Although it is very easy to obsess over something that is out of your control, overthinking is never a good habit to fall into. We all know that dwelling on something negative can cause problems in your personal and work life, but did you know that it can affect your health too? Here are a few ways overthinking can mess with your health, provided by the University of Minnesota.
It impacts your mental health.
Overthinkers are more prone to anxiety, depression, and other mental health-related problems. This is due to the fact that there is a constant focus on negative feelings and emotions, which causes them to stick around even when nothing is wrong. Try focusing your mind on happier thoughts in order to keep your mental health in check.
It affects your hormone balance.
Focusing your mind on negative thoughts can disturb your body’s hormone balance and break down the brain chemicals required for feelings of happiness. Lingering on feelings of hopelessness and sadness causes the most rapid depletion of these chemicals, and can lead to depression.
It can cause high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Constantly thinking about the stresses of your life can cause your blood pressure to rise. High blood pressure can lead to a variety of health problems, such as artery damage and dementia, and can even cause you to have a stroke.
It can create digestive disorders.
Overthinking can actually have an affect on your digestive system. By stressing yourself out with repetitively thinking about your problems, you can cause yourself to have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, and bloating. Stressing yourself out through overthinking can also lead to stomach ulcers.
It affects your immune system.
Overthinking can cause your immune system to wear down, and your ability to fight off even the common cold can be jeopardized.
If overthinking is affecting your life in a negative way, try finding the root cause of your stress, write down what you can control and let go of what you can’t, and try some of the methods on this list.
