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How to Stop Overthinking

12 Strategies for Coping with Overthinking

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First published: 28. Jan.2025

Overview

Overthinking wastes too much time and mental energy on analyzing situations from the past, present, and future without taking concrete actions to resolve them.
Chronic worrying can be overwhelming, and cause anxiety, stress, and depression.

This article suggests twelve coping strategies to manage overthinking and improve life quality.

In this Article (Index)

drawing, seated man with cloud of dark thoughs above his head
Live More, Think Less. Strategies to cope with overthinking. A. Whittall

What is Overthinking?

Overthinking is, as its name implies, thinking too much about something, worrying repeatedly about the same thing.
Dedicating too much time to thinking about something can be more harmful than helpful.

Thinking about a situation, a future, or a past event is normal, but there is a point when it becomes excessive. After all possible outcomes have been considered and plans outlined, the next step is to take action, not continue thinking. Additional thinking can only lead to paralysis, inaction, indecision, missed opportunities, and anguish.

Everyone experiences overthinking at some time or another, but persistent overthinking can be exhausting.

Overthinking can be triggered by stress. It can be a symptom of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Patients suffering from mental health problems often complain about "thinking too much", and that their mind focuses on negative thoughts.

Some examples of overthinking are: excessive rumination, worrying about the future, dwelling on past events or conversations, replaying scenarios in your mind, rehashing situations, overanalyzing, and second-guessing.

Worrying

There is a negative side to worrying, where people believe that worrying can prevent bad things from happening to them, it also provides a distraction from facing the problem, reduces guilt, and avoids disappointment (15)

But, worrying also has a positive side to it, as it prods us to find solutions to problems, gain control of our lives, and get things done.
In this context, thinking is good, your mind engages the subject, analyzes it, finds a way to tackle the problem, and leads to action.

The Positive Side of Worrying

>> Learn more about Worrying Well: The positive side of Worrying

Overthinking or Thinking Wrong?

Overthinking leads to worry, it paralyzes you, stopping you from taking action, even making decisions. It is unproductive and a waste of time.

Once you have thought over a matter, additional thinking leads to worry, stress, and anxiety.

Overthinking involves the wrong kind of thinking, which has two aspects: (15)

  1. Asking the wrong questions. If you want to understand an issue you have to ask the right type of questions. You can't understand how a plant grows if you don't understand biology. Overthinkers ask themselves "What If?" which is a wrong question. The correct type of questions are "What is the worst that could happen?" "What is the chance of this actually happening/being true?" "Am I being objective?" "What would I do in the worst case?"
    These questions put the situation in perspective.
  2. Asking the right questions at the wrong moment will leave pressing issues unattended and you will react tardily. Important matters will start piling up and cause problems later like guilt (for not acting promptly) and stress (too much to handle at once).

Thinking correctly, in a systematic manner is asking the right kind of question at the right time. This may cause worry (Doctor, should I be concerned about my high PSA level?), but it will avoid problems later (prostate cancer getting worse).

Framing the right questions gives you positive answers: "What could I do to make this situation better?" "What can I do to improve this?" Use constructive questions, they empower and open new windows and possibilities, and they lead you to action and results.

Ask yourself objective questions ("What are the facts?"), reflective questions ("How do I feel?"), Interpretative Questions ("What have you learned from this?"), and Decisional Questions ("What am I going to do about it?").

The Power of Positive Thoughts

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (AD 121-180) was a Roman Emperor and philosopher, a stoic, he tried to live with wisdom, temperance, and courage, admitting the insignificance of human life compared to the vastness of space and time. His inner thoughts have survived in his Meditations, a collection of private notes to himself with advice on how to face life.
It is from here that the apocryphal quote " A man's life is what his thoughts make of it" supposedly comes from. However, Marcus Aurelius' went deeper than that; he wrote:

Let not thy mind wander up and down, and heap together in her thoughts the many troubles and grievous calamities which thou art as subject...
Such as thy thoughts and ordinary cogitations are, such will thy mind be in time. For the soul doth as it were receive its tincture from the fancies, and imaginations. Dye it therefore and thoroughly soak it with the assiduity of these cogitations. As for example. Wheresoever thou mayest live, there it is in thy power to live well and happy. Marcus Aurelius - Meditations

Marcus Aurelius recognizes the power of imagination, which can transform your mind, and stresses the importance of avoiding negative thoughts and that you can be happy with positive ones.

1. Admit to yourself that you are Overthinking

The first step to address a problem is to accept that you have a problem. Recognizing that you are struggling with overthinking is a positive starting point to tackle it.

So, the next time you find bleak thoughts or worries taking over, just step on the brakes and admit to yourself that you are overthinking the matter.

Pausing and accepting puts things in perspective, it creates a space free from overbearing thoughts and realize that things aren't as dim, overwhelming, or fear-inspiring as you thought. (1)

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2. Don't Believe Your Thoughts

Thoughts are perceptions, not truths, and what your mind tells you may not be true.

Aaron T. Beck, who developed cognitive behavioral therapy in the early 1960s stated that your mind lies to you and that you shouldn't believe negative thoughts. Distorted thinking leads to anxiety and depression. Our mind plays tricks on us and tries to convince us that our thoughts represent reality, when in fact they may not. (4)

The brain is not "objective" and only reflects a partial view of reality. The brain can invent information as shown by the "blind spot fill in" effect (the brain fills in a continuous picture without gaps in the visual field), the "phi" phenomenon (an optical illusion that tricks the brain into thinking still objects are moving), cryptomnesia (you unconsciously remember something you read somewhere, yet believe that you thought of it by yourself). It does so to fill in the gaps. When it lacks information it creates a plausible story and deceives us, making us believe in things that never happened, creating a "convenient" reality that differs from "objective" reality. (5)

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3. Travel to Clear Your Mind

Taking a holiday can make you happy. Two studies show that taking a trip and anticipating a coming vacation improves mood and boosts happiness.

A 2004 study published by the University of Surrey (2) reported that anticipation of a holiday improved the well-being of holiday takers:

Those who are waiting to go on a holiday are much happier with their life as a whole, experience less negative or unpleasant feelings and thus enjoy an overall net positive effect or pleasant feelings. [They] are also happier with their family, economic situation and health domains compared to the non-holiday-taking group. Gilbert, D., and Abdullah, J., (2002) (2)

A 2014 C study (3) investigated the same effect and found that the positive effects of anticipating a trip made people happier than anticipating buying something. Money spent on experiencing situations causes "more enduring happiness than material purchases (money spent on having)."

Travel will improve your overall satisfaction, prod your mind to think about other things, and give it less time for worrying thoughts.

You don't have to travel overseas, book a stay at a nearby inn, and spend the night there. Stay at home and visit some local tourist attractions that you've never visited before. Explore, and experience new emotions.

Take-home point

People are at their happiest when they have a vacation planned.
Spending money on experiencing things (travel) makes them happier than buying material things.

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4. Distract your Mind

Get your brain to focus on something other than past, present, or future worries. Distract it.

A study (6) investigated the effects of distraction plus focusing on another subject in people who were anxious about getting an injection. It found that trivial conversation ("stimulus-irrelevant conversation)" distracted the subjects and resulted in a greater decrease in anxiety compared to no conversation at all, or talk focused on the injection).

Try distracting your mind by reading an article, calling a friend, doing exercise, or writing a journal.

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5. Give your Mind a Jolt

A physical action that is intense and surprising will jolt your brain and take your mind away from negative thoughts.

Cold Hydrotherapy

A study (7) reported that "cold hydrotherapy" consisting of cold showers at 68°F (20°C) lasting 2 to 3 minutes each, once or twice a day, preceded by a 5-minute gradual temperature adaptation to make the intervention less shocking, "can relieve depressive symptoms rather effectively. The therapy was also found to have a significant analgesic effect."

The time spent focusing on the cold water's effect on your body may act as a mindfulness practice, living the moment instead of thinking nagging thoughts.

Aromatherapy

Another physical interaction with the brain is aromatherapy, using smells and fragrances to soothe your mind.

A meta-analysis performed in 2023 (8) evaluated 32 clinical trials and reported that "Aromatherapy demonstrated a moderate effect size for reducing depressive symptoms...among menopausal women, patients with heart disease (coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndrome), and psychological illnesses."

Inhalation of a blend of Essential Oils was more effective than using a single one by itself. Inhalation was the most effective method for smelling the oils.

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6. Accept that you can't control everything

Life sometimes seems overwhelming, and there are situations beyond your control, that you can't change. So don't waste your mental energy thinking about them. Just let them go.

The AA Serenity Prayer can help you find peace of mind and courage during difficult times:

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and Wisdom to know the difference. Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr (1932)

Its simple wording has guided members of Alcoholics Anonymous through rough periods with a clear message: accept what you can't control, move on and focus on the ones that you can, and get it done.

Don't Drown in a Glass of Water

Unnecessary worrying about something that isn't important is also known as "don’t make a mountain out of a molehill." Resist the urge to take small details and blow them into a web of surreal conclusions. Don't amplify unremarkable situations. When this happens, take a pause and recite the Serenity Prayer.

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7. Be Grateful: Practice Gratitude

Do something nice for someone else without expecting a reward, practicing small acts of kindness will make you feel great (1)

Nobody's Perfect

Be kind to yourself, and acknowledge that nobody is perfect. Avoid negative self-talk and silence your inner critic, minimize your punishing inner dialogue (for example "Loser!"). Do things that make you feel good. Give your inner self a well-deserved hug. Self-compassion may reduce the effects of negative self-talk and act as a healing factor. (9), (10)

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8. Take up a Hobby

An enjoyable activity can help improve your mood; a 2009 study (11) reported that taking up enjoyable leisure activities provides mental and physical health benefits. It followed 1,399 subjects and reported that a higher level of these activities was linked to weight loss, lower blood pressure, improved cortisol levels, and "higher levels of positive psychosocial states and lower levels of depression and negative affect... relevant for health and well-being."

A hobby like taking pictures, for instance, will help your mind become aware of your surroundings, the here and now, in a mindful way, avoiding meandering off along negative thoughts. Gardening, with dirt on your hands has a similar effect: "Participating in gardening improves mental health and enhances psychological well being [and] seems to prevent mental health problems across all ages." (12)

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9. Music for peace of mind

Music can help release pent-up emotions, and make you feel them. It can help you identify the moment when you start overthinking.

Two trials reported in a 202 study reported that listening to music reduced anxiety much more than silence and that it significantly increased levels of state mindfulness, leading to lower anxiety after music listening. (13)

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10. Prepare a Budget

Money worries are the number 1 cause of stress in Americans. A 2024 report by Northwestern Mutual noted that " Americans' feelings of personal financial insecurity are on the rise. One-third (33%) of adults say they do not feel financially secure. This represents a jump from 27% who said the same last year and is the highest level of insecurity recorded in the study's history."

But worrying and overthinking won't solve your financial woes. Take action. Prepare a budget; identify your spending habits, your financial priorities, your income, fixed expenses, and interest rates you pay on your mortgage, credit cards, and overdraught.

Planning an action helps reduce worry levels as shown by a 2022 Finnish study (14) reported that: "Planning ahead may strengthen the sense of being able, being in control and making progress." It also stressed the importance of keeping the plans flexible to avoid the risk of fear from not being able to fulfill the plan.

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11. Exercise and Relaxation

Physical activity is not only good for your body, but it also improves mood and mental health. We have written several articles about the effects of exercise on mental health:

Relaxation & Meditation

Relaxing, and calming down also helps to let go of unhelpful thoughts. Meditation, mindfulness, walking in the outdoors, deep breathing, and focusing on the moment are ways to stop overthinking.

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12. Find Out What Fuels Your Worries

Why do you overthink? A way to stop overthinking is to learn what triggers it.
Understand your inner motivations that lead to overthinking.

Take an honest look, deep inside yourself and try to grasp what moves your troubled thinking.

Perfectionism, fear of failing, desire for control, negative past experiences, and low self-esteem can prompt a storm of useless thoughts.

Understanding the underlying causes can help you tackle them, or seek the help you need to do so.

You can seek professional help. A therapist can help tailor personalized strategies to cope with your thoughts.

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References and Further Reading

(1) Kelly JD 4th. , (2019). Your Best Life: Managing Negative Thoughts-The Choice is Yours. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2019 Jun;477(6):1291-1293. doi: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000000791. PMID: 31094837; PMCID: PMC6554130

(2) Gilbert, D., and Abdullah, J., (2002). A study of the impact of the expectation of a holiday on an individual's sense of well-being. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 8(4), 352-361. https://doi.org/10.1177/135676670200800406

(3) Kumar, A., Killingsworth, M. A., and Gilovich, T., (2014). Waiting for Merlot: Anticipatory Consumption of Experiential and Material Purchases. Psychological Science, 25(10), 1924-1931. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614546556

(4) Beck JS., (2011). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. New York, NY: Guilford Press

(5) Vila FJ., (1999). El cerebro nos engaña [Our brain deceives us]. An R Acad Nac Med (Madr). 1999;116(2):463-74; discussion 475-82. Spanish. PMID: 10682402

(6) Kyla Penfold, Andrew C. Page, (1999). The effect of distraction on within-session anxiety reduction during brief in vivo exposure for mild blood-injection fears. Behavior Therapy, Vol 30:4, pp 607-621, ISSN 0005-7894, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(99)80028-8

(7) Nikolai A. Shevchuk, (2008). Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression. Medical Hypotheses, Vol 70:5, pp 995-1001, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2007.04.052

(8) Cho K, Kim M. , (2023). Effects of aromatherapy on depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2023 Sep-Oct;84:215-225. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.08.003. Epub 2023 Aug 15. PMID: 37619300

(9) Muris, P., & Otgaar, H. (2023). Self-esteem and self-compassion: A narrative review and meta-analysis on their links to psychological problems and well-being. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 2961–2975. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S402455

(10) Paranjothy, S.M., & Wade, T.D. (2024). A meta-analysis of disordered eating and its association with self-criticism and self-compassion. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 10.1002/eat.24166. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24166

(11) Pressman SD, Matthews KA, Cohen S, Martire LM, Scheier M, Baum A, Schulz R., (2009). Association of enjoyable leisure activities with psychological and physical well-being. Psychosom Med. 2009 Sep;71(7):725-32. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181ad7978. Epub 2009 Jul 10. PMID: 19592515; PMCID: PMC2863117

(12) Ainamani HE, Gumisiriza N, Bamwerinde WM, Rukundo GZ., (2022). Gardening activity and its relationship to mental health: Understudied and untapped in low-and middle-income countries. Prev Med Rep. 2022 Aug 8;29:101946. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101946. PMID: 35991326; PMCID: PMC9389296

(13) Groarke JM, Groarke A, Hogan MJ, Costello L, Lynch D., (2020). Does Listening to Music Regulate Negative Affect in a Stressful Situation? Examining the Effects of Self-Selected and Researcher-Selected Music Using Both Silent and Active Controls. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2020 Jul;12(2):288-311. doi: 10.1111/aphw.12185. Epub 2019 Oct 2. PMID: 31578781

(14) Renko E, Kostamo K, Hankonen N., (2022). Uptake of planning as a self-regulation strategy: Adolescents' reasons for (not) planning physical activity in an intervention trial. Br J Health Psychol. 2022 Nov;27(4):1209-1225. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12595. Epub 2022 Apr 22. PMID: 35451544; PMCID: PMC9790213

(15) GuhaRoy S. , (2024). In Defence of (Over)Thinking. Think. 2024;23(67):21-26. doi:10.1017/S1477175623000441

About this Article

How to Stop Overthinking, A. Whittall

©2025 Fit-and-Well.com. First Published: 28.Jan.2025. Update scheduled for 28.Jan.2028. https://www.fit-and-well.com/wellness/how-to-stop-overthinking.html

Tags: overthinking, mood, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, happiness, stress, positivity

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