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How to stop overthinking things in a relationship?

284 Answers
Last Updated: 04/27/2022 at 1:30pm
How to stop overthinking things in a relationship?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Kelly Brast, MA, LPC-S, LSOTP, CART

Licensed Professional Counselor

Life can be overwhelming sometimes. I specialize in helping people organize their thoughts, getting rid of the things holding them back, and finding a path to a better future.

Top Rated Answers
PrevkS928
December 26th, 2021 11:49am
There is no stop to overthinking. There is no limit of problems. There is no limit to possibilities of good and bad. It's normal to overthink in a relationship, especially those that are strong and intimate. You can't stop overthinking, but you can try to focus on the positives. A fight could appear as a break in your relationship, but it could also be considered an opportunity to find out what your significant other likes/dislikes, and how you can improve your relationship. One way to limit overthinking is journaling. Set one hour max for everyday where you sit down and write whatever is bothering you. Discuss it with your significant other, and try to find a solution. Good luck.
guardianangel122
January 7th, 2022 5:17am
A rule of thumb I live by is..not all of our thoughts are true. If you constantly find yourself worked up over the possibilities and it makes you anxious, pause and gently remind yourself this saying. Also, try to place yourself in their position. Perhaps they may have caused you to overthink due to their actions, but constant doubt only hurts a relationship. Also, may I suggest, to self reflect and ponder your patterns regarding overthinking. Has this always been an issue in relationships..Is this the first time it has occurred? From there, you can differentiate how to truly rid the issue forever. All the best
Vithleem
January 19th, 2022 8:12pm
It might seem obvious, but actually it is always important to remember that clear communication is what can prevent us from overthinking. This means that we owe first and foremost to ourselves to be clear about what our needs and desires are, and of course we need to speak directly when a type of behaviour is annoying us. On the other hand, we need to listen to what the other person tells us and take into consideration their perspective. Furthermore, making assumptions about what the other person thinks or means by an ambiguous comment is not helpful. If we don't understand what they say, we can just ask them and if we want to address a subject, we shall do so even if we feel that it is "late"
Anonymous
February 12th, 2022 8:20pm
I am in a relationship, and have been for 18 months and he has done nothing to make me believe he would do anything wrong. If this is the case, then the reason for overthinking can be personal insecurities you have of yourself (e.g., if you feel like they will cheat on you, but haven't given you a reason to think they will, then it is probably down to your own self-confidence and esteem). A way to move beyond this is by identifying what it is you're overthinking in relationships, if it is something because of how you are feeling about yourself, and try and tackle this.
Kpopcat2020
February 14th, 2022 5:37pm
1. Be aware of your relationship status. 2. Develop trust with your girlfriend/boyfriend. 3. Share things with your boyfriend/girlfriend that you wouldn't share with anyone else. 4. Be clear with your partner and yourself about what you want in this relationship and specify that with your partner. 5. Be positive and set a habit to be positive. 6. Be present when talking to your partner. Listen to what they say, add in some comments, and then you talk. 7. Fill your time with activities when you are not with your partner. 8. Stop rereading their texts(it makes you seem obsessed).
Anonymous
February 18th, 2022 4:07am
Strategy 1: Gain awareness. Strategy 2: Develop Trust. Strategy 3: Share With Your Partner. Since you are always stressing about one thing or another, you struggle to live in the present moment. In fact, overthinking can kill the joy of dating, meeting new people and enjoying what the current moment has to offer. Overthinking can make you assume negative consequences and jump to false conclusions. Strategy 4: Be Clear With Yourself About What It Is You Really Need in a Relationship. Strategy 5: Make Positivity A Habit. Strategy 6: Be Present. Strategy 7: Fill Your Time. Overthinking is not a recognized mental disorder all by itself. However, research has found it's often associated with other mental health conditions, including: Depression. Anxiety disorders.
lovelySunshine3837
February 25th, 2022 1:26pm
Just remain honest with your feelings and never try to change things forcefully. Give yourself some time to absorb any new activity around without labelling it as good or bad for you. It is only from a certain distance things get clarity. If ever you find yourself caught or sruck in an unpleasant mood just take your space and try to distract yourself from the chaos by indulging in some basic hobby like painting, music or a brisk walk. Try to change the ambience and take a break from disturbance. I think when caught in any immediate turbulence one should try to calm down instead of trying to find any fast solution or reaction.
Anonymous
March 5th, 2022 7:46am
Trauma pops up from the most unexpected people, places, and things. When this happens, ask yourself what past relationship trauma has caused me to create unhealthy habits. Communicate this experience and your feelings with your partner. Ask for their support and understanding in learning how to over come this within your relationship together. This will help your partner understand what’s going on within you as well as help you learn to heal from past relationships that may be effecting you in the present. Working on this separately and together will have a positively profound impact on your relationship as well as yourself
aCaringMistake
March 14th, 2022 11:48pm
The number one golden rule in a relationship is to have trust for one another. The second rule is that you got to have communication. The best thing you can do in this situation is to talk to your partner about all the things you're overthinking about. You have to accept the fact that there will be things in the relationship beyond your control and you have to embrace your vulnerability of being in a relationship. Overthinking is not a simple issue to overcome and it will take time. To ease overthinking you need to spend time with your partner, talk to them, work on your triggers and talk to friends to get a different perspective. I would just say that try not to self-sabotage yourself in the relationship. It is okay to overthink but its even better to communicate or talk to someone about it.
UnapologeticDG
March 25th, 2022 6:50pm
Talk about what you need. Have the hard talks. Be open minded and willing to be wrong or hear something you don't like. It's better to talk then sit silent. Your words matter, you thoughts matter and your feelings are valid. Your desires and wants should be acknowledged. A partner who cares for you, will want to hear about your worries and concerns. Being vocal in a your relationship should be honored and respected. Overthinking means you need reassurance. Do not be afraid to ask for it. There is no shame in being open. Our partners are not mind readers. Ask for what you need and don't be ashamed to be a safe space for your partner as well to speak their mind.
sagedevyn
April 2nd, 2022 11:33pm
To stop overthinking completely is something very hard to do, but you can minimize it. Try to use logic and use actual evidence will really help battle the overthinking and negative thoughts. also thinking about what you value in this person you are in a relationship with and what makes them important to you. i would also say being open with this person and telling them your fears because sometimes we read way to far into things when there actually isn’t really an evidence and logic to support the thought. being more down to earth and logical will really help with this.
Tellastar
April 11th, 2022 8:26am
Instead of passing our minds through the stress of over thinking, we can choose to communicate our insecurities or worries with our partner. Communication is the bane of relationships. When there is no communication, we live in our heads by imagining what could it be or what was done. Choose to trust those you are in a relationship with. Choose to have open and quality conversations always. If something bothers you or you don't understand a certain body language, ask in love. If after being open, and honest but still get rigid and opaque behaviors of them, kindly choose an exit for the sake of your mental health.
Anonymous
April 16th, 2022 6:10pm
Be direct, open, and honest. People tend to overthink less when they know exactly where they stand in a relationship, where another person stands, and there is trust. You can develop more trust by being more honest, direct, and full of integrity within yourself. Expect those things in return from the other individual. Taking direct actions to improve the relationship--like planning time together, or starting interesting or challenging conversations about things needed to improve a relationship--can be concrete methods for embodying thoughts, getting them out of your head an into action plans. Or, consider communicating with the other person that you're overthinking things--look for support from that person as they should be willing to lend support.
naturalhelper6843
April 27th, 2022 1:30pm
Speaking from experience, over thinking in a relationship is not good. It can lead to arguments and fights. It can very easily ruin a relationship. But it does not have to. If you find that you are overthinking every little thing that your significant other does/says there is a easy way to stop that habit. To do it you must first identify and recognize that you are over thing a situation-this is the hardest part sometimes-and being able to say STOP! Once you can do that you must find a way to tell yourself "this is not helping". You can then try to think of something else, try to find a way to take your mind of what ever it is that you are over thinking. But I have to stress that not everything is overthinking, you must find out how to find if what you are doing is overthinking, or if it is rational fear.