“Mind That Never Rests” “Thoughts That Never Go Silent” Mental Health and Over thinking in Gen Z Era WHAT IS OVER THINKING? Over thinking is a mental state in which the mind repeatedly cycles through the same thoughts and situations without reaching any solutions or decisions. It is often causes anxiety, tension, and mental distraction. HOW DOES OVER THINKING START? Over thinking starts when we: • Overanalyze situations, Fear of making mistakes, worrying about others’ opinions. • Focusing too much on the past or feeling anxious about the future. • Try to control things that are beyond our limits. • Reshape same situation in our minds through different scenarios again and again • Repeat same thought dozens of times • Blame ourselves for small mistakes. • Attached to unrealistic expectations. OVER THINKING AND GEN Z: Over thinking for Gen Z is a result of digital and societal pressures, especially the pressure of social media. This generation is constantly exposed to comparisons, fear of missing out (FOMO), mental exhaustion caused by endless content consumption. All of this affects their mental health. However, Gen Z also shows realistic and practicality dealing with life circumstances and often seeks balance despite these life challenges. WHY IS OVER THINKING EXHAUSTING AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT GEN Z? FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE: Over thinking has a strong negative impact on mental health, especially for Gen Z. It increases anxiety, stress, and feelings loneliness. It affects sleep and concentration, causes physical and mental energy Exhaustion, prevents enjoying the present moment, leads to mental fatigue, feeling head heavy, loss of psychological energy, difficulty focusing on studies and tasks, and can even lead to social isolation.
FROM A RELATIONSHIP PERSPECTIVE: Over thinking makes it difficult to build deep personal relationships. Escaping to the virtual world instead. It affects self-confidence, magnifies small and trivial issues, damages relationships, and makes minor situations feel like major threats for them. FORMS OF OVER THINKING IN GEN Z: • Re-reading messages and overanalyzing words. • Fear of making any decision due to overwhelming thoughts. • Caring more about others’ opinions than personal beliefs. • Procrastinating important steps while focusing on minor details • Constant feelings of not being “good enough” • A strong negative inner voice: “I should have acted better.” “Why did I mess up?” “I’m not enough.” WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? • Set a time limit for thinking: set a specific time for worry to avoid energy drain. • Challenge negative thoughts: Replace them with positive ones and focus on solutions rather than problems. • Engage with alternative activities: Exercise hobbies help reduce over thinking. • Communicate: communicate with others to release thoughts. Final Message to Gen Z: Not every thought is true…Not every fear is a warning… Your mind is not against you—your mind is just tired. Dear Gen Z, the problem is not in thinking itself…The problem is letting thinking control your life. Don’t let your thoughts dominate and control you—be the leader of your thoughts. Be the one who create thinking. Gen Z… the future needs you. Psychotherapist Rawan Al-Hilo
