I know I’m not the only one. My WhatsApp receives daily voice notes that are now basically just streams of consciousness from my friends and family.

One friend gives me hourly updates on her flatmate because they’re not getting on right now. Another said she was freaking out because her pal hadn’t replied within three hours of messaging her. And a third admitted to constantly checking the location and “last active” status of a guy she ended things with months ago. Perhaps most bizarrely, my brother spent a good minute reflecting on the fact he didn’t eat enough mince pies at Christmas.

Is the monotony and boredom of the third lockdown making us overthink every little thing? Is it a way of creating drama to break up this groundhog day feeling? I spoke with an expert to find out what’s going on.

Overthinking everything in lockdown? An expert explains how to deal with it