Overthinking and Anxiety: Break the Habit and Find Peace

Did you know that people who often feel anxious tend to share a common unhealthy habit—overthinking?

Whether it’s replaying past decisions, worrying about an uncertain future, or obsessing over worst-case scenarios, they often struggle to focus on the present moment.

Many readers ask me questions like:

• “Was it a mistake to pursue grad school? I feel like I made the wrong choice in life and regret it deeply.”
• “Work feels so difficult. I can’t adjust to my new environment—do you think my boss will fire me?”
• “I have a group event coming up. What if no one likes me or talks to me?”
• “My boyfriend seems distant lately. Does he even like me anymore?”

These are all examples of overthinking, which boils down to ruminating endlessly about life’s uncertainties, draining your emotional energy, and chipping away at your confidence.

The problem is that overthinking doesn’t help—it only makes us feel stuck and sabotages our relationships and progress.

So, how can you break free from this spiral? In this article, we’ll explore three practical strategies to overcome overthinking and ease your anxiety.

1. Reshape Your Thinking and Focus on Positive Attribution

Why do we overthink?

Overthinking often stems from low self-worth and a lack of security. Here’s how this vicious cycle works:

• Low self-worth → Anxiety → Fear of making decisions → Increased worry → Reinforced low self-worth → Repeat

The good news? This cycle can be broken by reshaping your mindset.

Low self-worth isn’t an objective truth—it’s a mental bias. One powerful way to address this bias is by using the concept of attribution from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Specifically, the ABC Model explains how our emotions stem not from external events but from our beliefs about them:

• A (Activating Event): Something happens (e.g., your boss delays giving you feedback).
• B (Belief): You interpret the event negatively ("My work must be awful, and I’ll lose my job!").
• C (Consequence): This belief triggers anxiety and fear.

In essence, your beliefs, not the event, determine your emotional response. This is called attribution (positive or negative).

For example, imagine you submit a report at work, and your boss doesn’t respond right away:

• Negative Attribution: “My boss hates my work. I’m terrible at this.” → Anxiety.
• Positive Attribution: “They’re probably busy. I’ll focus on my next task.” → No unnecessary stress.

By intentionally shifting to positive attributions, you can build a healthier sense of self-worth and reduce anxiety. It takes practice, but changing your mindset will help you feel more confident and grounded.

2. Replace Thinking with Action

Have you ever noticed that anxiety only thrives when your mind is idle? The moment you take decisive action, you no longer have the time or space to feel anxious.

As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert famously said:

“People who overthink are often the ones with too little action in their lives.”

This idea is also supported in the book “Therapy for Anxiety: The Morita Method,” which highlights that while emotions like anxiety can’t always be controlled by willpower, our actions can be consciously chosen.

Here’s the key takeaway:

• Positive actions lead to positive emotions.
• Hesitation or avoidance only amplifies negative feelings.

So next time you’re overwhelmed by overthinking, try these steps:

1. Focus on small, concrete tasks.
   For example, instead of ruminating on what could go wrong during a social event, get involved in planning your outfit, preparing conversation topics, or arriving early to settle in.
2. Maintain momentum with “next steps.”
   Author Matsuura Yatarō once said:

“The best way to quell anxiety is to handle what’s right in front of you, one step at a time.”

By breaking tasks into manageable pieces, you ease your sense of uncertainty—and create opportunities for success.

Taking action is scary, and yes, failure happens. But remember, life is about progress, not perfection. Every step you take is forward motion, and you always have room for another try. Treat life like a game and embrace the role of a fearless player.

3. Use “Joy Forecasting” to Appreciate Small Wins

A major reason people overthink is that they fixate on achieving “big, life-changing” goals to find happiness and ignore the smaller joys that happen every day.

David Burns, a renowned psychologist, shared a striking example in his Anxiety Toolkit. He described a writer who became so focused on creating a “great masterpiece” that he lost all joy in writing—and his creativity plummeted.

Burns explained:

“The truth is, only when we feel joy, relaxation, and self-acceptance are we truly capable of doing great things.”

To recover his joy, the writer was encouraged to try the Joy Forecasting Method. Here’s how it works:

1. List your daily tasks (e.g., going for a walk, calling a friend, cooking dinner).
2. Predict how much happiness those activities might bring (on a scale of 1-10).
3. After you finish the task, rate your actual happiness level and compare it with your prediction.

What many discover is that small, everyday actions often create more joy than they anticipated. When you start noticing and celebrating these little moments, you take the pressure off bigger goals and regain your peace of mind.

Key Takeaways for Overcoming Anxiety and Overthinking

If you’re prone to overthinking, here are the three steps to start breaking the habit today:

1. Reshape Your Mindset by focusing on positive attributions and challenging negative beliefs.
2. Replace Thinking with Action, and don’t be afraid to take small steps forward—even if you fear failure.
3. Use Joy Forecasting to appreciate life’s small wins and shift your focus from anxiety to gratitude.

Anxiety doesn’t have to control your life. With mindful effort and consistent practice, you can reclaim your emotional balance. And remember: You’re capable of far more than your anxious thoughts want you to believe!

Feel free to share your thoughts below! Have you struggled with overthinking or found ways to beat it? Don’t forget to check out more on Anxiety Type Assessment and Emotional Wellness Examination.

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At NaviPsy, we are dedicated to making professional psychological support accessible, affordable, and empowering for everyone. We offer expert-designed assessments across four major categories: Relationship, Personality, Mental Health and Career. Each of our carefully crafted tests is grounded in well-established theoretical foundations, supported by the latest cutting-edge research, and backed by over a decade of our professional experience