Overthinking is the word that my readers most closely identify with. And it’s no surprise. Making decisions has become nearly impossible for Gen Z.
And it isn’t limited to just the big choices like your partner, your job, or the way you live out your life. Analysis paralysis shows up everywhere: what to eat, where to go, what to wear, what to say. Even a quick text back can become a ten-minute debate in your head.
But why is that? Why is it so hard to make decisions about nearly everything these days?
Let’s look at what has changed over the past few decades, why it’s made overthinking so common for young women, and, more importantly, what you can do about it.
First off, you are being absolutely bombarded by information and options via social media. More than half (51%) of U.S. teenagers spend at least four hours a day on social platforms. Girls, in particular, spend nearly an hour more than boys — 5.3 hours versus 4.4, on average.
During those hours, you're watching influencers drive luxury cars, eat at exclusive restaurants, and vacation in Bali. These things are completely unrealistic for most people in their early twenties.
You start comparing your real life to someone else's highlight reel. And when comparison sets in, self-doubt follows. That’s when decision anxiety creeps up.
But it goes deeper than that. Social media isn’t just showing you filtered lives. It’s introducing you to thousands of possible life paths that generations before you never even considered. You see people skipping college to build businesses online, freelancing from the beach, or traveling the world indefinitely.
Of course your brain short-circuits. There are too many choices. You’re not just choosing a job anymore. You’re choosing between twenty different lifestyles. That pressure to “choose the right one” makes it feel impossible to choose at all.
Add in the emotional toll of feeling left out, filtered out, or just generally not good enough, and it’s no wonder so many young people report feeling overwhelmed. Forty-five percent of girls say social media makes them feel this way, compared to 34% of boys. That constant overwhelm leads to decision fatigue, making even basic daily choices feel exhausting.
Brace yourself. This isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s the truth: The best way to stop overthinking is to start making decisions.
Tiny ones.
Seriously. Start with the smallest possible choices and build your way up. Think of it like going to the gym. You wouldn’t walk in and deadlift 200 pounds on day one. You’d start with five-pound weights, build your strength, and progress slowly. The same goes for decision-making.
Here’s what that can look like in real life:
These small choices start building something important: trust in yourself. You stop waiting for external validation and start learning that your gut can be trusted. That doesn’t mean every decision will be perfect. It means you’re learning how to move forward instead of staying stuck.
I know what you're thinking: But what if I make the wrong choice? Here's the honest truth. In your twenties, there are very few decisions you can’t recover from.
If you take a job you end up hating, that’s OK. Use the experience to pay your bills and learn what you want more (or less) of next time.
If you date the wrong person, that’s OK. Walk away wiser. Use the heartbreak as a mirror to reflect on what you value in a relationship.
If you spend too much money on something spontaneous, that’s OK. Let that mistake motivate you to learn how to budget, save, and spend with more intention.
The only truly wrong choice is refusing to make one.
And if you’re not sure where to begin, here’s a good starting point: Choose one area of your life where you're tired of feeling stuck. Maybe it’s your job, your friendships, your health, or your finances. Write down three possible next steps you could take in that area. Then, choose one. Just one. Try it for a week. See how it feels. Evaluate what you liked, what didn’t work, and what you might do differently next time.
The more you do this, the more you build your decision-making muscle. And over time, your confidence will catch up with your courage.
Overthinking and indecision aren’t character flaws. They’re symptoms of the world you’ve grown up in. It’s a world overflowing with comparison, options, and pressure. But once you recognize that, it gets easier to give yourself grace and take action anyway.
Start small. Practice often. Learn as you go.
And most importantly, remind yourself: progress comes from decisions, not perfection.
Ready to stop overthinking and start building confidence with every decision you make?
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