How to Stop Overthinking: 5 Ways That Actually Work

Have you ever had one of those nights where you’re lying in bed, ready to sleep, and suddenly your brain decides it’s time to relive every awkward moment from the past ten years? Or worse, you start overanalyzing a text, an interaction, or even a random comment someone made, and now you’re in full-blown panic mode? Yeah, same. Overthinking is exhausting. It’s like being stuck in an endless mental loop where your brain keeps hitting replay on things that don’t even need that much attention. And the worst part? It doesn’t solve anything—it just makes you feel more stressed. We all used to be the queen of overthinking at some point in our lives. We keep rethinking every conversation, replay every decision in our heads, and stress about things that we have zero control over. And after testing out a bunch of different methods, these five actually can work. If you’re constantly caught in an overthinking spiral, try these.

1. Catch Yourself Before You Spiral

The first step in stopping overthinking is realizing when you’re doing it. Sounds simple, but trust me, it’s harder than it seems. Most of the time, we don’t even notice when we start overanalyzing—it just happens. For example, say you send a risky text to someone and they don’t reply for hours. Before you know it, you’re spiraling: Did I say something weird? Are they ignoring me? What if they hate me? When, in reality, they’re probably just busy or, I don’t know, taking a nap.

Keep asking yourself these questions. Is this a problem, or am I just making one up? If it’s not something I can do anything about, I make myself drop it. And if there is something I can do, I focus on that instead of just stressing over it. Also, reminding yourself that your thoughts are not facts is super helpful. Just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s true.

2. Get Out of Your Head

Ever noticed how overthinking happens most when you’re just sitting there, doing nothing? That’s because your brain has way too much free space to wander. One of the best ways to snap out of an overthinking spiral is to physically move. This can mean going for a walk, hitting the gym, or even just stretching. There’s something about moving your body that forces your mind to reset. It’s like pressing the refresh button on your brain.

Also, music helps a lot. I have a “No Overthinking” playlist that I blast whenever my thoughts start running wild. Sometimes, you just need to shake it off—literally. And if you can’t go outside? Even doing a few jumping jacks, dancing around your room, or cleaning your space can help. The goal is to get out of your head and into your body.

3. Set a Time Limit for Overthinking

This trick changed my life. Instead of letting myself spiral endlessly, I schedule a time to overthink. Yes, you read that right. If I catch myself overanalyzing something, I set a timer—like, “Okay, you have 10 minutes to freak out about this, and then you’re done.” At first, you may thought this wouldn’t work, but weirdly, it does. When you give your brain a set amount of time to stress, it stops feeling so overwhelming. And most of the time, by the end of the 10 minutes, I’m already bored of overthinking and ready to move on. This also works well for people who tend to overthink at night. Instead of lying in bed stressing, write your thoughts down and tell yourself you’ll think about them tomorrow. You’ll be surprised how different things feel in the morning.

4. Write It Out, Then Let It Go

Overthinking is basically like your brain holding onto too many tabs at once. Writing things down? It’s like closing those tabs. You can start journaling as a way to dump all my racing thoughts somewhere other than my head. And no, I don’t mean writing some deep, poetic entry—I’m just brain-dumping whatever’s stressing me out. Once it’s on paper (or even typed in the notes app), you don’t have to carry it around in my mind anymore.

Also, something about physically writing things down makes them feel less overwhelming. It turns vague, stressful thoughts into real words, which makes them easier to process. If you’re not into journaling, even typing a quick note on your phone can help. The key is getting it out of your brain.

5. Distract Your Brain with Something Fun

Sometimes, the best way to stop overthinking is to redirect your brain to something else. That means watching a comfort show (Brooklyn Nine-Nine is my go-to), playing video games, or reading a book. It’s not about ignoring your thoughts but about giving your brain something better to focus on. Also, creativity helps a lot. Whenever your thoughts are getting too loud, you can try drawing, painting, or even just messing around with music. Something about creating anything forces your brain to focus on the present instead of spiraling into what-ifs. Find your thing—whether it’s baking, puzzles, or even scrolling funny TikToks—and use it as your escape button when your mind won’t shut up.

Extra Tips for When Overthinking Gets Out of Control

If you’re someone who struggles a lot with overthinking (same), here are a few extra tricks that help:

The “Will This Matter in a Year?” Test → Whenever you catch yourself obsessing over something, ask: Will I even care about this a year from now? If the answer is no, let it go. Breathing Exercises → Overthinking and anxiety are best friends, and one way to break the cycle is through deep breathing. Try the 4-7-8 method: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. It calms your brain. Talk to Someone → Sometimes, just saying your thoughts out loud to a friend makes them feel less overwhelming. And if you don’t have someone to talk to, voice-noting yourself works too. Limit Social Media → Social media fuels overthinking like crazy. If you find yourself constantly comparing or stressing over online stuff, take a break. It helps.

Overthinking Doesn’t Control You

Overthinking feels like it controls you, but it doesn’t have to. The more you practice catching yourself, distracting your brain, and letting go of unnecessary thoughts, the easier it gets. At the end of the day, most of the things we stress about? They don’t matter as much as we think they do. So, the next time your brain starts spiraling, try one of these tricks and remind yourself: Your thoughts are not the boss of you. And seriously—get some sleep. Half of overthinking is just exhaustion pretending to be deep thinking.