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Overthinking (also called rumination) refers to dwelling excessively on past or future situations or problems. It often takes the form of analyzing situations from multiple angles, going over and over them until you begin to feel stress or anxiety. While thinking through situations thoroughly can help you make informed decisions, overthinking can be harmful to your emotional well-being.
There are many reasons why people may be prone to overthinking. Mental health conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) often cause constant worry about the future.2 Awkward interpersonal interactions and everyday failures can also cause anyone to ruminate later about what went wrong. However, overthinking can lower your quality of life, so finding strategies to stay in the present moment can help reduce anxiety.
Find a Distraction
Possibly the easiest thing you can do to break an overthinking thought pattern is to distract yourself. Immediate mental distractions can include doing easy mental math, listing objects in a certain category, or singing a song.3 Physical actions you can take might be reading a book, listening to music, or calling a friend.
In one research survey, almost half of the respondents reported using distraction as a way to deal with overthinking. In fact, distraction was the most common coping strategy they reported. Most participants also said they worried and ruminated less when they interacted with other people.4 This is why calling a friend or spending time with a loved one might be helpful.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the act of simply focusing nonjudgmentally on the present moment. It is noticing and acknowledging what is happening both inside and outside of yourself from moment to moment. Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation is effective at reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.5 A common way to practice mindfulness is by trying meditation, focusing on your breathing, or observing your environment and pointing out objects that you see.
Meditate with a Mantra
When you think of meditation, you might think of sitting silently and trying to empty your mind completely. But, meditation can take many forms. One form is saying a mantra over and over, either in your head or out loud.5 Focusing on a word or phrase can redirect your thoughts from overthinking. Meditation is especially helpful if the phrase you choose is particularly inspiring or calming for you.3
Challenge Your Thoughts
People with depression often perceive past events in a more negative light than reality dictates.1 Those with anxiety, however, may fear future events will be more challenging or scary than they really will be.2 When you overthink, it’s important to ask yourself whether your thoughts are reflecting the true reality of your situation.
Surveys show that positive self‐talk and reframing thoughts in a more optimistic light can help reduce overthinking.4 Ask yourself if your negative thoughts are actually true, and whether a good friend would frame them the same way. Then try to reframe them.
Think About Positive Memories
Because overthinking often takes the form of negative thoughts, try to remember that there have been times when things went well. Think of a time that you succeeded, felt happy, or received praise from others. Redirecting your thoughts to more positive memories can help break the cycle of negative rumination.1 If you are having trouble coming up with a memory, ask your family or friends to help you. They likely won’t have any trouble remembering a time when things went well for you.
Use Breathing Techniques
Sometimes overthinking is intentional, but other times thoughts may repeatedly come up against your will. These are called intrusive thoughts. High levels of stress can worsen intrusive thoughts—and stress and intrusive thoughts together make a good combination for sleep troubles and other health issues.6 This creates a cycle that can be hard to break.
Breathing exercises are one way to help calm your mind and reduce stress.7 Try a breathing pattern in which you inhale, hold your breath, and exhale for the same amount of time, several times in a row. You can choose an amount of time for each breath that’s comfortable for you, but some experts recommend 4 to 5 seconds each.3
Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation, a technique in which you tense each muscle group in your body and then relax it, also has been proven to help manage stress.7 Try starting at the top of your head and working down your body through the different muscle groups. Or you can start at your feet and work up. Tense each muscle group for a few seconds and then relax it before moving on to the next muscle group.3
Focus on Your Senses
Focusing on one or more of your five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch) can help ground you in the present moment and get you out of an overthinking cycle.3 Try listing one or more things you notice with each of your senses. For example, if you are outside, you might:
See a group of trees
Smell a neighbor’s dinner cooking
Hear children playing in the distance
Taste the snack you recently ate
Touch the ground with your feet
Keep a Journal
Journaling, or writing down thoughts and reflections as you have them, can help reduce cortisol levels.6 Cortisol is a hormone that rises with increased stress. Because rumination commonly occurs at night and leads to insomnia, nighttime might be the ideal time to journal. Writing down your thoughts may convince your mind that it can stop thinking in circles.
Exercise
Physical activity has tons of proven benefits for both physical and mental health. For example, exercise releases chemicals in the body that lead to feelings of relaxation and calm.8 It may also require you to enter different physical surroundings, which can help you change your thinking pattern.1 Finally, regular exercise improves sleep, which is important because poor sleep can worsen intrusive thoughts.