How to stop overthinking: when your thoughts keep going in circles
What helps most with overthinking is getting the looping thoughts out of your head onto paper, turning them into a concrete step or giving them one set time a day – and deliberately moving your attention elsewhere in between. Overthinking is going over the same questions again and again without getting anywhere: what if, why did it happen, what do they think of me. Unlike problem-solving, it brings no decision, only exhaustion. Below: how to tell the difference, five research-backed techniques and when it is a good idea to talk to a professional.
- Repetitive brooding (rumination) worsens mood and problem-solving; a short distraction with another activity reduced this effect in experiments (Lyubomirsky & Nolen-Hoeksema, 1995).
- Not all repetitive thinking is harmful: concrete thinking about “how” to solve something helps, while abstract “why” thinking tends to keep distress going (Watkins, 2008).
- People who allowed themselves to worry only in a set half hour a day had less worry, anxiety and insomnia after two weeks (McGowan & Behar, 2013).
- Talking to yourself in the second person or by your own name helped people gain distance from stress (Kross et al., 2014).
- If the thinking can’t be stopped, lasts for weeks and comes with anxiety or low mood, it is time for professional help.
What overthinking is and when it hurts
Overthinking is when your thoughts keep coming back to the same problem without anything moving forward. Psychology distinguishes two forms:
- rumination – circling around the past and yourself: “why did I say that”, “what is wrong with me”,
- worry – circling around the future: “what if it fails”, “what if I get ill”.
Susan Nolen-Hoeksema and colleagues (2008) summarised that long-term rumination is linked with worse mood, poorer problem-solving and a higher risk of depression. In an experiment, Sonja Lyubomirsky and Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (1995) showed that students in a low mood who spent eight minutes dwelling on their feelings were then worse at solving problems than those who spent the same time on something else.
Thinking or overthinking? A quick test
Edward Watkins (2008) pointed out that repetitive thinking is not bad in itself. The difference is how you think:
| Helpful thinking | Overthinking |
|---|---|
| Concrete: “What will I do tomorrow morning?” | Abstract: “Why does this always happen to me?” |
| Leads to a decision or a step | Goes back to the start |
| Brings relief after a while | Makes you feel worse after a while |
| About something you can influence | About the past or an uncertainty you can’t resolve |
5 techniques to stop overthinking
- Write it down. Empty everything onto paper – no sorting. Then for each item, decide: can I do something about this? If yes, write the first step and when you will do it. E. J. Masicampo and Roy Baumeister (2011) showed that a concrete plan for an unfinished task stops it occupying your mind. A step-by-step guide is in brain dump.
- Switch from “why” to “how”. Instead of “why did this happen”, ask “what is one small step I can take”. According to Watkins (2008), concrete questions lead to solutions, abstract ones to looping.
- Schedule worry time. Once a day for 15 to 30 minutes, always at the same time and place (not in bed). When a worry shows up at another time, write it down and save it for “worry time”. Sarah McGowan and Evelyn Behar (2013) found that two weeks of this training reduced worry, anxiety and insomnia.
- Create distance. Talk to yourself in the second person or by name: “Sam, what would you tell a friend?” Ethan Kross and colleagues (2014) showed that this kind of distance lowers stress and improves coping with tough situations.
- Give your attention something absorbing. Not “don’t think about it” – that usually backfires. Better is an activity that really takes up your attention: a walk with a podcast, tidying one thing, a conversation, sport, a game with rules.
Overthinking at night
In bed, overthinking is strongest: there is nothing to occupy your attention. What helps:
- Five minutes before bed, write tomorrow’s to-do list. In an experiment by Michael Scullin and colleagues (2018), people who wrote a specific list of tasks for the coming days fell asleep faster than those who wrote about what they had already done.
- A notepad by the bed. When a thought comes back, write it in one line and leave it for the morning.
- Imagine something concrete and calm – say, a detailed walk through a favourite place. Allison Harvey and Suzanna Payne (2002) found that this kind of imagery helped people with insomnia fall asleep sooner than a general “think about something else”.
More on sleep in how to fall asleep fast, and on switching off in the evening in shutdown ritual.
When to get help
Everyone overthinks sometimes. But if the thoughts can’t be stopped most of the day, last for weeks, ruin your sleep, work or relationships, or come with anxiety, sadness or hopelessness, talk to your doctor or a psychologist. A systematic review by Daniela Querstret and Mark Cropley (2013) shows that cognitive behavioural and mindfulness-based approaches can reduce both rumination and worry – and a professional can guide you through them.
Try it now in CORTEX
In CORTEX (free for everyone) press Q and type your thoughts one after another – anything without a date waits in the Inbox. The app works out the date and time from the sentence, so “Call the doctor tomorrow @9” goes straight into your plan. An evening ritual with tomorrow’s list and parking your worries is set up by the “Evening switch-off” template (More → Templates). If you have an account, open the Evening switch-off template.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop overthinking?
Write the looping thoughts on paper, decide for each one whether you can do something about it and, if so, write a concrete step. Give worries one set time a day and otherwise just note them down. Move your attention to an activity that really absorbs it.
Why do I overthink everything?
The brain keeps returning to unresolved things and to uncertainty it is trying to solve. Stress, tiredness, anxiety or a difficult event make it stronger. Giving unresolved things a plan helps. If the looping lasts weeks and affects your life, talk to a professional.
How can I stop overthinking at night?
Five minutes before bed, write a specific list for tomorrow, keep a notepad by your bed for thoughts that come back, and in bed imagine something calm and concrete. If you can’t sleep for a long time, see a doctor.
Is overthinking a sign of anxiety?
It can be. Excessive worry is part of anxiety disorders and rumination is linked to depression, but on its own it doesn’t diagnose anything. If it limits you most of the day, lasts a long time or comes with other problems, see a doctor or psychologist.
Does telling myself “don’t think about it” help?
Usually not. Trying to suppress a thought often brings it back. It works better to write it down and save it for a set time, or to occupy your attention with an activity that truly absorbs it.
Sources and further reading
- Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E. & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008): Rethinking rumination – Perspectives on Psychological Science
- Lyubomirsky, S. & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1995): Effects of self-focused rumination on negative thinking and interpersonal problem solving – Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Watkins, E. R. (2008): Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought – Psychological Bulletin
- McGowan, S. K. & Behar, E. (2013): A preliminary investigation of stimulus control training for worry – Behavior Modification
- Kross, E. et al. (2014): Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters – Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Scullin, M. K. et al. (2018): The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep – Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
- Harvey, A. G. & Payne, S. (2002): The management of unwanted pre-sleep thoughts in insomnia: distraction with imagery versus general distraction – Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Querstret, D. & Cropley, M. (2013): Assessing treatments used to reduce rumination and/or worry: A systematic review – Clinical Psychology Review
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