Struggle to sleep after busy day around others

When I’m around others for long periods of time, not close family as such but colleagues etc I often feel too wired to properly shut off at bed time. I get what I consider to be a delayed reaction to all the stimuli, as if I walk around in a protective bubble all day then all of a sudden when night approaches the thoughts start knocking at the door of my mind. I run over conversations, try to guess what someone may have thought of my greetings, did I appear weird at all in some way? Are others judging me or am I just over-thinking?; Mr over-thinking is my life long friend. Usually the next day when I have slept these thoughts and concerns lessen.

Parents
  • This is me too. I work as a personal assistant and am around colleagues all day and at the time I feel like I did well but then after work when I'm on my own I over-think everything! I run over everything in my head, did I do that right? Should I have done this instead? Did I answer my boss correctly? Was she expecting more from me?

    It can be overwhelming when my head goes into overdrive like this and it affects my sleeping as well and I really wish it wouldn't as I'm tired again an hour after waking up in the morning.

    I wish I had the answers how not to do this but I hope you feel a little better knowing you're not the only one who does this.

    Hugs.

  • We're perfectionists, by nature. I was always self-conscious of others. Although my own work performance was ever up to scratch.

  • I've learnt to relax perfectionst tendencies after learning that Islamic buildings all have deliberate mistakes in thier decoration, because only God can be truely perfect and create perfection. I'm not God, so mistakes are allowed.

  • Is this a common experience then? I've realised that I was bullied so much at school that still over 20 years on, I still do it to myself automatically, and can't feel positives.

    I've only just started speaking to someone so maybe I'll start trying to see if it's possible to deal with it.

  • Hmm I think I’d be another person entirely without the bully inside my head. I’ve tried CBT but not sure it works well with the neurodivergent mind especially autism because we can be too logical when it comes to worries. 

  • That's something I'm learning to let go of and silence the inner bully, sometimes it works better than others. I still suffer from a lack of confidence and think if I can do something then anyone can and do it better, trouble is most of the time they can, so I swing towards feeling useless again.

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