 Hey there, Psych2goers! Today we're going to try something new. It's time for a trivia quiz. Woohoo! According to a study by Queen's University, how many thoughts does the average person have per day? Comment your answers below. A. 2700 B. 6200 Or C. 15900 Have you picked your answer yet? Well, we're going to reveal the answer at the end of this video, so stay tuned. Now back to the video. We have a lot of thoughts per day, but we know that not all thoughts are equal. Some are useful and healthy, while others are harsh and unhealthy. Even worse, when we overthink unhealthy thoughts, we're at risk of mental conditions like depression. But how can we tell if our thoughts are putting us at risk? Here are five signs overthinking is giving you depression. 1. You worry about problems instead of looking for solutions. Are you bothered by a current problem, something that happened in the past or expectations in the future? It's natural to think about situations that affect us, but we should focus our attention on finding a solution. If you're repeatedly dwelling on bad outcomes, emotional stress, or how things are out of control, this is unhealthy rumination. Studies show that people with depression claim to be reflecting on problems to get a better understanding of them. But when they say their thoughts out loud, they are clearly ruminating on the same negative emotions over and over without any real goal. So the next time you think about a problem, ask yourself, is this productive worry or is this just worrying for the sake of worrying? 2. You brood on your mood when you're in a bad mood. How do you cope? Healthy ways include spending time with others, distracting yourself with a hobby, or understanding the cause so you can prevent it in the future. But it's unhealthy to brood on your bad mood and its consequences like wondering whether it will look bad to others, whether you'll get anything done today or how long the negative emotions might last. Belling on negative feelings can cause them to spiral out of control and put you at risk of depression. So the next time you're in a bad mood, try not to trap yourself in the same emotional state by dwelling on it. 3. You dwell on your personal shortcomings. If I asked you to picture your ideal self, how similar would it be to your present self? Was the comparison inspiring you to try harder or was it discouraging and negative? Self-awareness is a very useful skill as it helps us reflect on our actions and improve ourselves. But dwelling only on your shortcomings can lead to excessive self-criticism and a negative sense of self. Research shows that when we become aware of goals we've failed, standards we don't reach, and mistakes we've made, we experience anxiety and a need to escape. If we keep thinking about these things, the feelings can develop into depression and the need to escape can develop into thoughts of self-harm or even suicide. So the next time you become aware of your shortcomings, try to think about your strengths as well. 4. You think the future is hopeless. Do you have hope for the future? As mentioned, thinking about problems or personal shortcomings is healthy when it's directed towards improvement, but people with depression usually feel that there is no hope for the future and improvement is impossible. They dwell on the idea that their situation is fixed. Everything is out of their control and they'll be flawed forever. Needless to say, thinking that nothing will ever get better will only make you fail more, making the problem worse. So the next time you're faced with problems, find reasons to hope for a good outcome or redirect your attention to other problems where you can make a difference. 5. You engage in meta-rumination. Now that we've talked about how negative thinking can give you depression, let's go up another level. How often do you dwell on your own negative thinking? Research shows that people with depression not only engage in unhealthy rumination, they also engage in meta-rumination, which means they ruminate on their negative rumination. Every time they catch themselves thinking in negative or unhealthy ways, they judge themselves for overthinking, worry about their own thinking patterns and feel like their minds are doomed to be like that forever. On top of the original negative thoughts, these extra ruminations add to the problem and further the depression. So the next time you notice you're thinking in negative ways, try to deal with it without judging yourself too harshly for it. Okay, so remember the trivia quiz earlier? We're going to reveal the answer now. The correct answer is B. According to a study by Queen's University, the average person has 6,200 thoughts per day. Which answer did you pick? Can you relate to any of the thoughts mentioned? Let us know in the comments below. And don't forget to like and share this video if you think it'll help someone else. The studies and references used are added in the description below. Until next time and thanks for watching.