There is something strange about the human mind. Sometimes, it takes a very small problem and turns it into something so big that we lose the peace of the present moment. A single thought keeps moving around in our mind again and again, and before we know it, we start treating that thought as a fact. As someone who considers himself an overthinker, I have experienced this many times.
I remember days when a simple message left unanswered or a small misunderstanding would keep me thinking for hours. My mind would create different possibilities, and most of them were negative. I would imagine situations that had not even happened yet. Later, when reality became clear, I often realized that the problem existed more in my thoughts than in real life.
This made me understand something important: not every thought deserves to be believed.
Some thoughts are based on reality and help us make wise decisions. They remind us to be careful and responsible. But many thoughts come from fear, anxiety, assumptions, or simply too much thinking. The mind is powerful, but it is not always accurate. Sometimes it behaves like a storyteller, creating scenes and worries that have no connection with reality.
I think many people experience this without even noticing it. A person may think that someone is angry with them, while in reality that person is just busy. Someone may believe that failure is certain, even before trying. We often suffer twice—first because of the actual problem and second because of the stories created by our own minds.
Personally, I have wasted many peaceful moments because of overthinking. Instead of enjoying the present, I was busy worrying about the future. Instead of appreciating what I already had, I was creating fears about what might happen. Looking back, I realized that many of those worries never came true.
One thing that has helped me is learning to question my thoughts. Whenever a troubling thought appears, I ask myself:
Is this really a fact, or is it just fear?
Do I have evidence for what I am thinking?
Am I making assumptions?
If a friend came to me with the same worry, what advice would I give them?
These simple questions do not remove every problem, but they help me see things more clearly. They remind me that thoughts are not always facts.
Life becomes lighter when we stop believing everything our minds tell us. Peace does not come because problems disappear completely. Peace comes when we understand that some thoughts are only temporary visitors. Like clouds in the sky, they appear, stay for a while, and then pass away.
Being an overthinker is not always easy. The mind keeps searching for answers, possibilities, and hidden meanings. But I am slowly learning that I do not need to fight every thought or accept every fear. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to let a thought pass without giving it too much power.
At the end of the day, reality is often kinder than the stories we create in our minds. That is why I remind myself again and again:
Not every thought is reality. Some thoughts are facts, but some are only fear, imagination, and the result of overthinking. Learning the difference is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
