If you are searching for how to stop overthinking, you probably know the feeling well. You replay a conversation from this afternoon, gently picking apart every word. You walk through tomorrow’s meeting five different ways. You lie awake at 11pm, tired to your bones, with a mind that simply will not switch off.
If that sounds like you, you are far from alone. Overthinking is a habit of attention, and habits can soften with time and practice. This guide looks at why your mind loops and gentle ways to start easing it today, plus when to reach out for more support and where hypnotherapy can sit alongside that.
If you need support right now
This article is general information, not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for care from your GP, psychologist or psychiatrist. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
- Lifeline 13 11 14 (24 hours) or text 0477 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 (24 hours)
- Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 (24 hours)
- 13YARN 13 92 76 (24 hours, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
- Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (24 hours, ages 5 to 25)
- WA Mental Health Emergency Response Line 1300 555 788 (metro), 1800 676 822 (Peel), 1800 552 002 (RuralLink, country WA)
What overthinking is: worry versus rumination
Overthinking is thinking that goes round in circles rather than moving forward. It usually shows up in one of two ways. Worry looks ahead: “What if I get it wrong? What if they are upset with me?” Rumination looks back: “Why did I say that? Why do I always do this?”
Both can feel like you are working something out. The difference is that helpful thinking leads to a decision or a next step, while overthinking tends to bring you back to where you started, often feeling a little heavier.
Some worry is normal. As healthdirect puts it, occasional worries can help keep you safe and be motivating. It becomes harder when it is ongoing or overwhelming, and starts to affect your concentration, your sleep or your everyday life.
Why do I overthink everything?
It can help to know that overthinking usually comes from a good place. Your mind is trying to look after you. A few common reasons:
- Your mind is trying to solve something. When a question has no clear answer, your mind keeps searching because it never feels finished.
- Not knowing feels uncomfortable. Going over a situation again and again can feel like a way of getting some control back, even when it does not bring much peace.
- Part of you believes worrying helps. Thoughts like “if I think it through enough, I will be ready” make it feel careless to stop.
- You are tired or stretched. On a hard day, a thought you would usually let go of can hold on a little tighter.
What makes overthinking worse
Part of learning how to stop overthinking is noticing what quietly feeds it.
- Trying to push thoughts away. The well known “white bear” studies on thought suppression found that trying not to think about something can make it come back more often afterwards, though later research suggests the effect is modest.
- Looking for reassurance. Asking once more whether it really was fine brings a moment of relief, then the doubt often returns.
- Poor sleep. Tiredness makes thoughts stickier, and overthinking makes sleep harder. The two can feed each other.
How to stop overthinking: techniques you can use today
When it comes to how to stop overthinking, small and regular tends to beat big and occasional. Be kind to yourself, and pick one or two for a week rather than all six at once.
1. Ask: is there a next step?
When you notice yourself going over something, pause and ask: “Is there something I can do about this in the next day or so?” If there is, write down the next small step. If there is not, you can gently name what is happening: “this is overthinking, not planning.” That moment of noticing can give you a little breathing room.
2. Give your worries a set time
Choose a window of around 15 to 30 minutes each day, well away from bedtime. When a worry comes up outside that time, jot it down and let yourself know you will come back to it later. Many people find some worries feel lighter by then. This is often called worry postponement. An early study by Borkovec and colleagues in 1983 tested a version of it with a daily 30 minute worry period.
3. Let it out onto paper
Write the thought down just as it sounds. Underneath, note what you know for certain, what you are guessing, and one small thing you could do. On the page, it often feels more manageable.
4. Come back to your senses
Overthinking lives in the past and the future, while your senses live in the present. Try noticing five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch, two you can smell and one you can taste. Or slow your breathing so each out breath is a little longer than the in breath.
5. Try mindfulness for overthinking
Mindfulness means paying attention to what is happening right now, on purpose and without judging it. healthdirect notes that without it, you may dwell on worries about the past and the future. The heart of mindfulness for overthinking is noticing a thought (“there is that work worry again”) and letting it drift by, rather than arguing with it. A five to ten minute guided practice is a lovely place to start.
6. Move your body
A walk around the block, some gentle stretching or ten minutes in the garden can shift how you feel in your body, and your thoughts often follow.
How to stop overthinking at night
Night is often when overthinking feels loudest, and everything can seem bigger in the dark. If you are wondering how to stop overthinking in bed, these may help:
- Tend to worries earlier. healthdirect’s insomnia guidance suggests managing anything that is worrying you earlier in the day, rather than at bedtime.
- Keep a notepad by the bed. If a thought wakes you, write a few words so your mind can rest knowing it will not be forgotten.
- Get up if sleep will not come. Go to another room and do something quiet, like reading, until you feel sleepy, then try again.
Our article on why you need sleep explains why rest matters, and our hypnotherapy for sleep page explains how sessions focus on the wind down routine. If trouble sleeping keeps going or your mood is affected, please see your GP.
Overthinking, anxiety and self-doubt
Anxiety. Ongoing “what if” thinking is one of the common signs of anxiety, often alongside a racing heart, a tight chest or trouble concentrating. If that feels familiar, it is worth talking with your GP. You can also read about how we approach hypnotherapy for anxiety alongside the care your GP or mental health professional provides.
Self-doubt. For many people, overthinking is really second guessing: rewriting an email five times, or putting off a decision in case it is wrong. Our page on hypnosis for confidence looks at what sessions for self-doubt and hesitation involve.
Therapy for overthinkers: when you need more than self-help
Learning how to stop overthinking on your own is a wonderful start, and it is also completely okay to need more support. Please see your GP if:
- overthinking fills most of your days, or keeps affecting your sleep, work or relationships
- you are also feeling low or hopeless, or have lost interest in things
- you are having panic attacks
- you are using alcohol or other substances to quieten your mind
- you are having thoughts of harming yourself. Please reach out to the support numbers at the top of this page now.
Your GP can talk with you and, if it suits, prepare a mental health treatment plan, which lets you claim Medicare-subsidised sessions with a mental health professional. Talking therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) are a well established first step.
Where hypnotherapy fits
Hypnotherapy is a complementary approach. It sits alongside the care your GP or mental health professional provides, never in place of it.
A session at our Yokine clinic, or online, begins with a conversation. Michal, your practitioner, asks what your overthinking is like: when it tends to start, what it tends to focus on, the kinds of thoughts that come up, and what you have already tried to manage it.
Michal’s approach is grounded in understanding, active listening, and creating a safe, supportive space so you can work towards your desired outcome. She will also walk you through the process, explaining how the session unfolds step by step.
From there, she guides you into hypnosis using her voice, helping you move into a calm, focused state where you remain aware and in control the entire time. It can feel a bit like being a passenger on a bus, observing your thoughts while Michal gently narrates and guides the direction of your attention.
You may also be shown a self-hypnosis routine to practise between sessions. Some people find this helps the everyday techniques for how to stop overthinking feel more accessible and easier to use. Our Mind Detox sessions focus on repetitive negative thinking.
What hypnotherapy will not do for overthinking
It is important to be honest about the limits.
- It is not crisis care. If you are in distress or at risk, please call the numbers at the top of this page or 000.
- Medical and psychological care comes first. If overthinking is part of anxiety, depression or another mental health condition, your GP and mental health team lead that care. Never start, stop or change prescribed medication without speaking to your prescriber.
- Nobody can predict your result. Everyone is different. Some people notice a change early, others take longer, and some find it is not the right fit for them.
- The research is still limited. A 2019 review of studies on hypnosis for anxiety was encouraging, but the studies were small, many looked at test or procedure anxiety, and research on overthinking specifically is scarce.
Frequently asked questions
Is overthinking a mental illness?
No. Overthinking on its own is not a diagnosis, and almost everyone does it at times. It can be part of conditions such as anxiety or depression, so if it is persistent and affecting your daily life, please talk with your GP.
How to stop ruminating about the past
Rumination is overthinking that looks backwards. If you are wondering how to stop ruminating, start the same way: write the thought down, separate facts from guesses, and ask whether anything is left to do. If not, practise noticing the replay and gently coming back to the present. If you keep returning to a painful event, your GP or a mental health professional can help you work through it.
How to stop overthinking in a relationship
If there is something to ask your partner, ask once, kindly and clearly, then practise letting it rest, because repeated reassurance tends to feed the doubt. If your worries are about feeling unsafe, controlled or afraid of your partner, that is not overthinking. Please call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Can hypnosis help with overthinking?
Some people find hypnotherapy helpful for calming the habit of looping thoughts, alongside practical techniques for how to stop overthinking and, where needed, care from their GP. It will not suit everyone, and the research is limited.
How long does it take to stop overthinking?
There is no set timeline for learning how to stop overthinking. It is often a long-standing habit, so many people find it eases gradually with practice rather than all at once. Give one or two techniques a few weeks, and be patient with yourself along the way.
What to do next
If you have tried these ideas on how to stop overthinking and your mind still will not settle, you do not have to keep carrying it on your own. Start with your GP if overthinking is affecting your sleep, mood or daily life. If you would like to explore hypnotherapy alongside that care, read how we approach hypnotherapy for anxiety and hypnosis for confidence, then book a free 15-minute call with Michal to talk it through, in person in Yokine or online from anywhere in Australia.
Important information
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for advice from your GP or another qualified health professional. Hypnotherapy is not a registered health profession under AHPRA in Australia. Perth Hypnosis Clinic’s practitioners are certified clinical hypnotherapists accredited through professional membership bodies. Individual results vary and nothing here is a prediction of your outcome. Never start, stop or change prescribed medication without speaking to your prescriber.
