Most of us overthink from time to time.

You might have an important presentation coming up and find yourself thinking about everything that could go wrong. Or perhaps you are making a big decision and keep wondering whether you are making the right choice. You may find yourself imagining worst-case scenarios and trying to think through every possible outcome.

A certain amount of thinking things through is normal. However, overthinking can become a problem when you find yourself analysing, replaying, or worrying about something for long periods of time and struggling to focus on anything else.

Many of the people I work with describe feeling like they are constantly in their heads. They spend a lot of time thinking, worrying, second-guessing themselves, or trying to work things out. Often, the more they think about something, the more stuck they feel.

Worry

Worry is usually focused on the future.

It often involves imagining worst-case scenarios, anticipating problems, and thinking about everything that could go wrong. While some worry can be helpful, it can become problematic when you get stuck trying to think your way to certainty or solve problems that have not happened.

You may find yourself going around in circles, looking for answers, but never feeling satisfied with the answers you find.

Rumination

Rumination is focused on the past.

You might replay conversations and wonder whether you said the right thing. You may go over mistakes repeatedly, criticise yourself, or get caught in cycles of regret and self-blame.

For some people, this can happen for hours, days, or even years after an event has occurred.

When Overthinking Starts to Take Over

Overthinking is often linked with anxiety, but it can also affect your mood, confidence, relationships, work, study, and ability to enjoy life.

You may find yourself struggling to make decisions, putting things off because you are trying to get them right, or feeling mentally exhausted from constantly analysing situations.

Many people know that overthinking is not helping, but still find themselves pulled back into the same mental loops again and again.

If you are struggling with overthinking, we will work together to understand what your mind is getting caught up in and why.

I work from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework. Together, we will explore your thinking patterns, help you become more aware of them, and learn how to step back from them rather than getting pulled into every thought that shows up.

A lot of the people I work with are thoughtful, capable people who have spent years trying to think their way out of anxiety, uncertainty, or self-doubt. Often, the solution is not thinking more. It is learning how to respond differently to the thoughts that are already there.

My aim is not to stop you having thoughts. It is to help you spend less time stuck in your head and more time focused on the things that matter to you.