The art of not overthinking

Thinking is something I love to do, but sometimes thoughts can be overwhelming, especially if there are too many of them at the same time.

We as teenagers overthink way too many things, like something we said three days ago that might have come out wrong or an action from somebody else that could indicate that they don't like you.

We overthink everything. Until it gets to the point of thinking too much and just feeling empty inside. When there are so many things in your head, you question everything and everyone around, especially yourself, so that nothing feels real anymore.

So how do you overcome that feeling of emptiness?

I believe that we have stopped enjoying the life around us as it has become a daily part of our routine. Take for instance your way to school each morning. You might drive by a forest or a small village, but it's nothing special to you because you see it every day.

But do you see it every day? Do you notice the flowers blooming differently in different seasons or the little gnome in the front yard of the house you always walk past?

A thing that helped me get to enjoy this world – and I guess also stop overthinking it too much – is looking for something new on my way home every day. I try observing nature or people and learn to appreciate the world and that everything is there for a reason, even if its just to make this world more beautiful.

Another thing I did was listen to a lot of music. Nothing hits as good as a full volume music session when the thoughts get loud. I concentrate solely on the music, the beat drops, the background instruments and if I have headphones on, the way the sound switches from ear to ear.

This helps me a lot when I'm feeling down about something, but it's definitely not a temporary solution, it just helps to brighten my mood a bit.

One more thing that helped me was drawing. Art has always been a form of expressing myself and my feelings even if I don't do it on purpose. I don't think when I draw, I just do whatever feels right and I don't care about the outcome because it really doesn't matter at all.

I do it for myself only, and you know what? Even if you don't like the final result, you can always paint over it.

Art is usually what I do, but if you have a hobby that has a similar effect for you, I would recommend to just do that. Like weightlifting or any other sport you like to play.

Anything that keeps you from thinking about things you don't need to be thinking about. Something that keeps your focus there. It also helps to know you have something you're good at and something you can improve.

More than that I started to make the YOLO mindset more of my own. Even if I still think a lot, which also isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as it doesn't get out of hand. I started to think less before doing things because well, you only live once.

Although you still need to be careful with mindsets like these and not let it get out of hand, because as nice as living carelessly might sound, you need to value this life you have and – while making the most out of it – also taking care of it.

Finding the right friends was also a really important part for me. Find the people where you like yourself the best. It is really important to surround yourself with people around whom you feel safe and comfortable, people who you know wont judge you.

I know it is hard to find these people and maybe its not even possible at the moment, but just know that these people do exist, maybe even somewhere where you might not expect them. Don't force someone else's character on yourself.

The last thing I did was trying to picture myself in the situation of others. Like, if I overthink a text I sent or an interaction I had, I try to see my actions from the perspective of others and see how I would have reacted and usually it's not that bad.

You still have to find your own way of improving, but these are some things that helped me enjoy the life I have. You might want to give it a try.

Katharina Becher was an intern at RTL in July 2025.