How to Stop Overthinking (When Your Brain Won’t Stop)

If your mind feels like it never shuts off replaying conversations: predicting disasters, analyzing every “what if”, you’re not alone. Overthinking is one of the most common reasons people start therapy.

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we look at how thoughts, feelings, and actions feed each other. Overthinking often starts as an attempt to solve a problem but quickly turns into a mental hamster wheel that keeps anxiety spinning.

Here’s a quick exercise to try:
When you notice your thoughts spiraling, name the worry (“I’m afraid I’ll fail at work”) and ask yourself:

• Is this thought helping me solve the problem?

• Is it just looping without resolution?

• What would I say to a friend who had this thought?

Simply pausing to label the thought as “just a thought” can reduce its grip.

At Discovery Mental Health, we help you build awareness and teach tools to step out of the mental fog. Together, we explore the beliefs underneath; often with compassion, not judgment, so your mind can finally rest.

Ready to quiet your thoughts and breathe again?
Book a session with one of our therapists today.