Overthinking: Trapped in thought – Is it possible to think less?

Our minds are incredible tools. Capable of solving complex problems, inventing new things, and creating beauty. But they also have a shadow side: a natural tendency to worry, judge, and blame. Like a double-edged sword, the mind can be our greatest ally or our greatest burden.

Where it began

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, survival depended on spotting danger – approaching predators, lack of food, or incoming storms. Our ancestors who could anticipate threats were more likely to survive. As Russ Harris (ACT therapist) explains in Getting in Touch with Reality, the human mind evolved into a brilliant problem-solving machine, constantly scanning for anything "not good enough".

Similarly, Paul Gilbert (creator of compassion‑focused therapy) highlights that our brain evolved for survival, not happiness. Its core function is continuous threat detection, often in emotionally or socially-based ways. Worry and over-analysis are instinctive attempts to protect us, even when the danger is imagined.

Today, unlike the temporary “fight or flight” triggers of the past, our threat‑detection system remains almost constantly active.

What is overthinking?

Ruminations – persistent thoughts about the past – were once adaptive, helping people learn from mistakes. But now they often cause emotional loops of shame, guilt, anger, and helplessness without leading to action.

Worry – a focus on potential future threats – is also outdated. Although anticipating danger once increased survival odds, modern worries tend to be vague, unrealistic, and unproductive.

Together, rumination and worry make up overthinking: a constant internal threat system that keeps us tense, as if life-threatening danger is still present. Peter Levine (somatic experiencing) says this reflects a nervous system stuck in threat mode: when we can’t act or escape, the energy gets frozen in the body and the mind keeps spinning.

The inner critic as “protection”

Our internal critic – arising from early life messages – often tries to protect us by warning of failure, rejection, or disappointment. Jeffrey Young, creator of schema therapy, describes how unhelpful schemas like “I am unlovable” or “I must always perform” get amplified by this inner critic. While the voice may feel cruel, its purpose is to prevent perceived dangers – even when it ends up causing pain.

Why is overthinking worse in our age?

We live in information overload – never-ending choices, comparisons, and innovation overload. Social media culture fuels the pressure to be perfect, which ramps up anxiety even more. According to research by Thomas Borkovec, chronic overthinking diminishes quality of life, leads to mental fatigue, and raises cortisol levels, risking physical and emotional illness.

The art of acceptance

• We can’t change the past or fully predict the future, no matter how hard the mind tries.
• Overthinking is an attempt to control uncertainty – but real control is often just an illusion.
• Instead of fighting your thoughts, you can learn to observe them with curiosity and kindness.
• Thoughts come and go, like clouds drifting across a sky. You don’t have to follow each one.
• When you accept that full control is impossible, you create space for uncertainty and self‑compassion.
• Rather than criticising yourself for feeling anxious, you might say: “It’s normal to feel worried – my mind is just trying to protect me.”   

Tips to break the thought spiral

• Label your thoughts, e.g. “I’m noticing the thought that I’m not good enough.”
• Notice the pattern. You might catch yourself slipping into self-judgment, worry, or rumination.
• Name your story. Imagine your life as a film or book and title the recurring storyline, such as “The Story of Not Belonging”. When the thought recurs, you might say, “Ah – the Story of Not Belonging again!”
• Thank your mind. When a thought appears, you might say quietly: “Thanks, mind. I know you’re trying to help. I’ve got this.”
• Use playful distancing. Try singing your thoughts to a tune, imagining them in speech bubbles, or voicing them as cartoon characters to defuse them.
• Connect with your body. Anchor yourself in your body through simple movements such as pressing your feet into the floor, stretching, looking side to side, or breathing mindfully.
• Offer kindness to yourself. Sit quietly and notice your thoughts. 
• Think of someone you care about and imagine how you’d speak to them in this moment. Then use that same compassionate tone toward yourself: 
  • “I see you’re finding this hard.”
  • “It’s OK that these thoughts show up.”
  • “You don’t need to solve everything right now.”
  • “I’m here for you.”