Imagination can take us anywhere, but we sometimes choose terrible destinations.
Some of my favorite memories of my now-grown son are watching him "flying" in the backyard, caught up in stories he could neither explain nor escape. He required few props and had endless possibilities. So great was his joy I couldn't bear to interrupt him for dinner.
As we grow older, our imagination becomes bound by the gravity of reality, including our past. Instead of visiting far-off magical lands, we may tunnel into our regrets.
An overactive imagination can sometimes lead to damaging self-criticism, according to psychiatrist Dr. Jingduan Yang. "Overthinking issues can lead to internal conflicts and increase feelings of mental fatigue," he wrote in an article on five ways to overcome mental fatigue.
As a classic overthinker, I am familiar with the mental exhaustion that comes from "wish I had said that instead" ruminations. Occasionally, reality offers me a wake-up call about how unhelpful my thoughts can be...
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