2 Steps to Deal with Mistakes at Work — For Overthinkers

If you’re an overthinker like me, you know that no one is harsher on you than, well… you!

I often fall into a spiral of self-criticism and stress over even the smallest mistakes. Over time, I’ve tried many things to prevent mistakes from consuming my mental space, but I’ve found that a simple two-step process that has helped me to manage my mistakes with a bit more ease:

Step 1: Identify the Actual Cause of My Overthinking
Step 2: Shift My Thought Patterns with Self-Talk

Step 1: Identify the Actual Cause of My Overthinking

When I’m in the middle of overthinking, even minor mistakes can feel like major catastrophes. But not every situation warrants the amount of stress I give it.

1. It wasn’t a mistake, and I’m just overthinking
Sometimes, I realize there was no mistake — just my mind amplifying little things that others might not even notice.

2. It was a mistake, and I’m overthinking it
If I did make an error, it helps to acknowledge it and remind myself that mistakes are natural. After all, nobody is perfect, and everyone makes them.

3. It was a big mistake, and I’m overthinking
If I feel the mistake was genuinely significant, I start by acknowledging that my reaction might be intensified by overthinking. The first thing I do is acknowledge the mistake with my team (or the relevant person) and outline the next steps to mitigate, fix, or manage it. Sitting on it only intensifies my self-criticism and beats the sh** out of me., so taking action helps me move forward constructively.

Step 2: Shift My Thought Patterns with Self-Talk

As an overthinker, I often relive mistakes repeatedly and imagine the worst possible scenarios. While the intention is usually to “analyze” or “learn,” it mostly ends up adding stress. I’ve found that practising supportive self-talk helps me interrupt this pattern and focus on the positive.

Here’s how I shift my overthinking into something more constructive:

1. Challenge Negative Thoughts
When I make a mistake, my mind often goes on high alert, hyper-focused on what went wrong. Now, I try to recognize when my thoughts are unhelpful, adding unnecessary weight to the mistake. Writing my thoughts on paper or in a diary and reading them helped me a lot

2. Reframe the Situation with Self-Talk
Self-talk allowed me to turn my inner dialogue into something encouraging rather than critical. Here’s how I do this:

• Ability-Talk 💜
  I remind myself of my skills and past successes with statements like, “I’m good at my job.”This helps me maintain perspective and focus on my abilities.
• Effort-Talk 💜
  Reinforcing the hard work I put in, I tell myself, “I’m doing my best.” This reminder stops me from devaluing my efforts, even if the outcome wasn’t perfect.
• Self-Talk 💜
  I give myself credit for putting in the effort at every moment: *I’m committed to doing my best.* This gentle shift makes me more compassionate with myself.

Stopping overthinking doesn’t happen overnight; it takes effort, self-awareness, and recognizing the patterns that can lead me down that road. It has taken me ten years of my professional journey to acknowledge this anipattern. I write in journals during those intense moments and regularly revisit them. Now, I see that mistakes don’t have the power to shake my confidence as they once did.

Today, I feel proud of where I’ve come in both my professional and personal growth. I am a woman, a mother, and a product manager, and I approach each role with the utmost honesty. I have worked really hard and I am very product of it. and so should you!

I’m doing my best — and that’s worth celebrating