Overthinking creates so many options, choices and scenarios that you end up unable to make a decision — a concept called analysis paralysis.
A study from the U.K. discovered that when certain parts of your brain and cognitive processes are quiet, you’re more creative. Overthinking — which can lead to a “mental rut,” as the study notes — can essentially cause you to get stuck and run out of ideas or new solutions. While some overthinking can lead to fresh, new ideas, it can also backfire and create mental roadblocks that make it challenging to think outside the box.
It takes a lot of mental energy to overthink. Your brain is generating so many different thoughts and scenarios that aren’t really going toward anything productive. Mental energy without any sort of physical outlet absolutely can make it fatiguing and make it feel like you’re exhausted because you spent so much time in your own head.