If overthinking makes us feel anxious, tired, and stuck, then why do we keep doing it?

Well… sometimes, overthinking feels like we’re actually doing something.

When we don’t know what is going to happen, our brain naturally tries to make sense of things and prepare us for possible problems. Thinking through different outcomes can make us feel more in control.

So when something feels uncertain, our brain might go:

“Okay, but what if…?”

And because our brain wants to protect us, it keeps looking for possible answers and possible problems. The tricky part is that the more we search for things that could go wrong, the more things we can find. We might think we’re preparing ourselves, when we’re actually creating scenarios that haven’t happened yet. Sometimes, overthinking is our brain’s attempt to protect us from uncertainty. But we don’t have to predict every possible outcome just to feel safe. Not everything needs an answer right now.

What Does Overthinking Look Like?

Overthinking rarely feels like sitting quietly and solving a puzzle. Most of the time, it looks like:

• Replaying a past event repeatedly, picking apart every word, tone, or gesture.
• Mentally rehearsing future conversations that haven’t happened yet.
• Asking for reassurance over and over, yet still feeling unsure.
• Feeling physically exhausted while lying still, because your brain won’t shut off.

The Simple Difference: Thinking vs. Overthinking

It can be hard to spot when helpful reflection crosses the line into overthinking, but the main differences come down to direction and outcome:

• Thinking is goal-oriented; overthinking is a loop. Healthy thinking moves you toward finding a solution or making a decision. Overthinking keeps you trapped in the problem without ever reaching a resolution.
• Thinking is time-bound; overthinking is open-ended. Helpful thinking moves forward once a choice is made. Overthinking keeps asking “what if?” long after the moment has passed.
• Thinking builds clarity; overthinking feeds anxiety. Reflection leaves you feeling clear and prepared, whereas overthinking drains your energy and leaves you feeling more uncertain than when you started.

How to Break the Spiral

When your mind starts running in circles, trying to force yourself to “just stop thinking” usually backfires. Instead, evidence-based practices offer practical ways to interrupt the loop:

1. Anchor yourself in the present (The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique): Grounding techniques engage your physical senses to pull your focus out of mental loops and back into the present room. Pause and identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can physically feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
2. Schedule dedicated “Worry Time”: Cognotive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) research supports setting aside a specific 10 to 15-minute window during the day dedicated solely to reviewing your worries. If an intrusive “what if?” pops up outside that window, write it down and remind yourself, “I will look at this during my designated worry time.” This sets clear mental boundaries.
3. Challenge the thought: Ask yourself three simple questions: Is this thought fact or just an assumption? What is the actual evidence for it? If a close friend came to me with this exact fear, what would I tell them?
4. Shift to physical movement: Physical action interrupts mental looping. Taking a brief walk, doing light stretching, or running cool water over your hands shifts your body’s nervous system and breaks the mental pattern.