People Who Are A Little Too Self-Aware Often Say 9 Phrases In Casual Conversation
Yuricazac | ShutterstockSelf-awareness is essential, but too much of it urges people to monitor and overthink their lives. Instead of feeling and living in the moment, they're stuck in their own heads.
While someone's internal overthinking tendencies and intellectualizing might be hard to spot, you can figure out when someone is a little too self-aware by certain phrases they say in everyday interactions. They read into things heavily and struggle with perfectionism, especially in the tiniest interactions.
People who are a little too self-aware often say these phrases
1. 'I'm going back and forth'
PeopleImages | Shutterstock
Overthinking is a speciality for people with too much self-awareness. They acknowledge their feelings, but the acceptance and action on those feelings that an emotionally intelligent person makes space for can be hard.
"I'm going back and forth" isn't them battling with not knowing how they feel. It's second-guessing themselves from having all the information. The moment they have an intuitive thought or anxiety rises up, it gets their full attention, instead of letting trust take over.
2. 'I wonder how that came across'
Even though they tend to immediately overthink and intellectualize their own feelings and emotions, people who are a little too self-aware can't always read what someone else is thinking. No matter how hard they try, they have to deal with uncertainty because they aren't mind-readers.
"I wonder how that came across" or "What are you thinking?" are just a few casual phrases that speak to this discomfort with uncertainty. They might be able to unpack all their feelings, but they never truly know how to deal with someone else's judgments and perceptions.
3. 'Something feels off'
When every passing thought gets your full attention, it's easy to get caught in your head. Not only are you keeping yourself up at night and creating unnecessary stress, but you're also giving attention to thoughts that don't mean anything.
Even if it's hard to accept, not all our thoughts are worth our attention or even an accurate reflection of how we are and what we want. Living in the present and feeling emotions will always be more important than overthinking passing thoughts.
4. 'I just want to be thorough'
Someone who's a little too self-aware may be constantly expressing their worry about being thorough or making the right decisions. They're always tapping into passing thoughts, many of which get way too much of their attention.
For example, one small thought that they're making a bad decision or doing something wrong completely throws off their routines and conversations. Rather than trusting they're doing the right thing and acting in their best interests, they're quick to spiral.
5. 'I feel like I forgot something'
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock
Being self-aware is great, but keeping all those reflections and internal feelings in your head all the time is draining. The healthiest self-aware people journal or speak their emotions to release them, not try to keep them all inside.
They don't give their attention to every passing thought, and they're better off for it, compared to someone who thinks too much. They're constantly feeling like they forgot something, likely because they can't keep all their thoughts together without sacrificing their own sanity.
6. 'I can't relax right now'
When you're living in your mind constantly, it's easy to feel like you can't relax or unwind. That's why overly self-aware people with a tendency to overthink can't be present in conversations, because stillness is impossible at times.
So, if you hear someone saying "I can't relax right now," there's a chance they're actually just thinking about a million things in their mind.
7. 'Let me explain'
When you're trying to solve problems based only on how you're feeling, it's easy to make conversations more confusing for everyone. Not only are people usually disconnected in conversations with someone who's a little too self-aware, but they also don't feel seen.
"Let me explain" is an example of that. Instead of letting conversations be collaborative and open, they can't help but take the lead. Their self-awareness drives how they speak and converse.
8. 'My brain doesn't have an off switch'
Even intellectualizers know when they're overthinking. They're so self-aware that they can be easily caught off guard by their own thoughts and thrown off by these rabbit holes of awareness.
They can point out that they don't feel like they have an "off" switch, but don't always know how to address that in their bodies and real lives. Thinking and understanding are one thing, but healing and taking action are completely different.
9. 'Does that make sense?'
GaudiLab | Shutterstock
Despite being able to consider all their thoughts and preferences in their own heads, self-aware people often struggle with being present enough to catch up with others. They might vent or go on a lecture, but they're living in their own minds instead of being present.
That's why phrases like "Does that make sense?" are so common. They have to routinely check in with people, rather than reading their energy as they're speaking.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
