What If Your Brain Is Simply Working Overtime To Protect You?

For perfectionists, overthinking can be an attempt to prevent mistakes, avoid disappointment, and create certainty. You replay conversations, analyze decisions, imagine every possible outcome, and search for the "right" answer. Never feeling satisfied enough with your conclusions or fake arguments with yourself.

Your brain may tell you:

What if I make the wrong choice?

What if I missed something?

What if I could have done better?

The problem isn't that you think deeply. Your ability to analyze, plan, and anticipate can be a strength. This has proven helpful in situations at work, with family, or with friends. You could possibly be the friend of family member who plans all the trips! But, the problem is when thinking becomes a loop that leaves you more anxious instead of helping you move forward.

For teens, college students, and adults, perfectionism can make uncertainty especially uncomfortable. The unknown aspect of the “what ifs” leaves you on a thought loop that feels never ending.

Therapy can help you recognize when overthinking is useful and when it is keeping you stuck. You may be asking, how can therapy help?

Taking a mind-body approach can help you notice what happens physically when you get caught in an overthinking cycle, such as muscle tension, shallow breathing, restlessness, or difficulty relaxing. These are all signs that you may need to make a change.

As a Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, I help clients work with perfectionism, anxiety, overthinking, and self doubt while building flexibility and self trust.

Because your perfectionism was never the problem. Learning how to harness it is where transformation begins. Looking for a therapist who specializes in perfectionism, anxiety, and mind-body therapy? I work with teens, college students, and adults throughout New York, offering both in-person sessions on Rockville Centre, NY and virtual therapy throughout New York.

Book your free 15-minute consultation to learn how therapy can help you transform perfectionism into your greatest strength.