Many individuals replay social conditions of their minds — stressing about what they mentioned, how they acted, and the way others could have perceived them. The behavior is frequent and, in lots of instances, is just a approach we cope after awkward or emotionally charged social conditions.
This is called post-event processing. And this subject is developing increasingly in my workplace, no matter a affected person’s cause for in search of care or prognosis.
Perhaps it’s a lingering impact of restricted social life through the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps it’s the rise of “remedy converse” on social media, which has made us extra self-reflective — or simply extra self-conscious.
Regardless of the trigger, extra individuals are noticing simply how a lot they replay and analyze social conditions after they’re over.
And whereas there’s nothing inherently mistaken with it, there might be some pink flags that point out just a little extra could also be occurring than simply self-reflection.
What Is Put up-Occasion Processing?
In easier phrases, it describes after we are self-critical after being social. It’s after we replay conversations, scrutinize our personal habits, or attempt to guess (typically incorrectly!) what others consider us.
Though Clark and Wells initially described this as a adverse observe associated to social nervousness, since that point it has develop into clear simply how frequent it’s to judge our social selves.
Almost everybody does this to a point, sometimes after embarrassing or high-stress conditions.
A traditional instance is after we give a presentation at work, and we don’t get a lot suggestions. It’s pure to replay it and attempt to estimate our efficiency.
Or, if we go to a celebration and make small speak. Regardless of having an total good time, we could depart fixated on one thing we felt we did mistaken. We would suppose: “I type of interrupted Mary when she was speaking. Did everybody suppose I used to be impolite?”
The concept is that if we’re reflecting on ourselves fairly than judging ourselves, we are able to use temporary adverse emotions to find out about ourselves, together with what feels genuine, the place we’re insecure, and who we really feel most secure round.
When Put up-Occasion Processing Is Problematic
Spending an excessive amount of time caught on these adverse emotions — or judging greater than studying — could point out an underlying psychological well being challenge or problematic thought sample.
As with most issues psychological, post-event processing turns into doubtlessly regarding when:
- It occurs incessantly (after most social conditions and never simply difficult ones)
- It feels troublesome or inconceivable to manage
- It considerably impacts our lives (temper, vanity, or want to socialize)
Put up-Occasion Processing and Social Nervousness Dysfunction
Unchecked post-event processing is mostly related to social nervousness dysfunction (an nervousness dysfunction through which you expertise persistent concern of social or efficiency conditions).
That mentioned, post-event processing by itself doesn’t imply somebody has social nervousness dysfunction. I generally see purchasers mislabel themselves as socially anxious just because they’re self-critical after sure social conditions.
Different Methods Put up-Occasion Processing Is Regarding
And what if you end up down a psychological rabbit gap after most social conditions, however you don’t produce other signs of social nervousness?
Even within the absence of broader social nervousness signs, post-event processing shouldn’t be dismissed when it happens incessantly and extends past awkward moments, coloring impartial, on a regular basis interactions as effectively.
Present analysis suggests:
- Repetitive adverse ideas about our social experiences could also be a threat issue for growing social nervousness dysfunction afterward.
- If these ideas happen after all forms of experiences — not simply social or performance-related ones — it could level to a extra common sample of repetitive pondering, similar to ruminating or worrying. These repetitive thought patterns might be related to different psychological well being circumstances, together with depressive issues and generalized nervousness dysfunction.
Even when we don’t really feel anxious or depressed, realizing we’re inclined to fret, ruminate, or brood and recognizing the way it impacts how we really feel is necessary. We are able to be taught to rein within the runaway ideas earlier than they drain us.
Find out how to Keep away from Put up-Occasion Processing From Turning into a Downside
Right here’s a information to managing post-event processing when you end up doing it (together with when to hunt assist).
If post-event processing occurs often, there’s often little must intervene. When it comes up, reply with gentleness. Remind your self it’s frequent and infrequently displays your thoughts attempting to make sense of one thing that felt uncomfortable, unsure, or unresolved.
When post-event processing turns into frequent, distressing, or begins to form the way you interpret on a regular basis interactions, merely “letting it occur” could also be counterproductive. In these instances, permitting your self to repeatedly replay and analyze social conditions can really reinforce adverse self-beliefs, fairly than carry readability or reduction.
When post-event processing turns into a sample, it’s necessary to be aware of its price — notably the toll it will possibly take in your vitality, temper, and pleasure of social connection. In my skilled expertise, abilities similar to mindfulness, self-compassion, intentional distraction, and cognitive reframing will help interrupt these thought loops and scale back their influence over time.
Simply as necessary, it’s important to proceed partaking in social conditions, even once they spark post-event processing. Avoiding social conditions could present short-term reduction, however over time this habits can worsen nervousness and reinforce unhelpful pondering patterns.
If post-event processing is interfering together with your well-being, working with a psychological well being skilled will help you develop personalised methods to deal with it. Keep in mind that you don’t need to determine it out by yourself.
The Takeaway
- Put up-event processing is frequent, and infrequently innocent.
- When it turns into persistent, troublesome to manage, and clouds even constructive experiences, it could sign a significant shift in pondering patterns.
- Addressing this early can scale back misery and assist stop the event of extra entrenched nervousness or repetitive pondering.
