{"id":5842,"date":"2026-06-08T06:24:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evanscounselingllc.com\/?p=5842"},"modified":"2026-06-08T06:32:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:32:05","slug":"%e3%83%bboverthinking%e3%83%bb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evanscounselingllc.com\/?p=5842","title":{"rendered":"\u30fbOverthinking\u30fb"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If overthinking were a sport, lots of us would have trophies in it, right? Replaying conversations you had 5 minutes ago OR 5 years ago, imagining the absolute worst is going to happen, all while you KNOW that these thoughts are not really helpful. So why does our brain do this to us, and how can we make it chill out?<\/p>

From a clinical stance, overthinking does not mean something is \u201cwrong\u201d with you, it\u2019s just a feature of our brain. Our brains are wired for survival, and overthinking is one of its favorite ways to \u201ckeep us safe\u201d, or at least help us feel that way\u2026contradicting, am I right?! Overthinking is often driven by our brain\u2019s \u201cthreat detection system\u201d otherwise known as the amygdala! Our amygdala is always scanning for possible danger.<\/p>

Have you seen the documentary \u201cFree Solo\u201d? It\u2019s about a guy who climbs Mount Capitan with no ropes, no safety nets, no NOTHING \u2013 other than his bare hands and some chalk. Guess what they found when they conducted a brain scan on him? His amygdala was not active. He literally did not feel fear.<\/p>

I can\u2019t imagine not feeling fearful, and overthinking is not always a BAD thing. It\u2019s just your amygdala\u2019s way of thinking \u201cif I am aware of this scary thing that could happen, then I can control the outcome\u201d. Which we all know isn\u2019t actually true, unless you hold a magic wand!<\/p>

My advice would be to not fight the overthinking. \u201cWelcome\u201d it in a way. Shift the way you analyze your thoughts. Instead of allowing the overthinking to take control, repeat to yourself \u201cwhy am I overthinking? How is this benefitting me right now?\u201d CHALLENGE those negative and anxious thoughts, folks!<\/p>

When you notice that you\u2019re beginning to spiral into the vast sea of overthinking, NAME your thought. Say out loud \u201cI am overthinking right now.\u201d If you start overthinking more, say it again, and again. This will help your prefrontal cortex to make some room for regulation and awareness.<\/p>

Last but most certainly not least, try to breathe. I know that sounds silly, we all breathe, right? But I mean BREATHE like you mean it. Fill your lungs, triangle breathe, close your eyes, and remind yourself that you are safe. Overthinking, much like procrastination, is not something that we can stop overnight \u2013 but we CAN use our brains to challenge our overthinking, and come back to ourselves in the present moment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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If overthinking were a sport, lots of us would have trophies in it, right? Replaying conversations you had 5 minutes ago OR 5 years ago, imagining the absolute worst is going to happen, all while you KNOW that these thoughts are not really helpful. So why does our brain do this to us, and how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135761342,"featured_media":5843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t