How do I stop over analyzing everything?

This is something that can grind me down somedays completely. Whenever me or anybody else says or does something I start to think of what it "really" means, or how it is percieved.

I can recall events from month's or years ago that still bugs me to no end. I just wish I could turn my brain off, or at least put it on stand by somedays. It's very hard for me to be spontaneous because of this. It's like "how is this going to sound in their ears?" or "what does she really mean by saying that to me?" almost all the time.

And afterwards I can lie sleepless worriyng that I've said or done something wrong, or that a compliment I might have recieved just has been sarcasm or vice versa.

I feel tangled up in my own thoughts and it's so annoying. I just want to be simple, live simple and not over think everything so much.

Hi Fragile!
You're not alone with that problem,I've been the same for as long as I can remember.
It's a confidence thing,it gets better as you get older,as your confidence in yourself gets stronger.
Then when you get to my age,you couldn't give a s**t what anybody says,thinks,or does.

I do the same thing, always have probably always will, it is a very hard habit to break. If something I or someone else said really bothers me I'll talk to them about it. Most of the time I find out that I'm reading too much into it. They will bring it up weeks later. Not only that but I'm a big "what if" person. Right now I have a situation that has several possible outcomes that I go over in my head. Sometimes so much so that it really stresses me out. It's very hard to just put it out of your head and think, I'll deal with it when it happens.

Fragile said:

This is something that can grind me down somedays completely. Whenever me or anybody else says or does something I start to think of what it "really" means, or how it is percieved.

I can recall events from month's or years ago that still bugs me to no end. I just wish I could turn my brain off, or at least put it on stand by somedays. It's very hard for me to be spontaneous because of this. It's like "how is this going to sound in their ears?" or "what does she really mean by saying that to me?" almost all the time.

And afterwards I can lie sleepless worriyng that I've said or done something wrong, or that a compliment I might have recieved just has been sarcasm or vice versa.

I feel tangled up in my own thoughts and it's so annoying. I just want to be simple, live simple and not over think everything so much.

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I know exactly how you feel on this and I have no clue how to break this habit. I can recall things from years ago that still bug me today.

Over analysing only ever becomes a problem if you or others believe it to be so.

its fine to consider, reflect and learn, as long as you gain from experiences and don't let it hinder or disable you entirely.

Don't live in fear.

Or, failing that, become a micro-analyist. You can never over-analyse when you're using a microscope.

I agree with Purple. I do this myself sometimes, usually while laying in bed, I think about something I did or said that may embarrass me and hope that no one noticed or cared. But then you've got to mentally slap yourself in the face, tell yourself to stop worrying about it, and think about something that you like or that makes you happy. I know from experience that it's not easy to do, and your mind always wants to drift back so that you can think about the issue some more, but you need to remind yourself that it really doesn't matter. You should be you in all of your glorious entirety, and if people don't like that or disagree with what you say, then they aren't worth your time. It's always hard to keep that in mind when there aren't many people for you to spend your time with, but as you become more confident in yourself and comfortable with who you are, making friends will become much easier.

Thought is the enemy of action. Try to act more, and accept that you act on incomplete information. This includes accepting and forgiving yourself for acting on incomplete information in the past.

I certainly know that I smack myself for some of the things I've done!

In short, though, ask yourself if you're being a bit of a coward and indulging in the safer form of overanalysis so you won't have to be brave enough to take action and risk failure.

I am able to get myself free by just thinking "What is done is done" that is all. In the end that is all I can say right? I take my notes from what happened and move on.

A good way to be able to say that is to just occupy your mind with something else.

Thanks for the tips.