Why Do I Overthink Everything? And How to Stop the Mental Spiral.

Claire McGrath
1 day ago
3 min read

Everybody overthinks sometimes, we may be replaying conversation, have trouble switching off and find ourselves thinking in loops. Some people do this more frequently than others. It’s a habit where our brain focuses on negative, repetitive thoughts, often to cope with our everyday stressors. To learn how to stop overthinking, lets understand more about it first.

If Your Brain Won’t Switch Off, You Are Not Alone

You’re lying awake at night, your brain stuck in a mental loop, tired but you can’t sleep. Perhaps you’re on your drive to work, with anticipated stresses running in rings inside your

head. Maybe you’ve just been at a part and are replaying every conversation over and over again, searching for flaws or perceived embarrassment. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, this overanalyzing habit can make life feel heavier than it actually is.

What Overthinking Actually Is

At its core, overthinking is a habit our brain develops to try to cope. Overthinking can be tied to deeper emotional patterns, like anxiety, burnout, or unresolved stress. It can be about feeling a loss of control or fear of uncertainty and trying to gain this back by having our thoughts race over and over. Sometimes, people can confuse overthinking with problem-solving, but what ends up happening is we’re just stuck in a loop, not solving any problems.

Why Your Brain Gets Stuck in a Loop

Our brain tries to predict the future to feel safe. We might feel vulnerable about the future, so we try to solve the problems in our head. Uncertainty in our life, a fear of mistakes, striving for perfection, social concerns or worry about how others see us and if we fit in, can all trigger and drive this uncertainty. Once we’re stuck in the loop, it’s hard to break out, with our thoughts often driving further anxiety and worry, giving our brain more to try to cope with by overthinking.

The Nervous System Behind Overthinking

There is a science behind overthinking. Thoughts going over and over in our brain trigger

the brain’s emotional alarm system (the amygdala) – this activates our nervous system. Our nervous system’s job is to identify threats and help us survive, but if the alarm isn’t turned off, our mind “locks into” the perceived threat. The threat is actually our thoughts, so our mind locks into the thoughts. We are then trying to problem solve in an almost panicked state with an alarm blaring, not the calmest environment to do so.

Signs You Are Caught in a Mental Spiral

We might be overthinking if

- We are replaying conversations

- Thinking of the worst-case scenario

- Having trouble sleeping, waking up during the night or increases in stress dreams

- Trouble focusing

- Mental exhaustion

- Just can’t get past a stuck thought

What Actually Helps Stop the Spiral

When our brain is caught in a loop, it can be hard to stop. Writing our thoughts down, practicing grounding and mindful exercises can help interrupt the loops. When you notice the signs, take a deep breath and bring ourselves back into our body by noticing five things we can see, four things we can feel, three things we can hear, two things we can sell and one thing we can taste.

We might like to “name it to tame it,” what are we actually feeling and worrying about? What is the impact of the fear and how big are the actual consequences? It might not be as big as you think.

Some people find it helpful to create a “worry window” and give themselves 10 minutes a day to process all their worries, writing down their worries as they occur during the day and then allowing themselves to process these inside the window. Retraining our brain over time by focusing on the things we are grateful for and our successes slow down this pattern long term.

When It Might Help to Talk to a Psychologist

Overthinking doesn’t always mean an anxiety disorder. However, if it’s happening more times than not, interrupting our sleep and focus, or our brains just can’t seem to get past the loop, seeking help from a psychologist can help bring clarity and peace. If we are having intrusive thoughts and it’s impacting on our home life, work, sleep and social life, it doesn’t always have to feel this way.

If You Overthink, Your Brain Isn’t Broken

When we are overthinking, our brain is trying to protect us. Remember, it thinks that we are under attack and being threatened! Remember, everybody does this at some stage or another. Being kind to ourselves helps our brain feel safe.