I left the conversation ten minutes ago, but my brain is still replaying it on a loop.
“Did I say something weird?”
“Did they look at me funny?”
“Why did I say that?”
It’s exhausting. Social overthinking is like a mental time machine, pulling me back to analyze every little detail. The worst part? My brain convinces me I messed up, even when I didn’t.
There was this one time at a group hangout. I made a joke—everyone laughed, but later that night, my brain decided it was cringe. I spiraled. Maybe they weren’t laughing with me but at me?
The next day, my friend texted: “That joke was hilarious! You always make things fun.”
And just like that, my mind had stressed over nothing.
Overthinking is a cruel trick. My brain convinces me that people are constantly judging me when, in reality, they probably didn’t even notice.
Lately, I’ve been working on fighting this. When I catch myself overanalyzing, I stop and ask: “Would I judge someone else this harshly?” Usually, the answer is no.
So if you ever catch yourself spiraling over something you said, remind yourself: You’re your own worst critic. Most people forgot that moment minutes after it happened.
What’s your best trick for shutting down social overthinking?
Elias Carter 