Why do I keep replaying conversations in my head?
Your mind goes back to check what went wrong, as if it could still fix it. It rarely finds an answer, and going over it can keep the feeling alive. It tends to be stronger if you feel things deeply and spend a lot of time in your head.
What it can look like
In bed, rewriting one thing you said.
Hours later, the conversation is over for everyone but you.
What research found
Going back over an awkward moment is common. It was stronger in people with more social anxiety, and went with avoiding similar situations later.
Rachman, Grüter-Andrew & Shafran (2000), Behaviour Research and Therapy
What it’s linked to
The quiz measures these. A higher score on them can make this moment louder.
- Sensitivity
How strongly your mood moves with what happens around you.
- Imagination
How much your mind goes to ideas, pictures and what-ifs.
Try this
When a replay starts, name the feeling under it in a word or two.
Where do you sit?
Your free reading shows where you sit on Sensitivity and Imagination, the things linked to this. It all comes from your own answers.
Free · 29 questions · no sign-up
Types it often shows up in
It happens to almost everyone. In these types’ pages, it comes up as part of how they work.
This page is for noticing, not a diagnosis. If it feels like too much right now, here are people you can talk to.