Rethink work host Kirsten Ludowig talks to Lazar Backovic, head of the careers team at Handelsblatt, about overthinking at work.
Dusseldorf The career network LinkedIn recently asked its community if overthinking was affecting their jobs. Almost 25,000 votes took part in the poll. Of these, 40 percent chose the answer “Yes, it’s a daily struggle”. Another 36 percent also said “yes”, but with the addition that they could handle it.
Translated, “to overthink something” simply means “to think too much about something”. There are quite a few books on the subject on the market. However, there is no official definition. In The Book of Overthinking, bestselling author and psychologist Gwendoline Smith describes it as rumination and some form of anxiety.
“It’s about the constant question: what if? For example: If I hadn’t quit my last job, I would be much happier now,” explains Lazar Backovic during a discussion with colleagues in the “Handelsblatt Rethink Work” podcast. He heads the Handelsblatt careers team, which also deals with the topic of overthinking.
There are a few warning signs of overthinking, says Backovic. These included, among other things, permanent speaking in the subjunctive (“oh, if only I were…”, “oh, if only I…”), exaggerated fears and that one could no longer switch off.
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The consequences: “In the end you block yourself, postpone the deadlines, break out in a panic” and, as a manager, “make the team wushy”, explains the journalist.
Overthinking at work: Working from home encourages brooding
Backovic believes that overthinking is a phenomenon of our time. “Many employees feel a high pressure to change. The complexity in the organizations in which they work is constantly increasing.” And then there would be crises like the corona pandemic and the Ukraine war. “These are all an extremely large number of uncertainty factors that encourage pondering per se.” Just like working from home.
The good news: There are also many ways to stop brooding. In mid-August, the Handelsblatt career team asked six managers how they managed to free themselves from the merry-go-round of thoughts. Contrasting programs such as watching series, sport, meditation or going for walks were mentioned. Backovic: “I think it’s really good when the brain manages to switch to autopilot.”
For many, the exchange with colleagues is also part of it – and the acceptance that sometimes things can go wrong. Because “perfectionists are often overthinkers,” says Backovic.
More: You can hear the previous episode of Handelsblatt Rethink Work here
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