"Wasn't that conversation strange?"
Sora asked anxiously. She had just parted ways with a friend.
"How so?" Hiyori asked gently.
"The way they laughed seemed different from usual... Did I say something weird?"
Mira watched Sora quietly.
Hiyori began explaining. "That's called rumination."
"Rumination?"
"Thinking about the same thing over and over. Especially repeatedly recalling negative events."
Sora admitted. "That's exactly it. I keep replaying it in my head."
Mira wrote in her notebook. "Me too."
Hiyori nodded. "Many people experience this. But when it becomes excessive, it's a problem."
"What kind of problem?" Sora asked.
"Mood drops, anxiety increases, inability to concentrate."
Sora smiled wryly. "All of those apply to me."
Hiyori continued. "Behind rumination are several cognitive biases."
"Cognitive biases?"
"Patterns in thinking. For example, the tendency to focus on negative information."
Mira wrote, "Negativity bias."
"Right," Hiyori acknowledged. "The human brain remembers bad things better than good things."
Sora understood. "So I focus on a slight discomfort rather than my friend's smile."
"Exactly," Hiyori nodded. "Evolutionarily, remembering danger was more advantageous for survival."
Mira showed a new note. "Mind reading bias."
Hiyori explained. "Assuming you can read others' minds. When it's actually just speculation."
Sora realized. "Ah, I decided 'they definitely thought I was weird.'"
"But you didn't confirm it," Hiyori pointed out.
"I didn't..."
"That's mind reading bias. Arbitrarily deciding what the other person feels."
Mira said quietly, "Scared, so can't confirm."
Hiyori empathized. "Yes. Afraid of rejection, so unable to ask."
Sora asked. "So what should I do?"
Hiyori suggested. "First, separate facts from interpretations."
"Facts and interpretations?"
"The fact is 'My friend's laughter was different from usual.' The interpretation is 'Because I said something weird.'"
Sora understood. "There's more than one interpretation."
"Exactly. Other interpretations are possible. They were tired, thinking about something else, etc."
Mira wrote, "Multiple possibilities."
Hiyori nodded. "Fixating on one interpretation narrows your perspective."
Sora thought. "But it's also hard to not care."
"Not about not caring, but caring appropriately," Hiyori explained.
"Appropriately?"
"Excessive worry is unhealthy. But some vigilance is necessary."
Mira showed a note. "Balance."
"Correct," Hiyori acknowledged. "Becoming completely insensitive is also a problem."
Sora asked. "Where's the appropriate line?"
"It varies by person," Hiyori answered. "But one guideline is whether it interferes with daily life."
"Interferes..." Sora thought.
"Today, could you concentrate on other things?"
"...I couldn't."
"That might be slightly excessive."
Mira wrote, "How to stop?"
Hiyori taught a specific method. "Awareness practice. When rumination starts, notice 'Oh, I'm thinking about it again.'"
"Just notice?" Sora asked.
"Notice, then consciously redirect attention to something else. For example, focus on breathing."
Mira supplemented. "Mindfulness."
"Yes. Practice bringing attention back to this moment."
Sora tried it. She took a deep breath and listened to the sounds around her.
"I feel a bit better."
Hiyori smiled. "Behind overthinking are kindness and attentiveness."
"Kindness?"
"The feeling of not wanting to hurt others. That in itself is wonderful."
Mira nodded.
"But that kindness shouldn't hurt yourself," Hiyori continued.
Sora understood. "It's important to find balance."
"Yes. Be kind to both yourself and others."
The three sat quietly. Behind overthinking are sensitivity and compassion. Rather than denying them, manage them appropriately. Today, they learned that method a little.
"Next time, I'll try separating facts from interpretations," Sora said.
"Good attempt," Hiyori encouraged.
Mira smiled. Small steps lead to big changes.