Overthinking refers to dwelling on certain thoughts or constantly anticipating a situation or its possible outcome. Grounding exercises, stepping into action, and finding support from a mental health professional can help you to stop overthinking.
You finally have a few quiet moments to yourself, only to immediately start wondering if you forgot to send that thank-you email or whether you’ve overestimated your chances of getting the promotion.
Sound familiar? Worrying and overthinking are part of the human experience, but when left unchecked, they can take a toll on your well-being. Dwelling on the same thoughts may even increase your risk of certain mental health conditions.
So, what’s an overthinking person to do? These tips can help you move in the right direction.
The way you respond to your thoughts can sometimes keep you in a cycle of rumination, or repetitive thinking. Rumination can often cause
The next time you find yourself continuously running things over in your mind, take note of how it affects your mood. Do you feel irritated, nervous, or guilty? What’s the primary emotion behind your thoughts?
Having self-awareness is key to changing your mindset.
You can decrease overthinking by engaging in activities you enjoy. This may look different for everyone, but some ideas include:
- learning some new kitchen skills by tackling a new recipe
- going to your favorite workout class
- taking up a new hobby, such as painting
- volunteering with a local organization
It may be hard to start something new when you’re overwhelmed by your thoughts. If finding a distraction feels daunting, try setting aside a small chunk of time — say, 30 minutes — every other day. Use this time to explore potential distractions or dabble in existing ones.
The next time you find yourself tossing and turning over your thoughts, try closing your eyes and breathing deeply. Respiration has a direct effect on your body and mind, and may help distract you and reduce the physical effects of overthinking.
Try it
Here’s a good starter exercise to help you unwind with your breath:
- Find a comfortable place to sit and relax your neck and shoulders.
- Place one hand over your heart and the other across your belly.
- Slowly inhale and exhale through your nose, paying attention to how your chest and stomach move as you breathe.
Try doing this exercise 3 times a day for 5 minutes, or whenever you have racing thoughts.
Developing a regular meditation practice is an evidence-backed way to turn your attention inward and clear your mind of nervous chatter.
All you need is 5 minutes every day and a quiet spot. More than one meditation technique exists. You can try a few ones until you find one that helps you quiet your mind.
Read more about meditation techniques.
Trying to gain perspective may help you reduce overthinking about non-urgent matters. How will all the problems floating around in your mind affect you 5 or 10 years from now? Will anyone really care that you bought a fruit plate for the potluck instead of baking a pie from scratch?
Prioritizing the more serious challenges and letting go of everyday hurdles may help you feel less overwhelmed.
Helping others may bring you out of your own thoughts. Consider thinking of ways you can be of service to someone going through a difficult time. Does your friend who’s going through a divorce need a few hours of child care? Can you pick up groceries for your neighbor who’s been sick?
Realizing you have the power to make someone’s day better can keep negative thoughts from taking over. It also gives you something different to focus on instead of your stream of thoughts.
Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) refer to knee-jerk negative thoughts, usually involving fear or anger.
Tackling ANTs
You can identify and work through your ANTs by keeping a record of your thoughts and actively working to change them:
- Use a notebook to track the situation causing you distress and record the first thought that comes to your mind.
- As you dig into details, evaluate why the situation is causing these negative thoughts.
- Break down the emotions you’re experiencing and try to identify what you’re telling yourself about the situation.
- Find an alternative to your original thought. For example, instead of jumping straight to, “This is going to be an epic failure,” try something like, “I’m genuinely trying my best.”
When you’re in the midst of overthinking, try jotting down five things that have experienced in the past week and your role in them.
These don’t need to be huge accomplishments. Maybe you stuck to your coffee budget this week or cleaned out your car. When you look at it on paper or on-screen, you might be surprised at how these little things add up.
If it feels helpful, refer back to this list when you find your thoughts spiraling.
Not ready to commit to a meditation routine? There are plenty of other ways to ground yourself in the present moment.
Be here now
Here are a few ideas:
- Unplug: Shut off your computer or phone for a designated amount of time each day and spend that time on a single activity.
- Eat mindfully: Treat yourself to one of your favorite meals. Try to find the joy in each bite, and really focus on how the food tastes, smells, and feels in your mouth.
- Get outside: Take a walk outside, even if it’s just a quick lap around the block. Take inventory of what you see along the way, noting any smells that waft by or sounds you hear.
Sometimes, quieting your thoughts requires stepping outside of your usual perspective. How you see the world is shaped by your life experiences, values, and assumptions. Imagining things from a different point of view can help you work through some of the noise.
Try to jot down some of the thoughts swirling around in your head and investigate how valid each one is.
For example, maybe you’re distressed about an upcoming trip because you feel you won’t have time to arrange everything. But, is that really what’s going to happen? What kind of proof do you have to back that up? What happens if some things don’t get done in time? Is there someone else who can help you with non-urgent stuff?
Sometimes, you might go over the same thoughts repeatedly because you have not taken any concrete actions yet.
Try to ground your thoughts into things you can manage and do. Having an action plan can help you find relief.
Dwelling on past mistakes keeps you from letting go. If you’re concerned over something you did last week, try refocusing on
Here are some ways to get you started:
- Take note of a stressful thought.
- Pay attention to the emotions and bodily responses that arise.
- Acknowledge that your feelings are true for you in the moment.
- Adopt a phrase that speaks to you, such as “May I accept myself as I am” or “I am enough.”
Some things will always be out of your control. Learning to accept this can go a long way toward curbing overthinking. A
Of course, this is easier said than done, and it won’t happen overnight. But try looking for small opportunities where you can confront the situations you frequently worry about.
You’re not alone, and support is available if you find yourself overwhelmed. Seeking support from a trusted friend or family relative, or a qualified therapist can help you develop new tools for working through your thoughts and even changing your mindset.
Read about how to find a therapist that is right for you.
Overthinking things may often cause distress. You can reduce overthinking and rumination by breathing deeply, doing grounding exercises, practicing meditation, jotting down thoughts and breaking them into actionable steps, and focusing on your successes.
If you feel persistently overwhelmed by your thoughts or can’t stop overthinking, consider talking with a mental health professional who can help you develop coping skills.
