Overthinking Again? This Helped Me Break the Loop

You know the feeling.

You replay a conversation in your head. You go over a decision from every angle. You imagine everything that could go wrong. You try to figure out how to feel better by thinking it through, but somehow, it only makes things worse.

Overthinking feels like you’re trying to solve something. Like if you just think hard enough, you’ll find the answer and feel calm again. But instead of clarity, you get stuck. The thoughts loop. Your energy drains. And still, nothing feels resolved.

That used to be my default.

Any time something felt uncertain, I would start thinking about it from every possible direction. I thought I was being careful, being thorough. I told myself I was preparing. But what I was really doing was avoiding the discomfort of not knowing. I was using thinking to try to escape feeling.

And it didn’t work.

What finally helped me break the loop wasn’t a mental trick or a new way of thinking. It was the moment I stopped trying to think my way out and let myself step out.

That shift came in two parts.

First, I had to recognise I was overthinking. Not solving, not preparing, just circling. Once I saw that, I stopped asking, What else do I need to figure out? and started asking, What do I need to come back to myself?

Second, I gave my mind something else to do. Not more information. Not more noise. Just something grounding.

I would go for a short walk without my phone. Wash the dishes slowly. Sit and drink something warm without multitasking. Write down everything on my mind and then close the notebook. These small acts were enough to signal to my mind that the loop could pause. That nothing had to be solved right now.

It was never about shutting my thoughts off completely. It was about shifting from analysing to caring. From spiralling to moving.

If you’re overthinking again, here’s something to try:

Start by noticing it. Not with judgment, not with frustration, just name what’s happening. I’m stuck in my head right now. I’m going over the same thing again and again. That simple awareness creates a little space between you and the loop.

Then pause. Not to clear your mind completely, but to stop adding to it for a moment. Even a few seconds of stillness can help you reset.

Take a breath. Not a perfect deep breath. Just one that you notice. In and out. Let your shoulders drop a little. Let your jaw soften. Let the moment be what it is, without needing to get it right.

Move your body in a small way. Stand up. Stretch your arms. Walk into a different room. Changing your position helps shift your mental rhythm, even if only slightly.

Then try to name what you’re really trying to manage with all that thinking. Are you looking for certainty? Trying to avoid a feeling? Hoping to prevent something from going wrong? You don’t need to solve it. Just acknowledging it can interrupt the cycle.

Now give yourself something small and real to focus on. Make a cup of tea. Run warm water over your hands. Step outside and look at the sky. These aren’t distractions. They are ways to come back to the present, to remind your mind that it doesn’t need to fix everything right now.

Repeat as needed. This isn’t about stopping overthinking forever. It’s about learning how to step out of it when it’s no longer helping you.

And that begins with one small shift back toward yourself.