The survey sounds big\u2026 until you do the maths<\/p>\n
MoneySuperMarket says they surveyed<\/a> 3,868 people across 20 countries, which sounds pretty big at first glance.<\/p>\n It has that \u201cglobal study\u201d energy that makes a press release sound official and important. But when you break it down, if those participants were evenly distributed, that works out to only about 193 people per country. And while 193 opinions can definitely be useful, it\u2019s also not quite enough for us to confidently declare that an entire nation is collectively lying awake at night stressing about what could go wrong next Tuesday, or worrying about whether we\u2019re doing enough, being enough, earning enough, saving enough and surviving enough.<\/p>\n So before blindly publishing the story, we decided to do what we do best, a little reality check, just for ourselves. We ran a poll on Twitter (X\u2026 whatever we\u2019re calling it these days) asking South Africans whether we see ourselves as overthinkers, and the answer came back pretty much in line with the survey, which is both validating and mildly terrifying.<\/p>\n I need your help South Africa.<\/p>\n The explanation is in the tweet below:<\/p>\n \u2014 Brent Lindeque (@BrentLindeque) January 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n So, are we really the world champs of overthinking?<\/p>\n According to the survey, yes.<\/p>\n South Africa allegedly tops their Global Overthinking Index, with 79% of South Africans saying they overthink often or very often.<\/p>\n That puts us ahead of:<\/p>\n Poland (71%) Even Germany, apparently the least overthinking nation, still had 54% of people admitting they overthink, which tells us the real story isn\u2019t \u201cSouth Africa is the worst\u201d, but rather that the whole world is stressed and nobody is coping perfectly.<\/p>\n The number that really hits isn\u2019t the percentage, it\u2019s the time. Globally, people spend an average of 89 minutes a day overthinking, which is already a lot when you realise that adds up to more than 10 hours a week. But South Africa tops that too, with people spending 135 minutes a day overthinking\u2026 over 2 hours daily, which is basically the length of a movie. Imagine burning that much energy every day on \u201cwhat ifs\u201d and worst-case scenarios, and then still being expected to function like a normal person at work?!?<\/p>\n And when it comes to what\u2019s driving all this mental spinning? It\u2019s exactly what you think.<\/p>\n The biggest cause of overthinking around the world is money, with 62% of people listing finances as their top trigger. In South Africa, it\u2019s even higher. 81% say money and finances are what they worry about most. That\u2019s cost of living, job pressure, unexpected expenses, medical bills, school fees (and stationery lists), fuel prices and that constant feeling of trying to keep everything together while the numbers do backflips.<\/p>\n The worrying doesn\u2019t stop when the day ends either\u2026 it follows us into the night. Globally, people lose nearly 28 minutes of sleep every night because their minds won\u2019t switch off. South Africa tops the list again, losing 42 minutes of sleep each night to racing thoughts. That\u2019s hours of rest stolen every month, and when sleep disappears, everything gets harder: mood, focus, health, relationships and even the ability to cope with stress in the first place.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s what I loved about the study\u2026 and the part that actually turns this story into something hopeful.<\/p>\n The world isn\u2019t just overthinking; the world is also fighting back, and the ways people manage worry are surprisingly simple and very human. The most common coping methods are exercise, entertainment, spending time outdoors and talking to friends and family. South Africa\u2019s top method is entertainment, which is so on-brand it almost makes me proud. We cope with memes, series, music, laughter, storytelling, sport, and our Saffa humour that somehow survives even when everything feels heavy. We find ways to switch off, even if only for a moment, and those moments matter.<\/p>\n So yes\u2026 maybe we are the world\u2019s biggest overthinkers. But I also think that says something else about us: we care deeply, we carry a lot and we try hard to make life work. Overthinking is often just your brain trying to protect you, trying to plan ahead or trying to keep you safe. It\u2019s just not always helpful and it can leave you exhausted. The real win isn\u2019t pretending we don\u2019t worry\u2026 it\u2019s learning how to soften it, knowing support exists and remembering that we\u2019re allowed to put the weight down sometimes.<\/p>\n If you take one thing from this survey, let it be this: you\u2019re not crazy, you\u2019re not \u201ctoo sensitive\u201d, and you\u2019re not failing at life because your brain won\u2019t switch off. Overthinking is what happens when people who care are trying to cope in a world that\u2019s heavy, uncertain and relentless.<\/p>\n And maybe the good thing here is that awareness gives us power\u2026 to reach out, to breathe, to move, to talk, to ask for help when we need it and to build routines that protect our wellbeing.<\/p>\n Go do something today to stop overthinking and protect your wellbeing.<\/p>\n Source: MoneySuperMarket\u00a0 Or catch an episode of\u00a0Good Things with Brent Lindeque<\/a>\u00a0or our\u00a0Weekly Top 5<\/a>\u00a0below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country \u2013 and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t
\nGreece (70%)
\nMexico (68%)
\nPortugal (67%)<\/p>\n![\"Are](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/global-overthinking.jpeg\")
Photo Credit: MoneySuperMarket<\/p>\n
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