If you feel you are an overthinker, try this rumination quiz to find out if you have excessive thoughts or not. It’s a 100% accurate test based on 20 signs.
Am I an Overthinker? Signs You Overthink
Generally, if you excessively apologize, relive memories, worry about pleasing others, ask for second opinions, overanalyze decisions, and feel insecure in social situations, you are an overthinker.
Overthinking is the inability to control one’s thoughts, especially the negative ones.
The Overthinking Quiz Explained
Consisting of 20 psychological questions, the overthinking quiz is a self-evaluation that reveals if you’ve lost your thoughts’ control. It identifies if you’re an overthinker—a person with excessive worries—or a catastrophizer—one who assumes that the worst will happen.
4 Types of Overthinkers
Although not a mental illness, overthinking takes various forms. Here are the four types.
1. Ruminating about the past.
Often seen in people with childhood trauma, rumination about memories is the most common type of overthinking. It urges the person to relive negative emotions of past experiences.
2. Worrying about the future.
Another type of overthinking deals with fears of the upcoming. The person might overanalyze every move to prevent catastrophes. And they may worry about absurd ideas, such as how will I die?
3. Overanalyzing decisions.
Extreme hesitation is an undeniable sign of overthinking. But for some people, it’s the source of their rumination issues. They can’t stop overanalyzing every move.
4. Social anxiety.
A common type of overthinking is bound to cause anxiety in social situations. In this case, the person is self-conscious around others and feels unable to interact or engage in everyday activities.
Overthinking Checklist
If you have four or more of the following symptoms, you’re an overthinker:
- You are insecure.
- You have a problem sleeping.
- You can’t let go of negative memories.
- You ask for and act on second opinions.
- You apologize several times for one mistake.
- You feel nervous when you can’t please others.
- You’re constantly worried about things you can’t control.
How to Stop Overthinking
The ultimate solution is therapy. However, Emma McAdam, a licensed marriage & family therapist, suggests a 5-step process that might help you stop overthinking.
Step 1: Notice and name your thoughts.
Remind yourself, “I’m overthinking,” says Emma McAdam.
It’s crucial to be conscious of overthinking. The first step, therefore, is to catch yourself red-handed and remind yourself that you are currently overanalyzing a thought or situation.
Step 2: Postpone or schedule your worries.
To limit the time you spend on each thought, postpone the ones that bother you. Promise yourself that you’ll come back and overview that particular idea when you’re ready.
It’s even better to schedule a specific day each month to review your worrying thoughts.
Step 3: Shift your attention and thought process.
Your goal should be shifting attention from unnecessary to necessary, from abstract to concrete, and from dismissible to valuable thoughts.
Step 4: Distract yourself.
Although not a permanent cure, distraction can help ease your stress. So, one way to stop overthinking is by engaging in attention-draining activities.
But beware that too much distraction causes other problems, such as derealization. So, don’t overuse this technique.
Step 5: Think on a piece of paper.
Never let overthinking take place in your mind. Put your thoughts onto a paper instead—and try giving them a logical order. Oftentimes, writing down your worries leads to solutions or demonstrates the insignificance of the issue(s).
What to Do if the Test Called You an Overthinker?
Don’t overthink the results. Everyone experiences excessive thoughts at some point in life. Overthinking is not a mental condition, and there are several effective methods to keep it under control.
If the test called you an overthinker—and if intrusive thoughts are interfering with your everyday life or relationships—consider seeing a therapist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an excellent way to deal with overanalyzing or catastrophizing. And a therapist can guide you through the process.
Disclaimer
The overthinking quiz is not a replacement for a clinical diagnosis. Please, consult a licensed therapist or a psychologist for a detailed analysis.
How to Play?
Playing personality quizzes is straightforward: Choose the option that’s true about you—or you relate to—and select “Next.” Unlike trivia quizzes, personality tests have no right or wrong answers. But the questions are in forced-choice format. The point is to push you to choose an option that makes the most sense, not the one that’s 100% true. For the most accurate results, don’t overthink your responses. Go with options that you “feel” are the best.
Questions of the quiz
- 1How do you often apologize?
I say sorry and move on.
I just go away and stop bothering people.
I apologize every time I recall the incident.
I apologize and ask the person if they still love/like me.
I often can't decide how to apologize.
I don't even apologize because it's always pointless.
- 2Which one describes how you recall or recap your memories?
I often recall positive memories and enjoy them.
I usually rethink the cringiest moments of my life.
I keep thinking about my tragic or traumatic memories.
I don't recap memories. I create fake scenarios about the future.
I often regret my past and rethink my decisions.
I usually think about horrible things that could or will happen.
- 3Which one describes your insecurities better?
I'm not that insecure.
I'm insecure about my body or look.
I'm insecure about my family or social status.
I'm insecure about my career or financial status.
I'm insecure about my relationship(s) or friends.
I'm insecure about all of them.
- 4Do you have problems sleeping? What causes it?
No, not really.
Yes, I can't stop thinking about my day at night.
Yes, I keep recalling bad memories at night.
Yes, I'm constantly worried about something in the future.
Yes, but I don't know why.
Yes, I'm anxious about everything in life at night.
- 5How important is it to you to please others?
It's not that important. You can't please everyone.
I feel like no one would love me if I stopped pleasing them.
I feel like people stopped liking me because I did not please them.
I feel like I'm inadequate and can't please anyone.
I'm constantly trying to figure out how to please others.
I don't care about pleasing others. No one loves me anyway.
- 6When do you usually ask for a second opinion?
Rarely. Only when I'm baffled.
I don't have anyone to ask for a second opinion.
I used to do that a lot. But I can't trust others anymore.
I ask for second opinions before making important decisions.
I ask for second opinions about everything in my life.
I don't ask for second opinions because people are liars.
- 7What kind of topics worries you more often?
Financial problems.
Relationship or dating problems.
PTSD or mental health stuff.
Career or education problems.
Marriage, taxes, or business-related problems.
Health or death.
- 8Has your anxiety affected your relationships? In what way?
No, not really.
Yes, it has isolated me.
Yes, it has caused a breakup.
Not yet. But I'm worried that it'll ruin my relationships.
I'm not sure.
Yes, I'll never be able to start a new relationship again.
- 9What calms you down?
Talking about my problems or venting.
Locking myself in my room or being lonely.
Ensuring that my close ones still love me.
Achieving a goal or getting something done.
Asking for someone's help or having someone on my side.
None of them could calm me down.
- 10Which one gives you more stress? Past, present, or future?
It depends.
Present
Past
Future
Present's effect on future
All three of them.
- 11How do you make important decisions?
I trust my gut or knowledge.
I usually let others make such decisions for me.
I try not to repeat my old mistakes.
I analyze every aspect of the decision in advance.
I ask for second opinions and act on the suggestions.
I don't make crucial decisions. I postpone them.
- 12What's your biggest fear like?
I'm afraid of losing loved ones.
I'm afraid of dying lonely.
I'm afraid of repeating my stupid mistakes.
I'm afraid of letting my loved ones down.
I'm afraid of ruining my loved ones' lives.
I'm afraid of all of them.
- 13What worries you in romantic relationships?
Cheating or things like that.
Rejection.
Lies.
Divorce or breakup.
Choosing the wrong person.
All of them.
- 14Which one describes your intrusive thoughts?
I don't have that many intrusive thoughts.
They are primarily about my personality, body, or looks.
They are mostly about my saddest memories.
My intrusive thoughts are about bad things that'll happen in life.
My thoughts are about my incapability and inadequacy.
All of them.
- 15Are you worried about your family? What concerns you?
No, not really. They're doing fine.
I'm worried that they might feel ashamed of me.
I'm worried that they don't love me anymore.
I'm worried that they will abandon me sooner or later.
I'm worried that they'll ruin their lives.
I'm worried that they'll die soon.
- 16Is it easy for you to make new friends? If not, what's stopping you?
Yes, but it depends.
No, it's impossible. No one wants to be my friend.
No, it's not easy. I don't want to relive my past regrets.
No, it's challenging. I feel like no friendship will last long.
No, it's confusing. I can't decide who's the right person to befriend.
No, I don't want to have friends. All they do is hurt your feelings.
- 17Can you trust others? If not, why is that?
Yes, I usually trust people after a while.
Yes, but I feel like no one trusts me.
No, trusting others makes me vulnerable.
No, trusting others might backfire in the future.
No, I can't decide who's trustworthy.
No, everyone's a liar, and I don't trust anyone.
- 18How assertive are you?
I'm pretty assertive.
I'm not assertive at all.
I used to be more assertive.
IDK. But I need to become more assertive.
I'm not sure if being assertive is a good thing.
I hate being assertive.
- 19Do you believe that you deserve to be loved?
Yes, I deserve love.
No, I don't deserve it.
I might deserve it. But not many people do.
I'm trying to become a better person, so I deserve it.
I don't know. It's so confusing.
No one deserves true love. Not even me.
- 20Final question: How is your stress level affecting your daily life?
It's not affecting my life that much.
It has interfered with my social life.
It has made me a forgetful person. I can't focus.
It has made me an overly cautious person.
It has made me clingy, dependent, and insecure.
All of them. It has affected every aspect of my life.
