Overthinking at work: the silent productivity killer

Hello LinkedIn community!

We recently conducted a poll to understand the prevalence of overthinking in professional decision-making.

The poll posed a simple question: When making decisions in a professional context, how often do you find yourself overthinking?

The results were eye-opening: over 8 out of 10 respondents (86%) admitted to overthinking decisions at work.

The varied replies showed a curious trend:

Often – Decision paralysis: 12%

On major / stressful events: 35%

Sometimes overthink: 39%

Rarely – Decide confidently: 14%

I decided to call on the brilliant Annika Mohlin ?? a top-notch coach, to understand why overthinking is common among professionals.

External and internal factors matter.

Why do we overthink?

The human brain is wired to identify dangers and devise strategies to ensure our survival. However, when we dwell on past events or worry about future possibilities, we get stuck in an unproductive loop. External pressures like tight deadlines and high expectations, as well as internal factors such as perfectionism and lack of confidence, can also contribute to overthinking.

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Speaking from personal experience, say you're on a project with tight deadlines. The pressure to deliver perfect results―fast! Those circumstances could send you into an overthinking spiral. Or imagine you're new to a job, and your confidence hasn't quite caught up. Overthinking in that case is also unwelcomed.

In addition, this is also what Annika observed:

“Some people tend to be caught up in “What if” scenarios ahead of decision making. Although scenario planning can be a good way of weighing different alternatives, it can be counterproductive if too many worst-case-scenarios surface. If all alternatives are bad, then you might not dare make any decision.”

Types of overthinking.

There are two main types of overthinking:

• Rumination
• Worry.

Rumination involves repetitively focusing on past events, including replays, disappointments, and "what-ifs." It often happens when we are sad or regretful.

Worry refers to anxiously thinking about potential future events, especially uncertain or negative possibilities. We may worry about finances, relationships, health issues or other parts of life.

Both rumination and worry are unproductive thought patterns that can exacerbate problems rather than help solve them. Learning to interrupt these cycles is important to prevent overthinking from spiraling out of control.

Consequence of overthinking.

Overthinking makes it difficult for employees to concentrate and work efficiently. They can get trapped replaying hypothetical situations or past mistakes, disrupting their individual performance and collaboration with teammates. This mental loop leads to procrastination as well, due to fear of failure causing delays in starting tasks.

Additionally, the constant cycle of worry and rumination drains mental energy, resulting in fatigue, poor focus, and less creativity. Ultimately, overthinking severely diminishes workplace productivity by reducing employees' ability to complete tasks, think clearly, and work together effectively as a team.

Addressing this issue is important for improving professional success and maintaining a healthy work environment.

So Annika Mohlin ?? , how can we combat overthinking and make better decisions?

1. Acknowledge your feelings

Recognise the inner dialogue that's causing overthinking. By putting it on the table, you can relate to it and address it head-on.

2. Embrace imperfection

Don't let the fear of failure or the pursuit of perfection hold you back.

What I’ve noticed when meeting clients in coaching sessions, is that many set very high standards for themselves and always want to deliver with perfection. Although the intention of delivering with high quality is admirable, when it turns into a fear of failure it serves as a blocker. We don’t always know what the best route or option will be. We live and operate in uncertainty. Many times, it’s wiser to just take a decision, any decision, and work from there until it might be necessary to course-correct.?

I worked for the Swedish furniture brand IKEA for 17 years, and its founder Ingvar Kamprad used to say:

“Only while sleeping one makes no mistakes”.

In 1976, when IKEA had already been around for more than 30 years, Ingvar wrote his “Testament of a furniture dealer”. This document contains the most important cornerstones of the IKEA business and here he talks about daring to make mistakes as a crucial component for development.

He also writes:

“The fear of making mistakes is the root of bureaucracy and the enemy of development” and “If we want to get something done, we can’t wait until we are one hundred percent certain that it will succeed”.

3. Invite new perspectives

Something else I’ve noticed as a coach are clients that are stuck in overthinking and decision paralysis due to the fact that they can only see one or two alternatives, and they like none of them.?

In those cases, I usually offer them the opportunity to try out a couple of different perspectives, to challenge their current ones. We play around a bit with that for a while and typically this opens the client’s mind and unlocks the decision making.?

For those not working with a coach, there are other ways of inviting new perspectives: Change scenery - head out in nature, switch chairs or look out the window. Start moving - creativity unlocks when we invite our full bodies, and we get access to more ideas. Switch roles - imagine you’re 5 years old, or that you are a cowboy, or that you are a surgeon: how would they approach the situation you’re in??

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4. Share with others

Discuss your thoughts with a trusted colleague, manager, or friend. Whether you seek advice or just need someone to listen, sharing can provide relief and clarity.

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5. Practice decisiveness

The more you practice making decisions quickly, the more comfortable you'll become with the process. Celebrate the relief and energy that comes with taking action and learn from any "wrong" decisions along the way.

Remember, overthinking is a common challenge, and you're not alone in facing it. Be kind to yourself and focus on developing a mindset that embraces learning and growth.

Practical Applications:

1. Start each day by making a small, low-stakes decision quickly to build your decision-making muscle.
2. Create a "decision journal" to track your thought process and outcomes, helping you identify patterns and areas for improvement.
3. Establish deadlines for decisions to prevent endless deliberation and force action.
4. Celebrate your progress and learn from setbacks to maintain a positive, growth-oriented mindset.

By implementing these strategies and practices, you can reduce overthinking, boost your productivity, and make better decisions in your professional life.

And lastly remember you’re in good company. As we saw in the poll here, many struggle with this from time to time. It’s common. Be kind to yourself, supportive communities and strategies can help reduce overthinking. With self-compassion and steady progress, you can overcome this.

Let's continue this conversation!

Share your own experiences and tips for overcoming overthinking in the comments below so others can benefit too.

Annika Mohlin ?? is a CTI-trained, ICF-certified coach.

She coaches driven professionals in growing a stronger self-leadership to gain balance, purpose and energy.

Her 25-year corporate career spanned across PR and communications including several global leadership roles with IKEA.

You can connect with her HERE.

Paul Chen has a background in sports science where he developed a passion for wellbeing and leadership in teams.

A career highlight was unifying decentralised teams and systems, improving teamwork and efficiency.

He is dedicated to social impact and organisational excellence through human-centered leadership.

You can connect with him HERE.