrealistic expectations of their employees.  A good working relationship is a good direction.  Analyse what went wrong (or could go wrong) and how to avoid the exact same mistake going forward.  While some mistakes may be costly, some of the best life lessons are best learnt through mistakes.  No one individual is exempted from making mistakes along the way.
 
In conclusion, the writer would like to quote her favourite motivational movie ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ where Will Smith tells his son “Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do including me.  If you got a dream then you got to protect it”.