How to Stop Overthinking — And Why It’s Not Just In Your Head
If you’ve ever wondered how to heal overthinking in a way that actually lasts, the answer goes far deeper than anything you've heard before.
🧠📣If your brain feels like it never shuts up — like you’re stuck overthinking everything from what you said in a conversation to whether your partner really loves you — you’re not alone. And you’re not broken.
Overthinking is exhausting. Not just mentally — but physically, emotionally, spiritually.
It’s like being trapped in a loud room where every negative thought, fear, or doubt has a voice… and they’re all shouting at you at the same time. You try to stop. You want to stop. But your mind just keeps spiralling — through worst-case scenarios, endless what-ifs, and imaginary conversations that steal hours, days, even weeks of your peace.
It doesn’t matter how much you distract yourself. It doesn’t matter how “fine” things seem on the outside. Your mind is still working overtime — trying to fix, prepare, or protect you from something that never even happens. So… why am I always overthinking? And more importantly — how to stop overthinking when your brain just won’t let it go?
🤔 Most people will tell you to “just think positive” or to stay busy. But if that actually worked, you wouldn’t still be here, caught in the same cycle. The truth is, healing overthinking is about understanding and healing the root cause of “Why am I always overthinking in the first place?”
Because here’s the thing no one tells you: Overthinking is not just a mindset issue — it’s a nervous system and energetic issue.
In this post, we’ll break down the real reason for overthinking, the deeper effects of overthinking on your mind, body, and health — and how to finally feel calm, clear, and connected.
Not by fighting your thoughts… but by healing what’s underneath them.
If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked —
You’re in the right place.
Signs & Effects of Overthinking
(It’s More Than Just Racing Thoughts)
Common signs: difficulty sleeping, ruminating, second-guessing, planning worst-case Let’s be clear — overthinking is not just “thinking too much.”It’s a full-body, full-mind experience that can completely take over your life.
🌀😵💫When you’re caught in an overthinking spiral, it doesn’t feel like a habit — it feels like survival. You’re not just reflecting or planning — you’re trapped in a mental loop of fear, doubt, and worst-case scenarios. And the more you try to stop, the louder it seems to get.
🚩That’s why recognising the signs of overthinking is so important. These aren’t just little quirks or personality traits — they’re red flags from your nervous system and energy body, asking for safety, regulation, and healing.
Common signs of overthinking include:
😴Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep because your mind won’t slow down
🤯Ruminating on past conversations or imagined future problems
😬Second-guessing your choices or doubting your instincts constantly
📋Planning for every possible outcome “just in case”
😵💫Intrusive thoughts that feel obsessive or hard to switch off
❓Indecisiveness, perfectionism, or fear of getting things wrong
🔁Obsessive “what if” thoughts that spiral and loop for hours
🎞️Mentally rehearsing or replaying situations long after they’ve passed
These patterns aren’t just stressful — they can be debilitating. And the longer they go on, the more they start to affect your body too.
Common effects of overthinking on the body and health:
Overthinking doesn’t just drain your mind — it drains your entire system.
When your brain is constantly in overdrive, your body reacts as if it’s under threat. Stress hormones spike, your digestion slows down, and your energy crashes. It’s not “just in your head” — it’s showing up in your body too.
💥Physical tension in the jaw, neck, shoulders, or chest
🤢Poor digestion, bloating, or nausea linked to stress
🪫Chronic fatigue or burnout, even with enough sleep
😡Irritability, mood swings, or a short fuse
🩸Hormone imbalances and irregular cycles
🤕Headaches or pressure behind the eyes
🌫️Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
😰Heart palpitations or a racing heartbeat with no obvious cause
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not overreacting. These are the real physical and emotional consequences of mental overload.
And the truth is, there’s always an overthinking reason underneath these patterns — one that runs deep through your nervous system, your energy, and your sense of safety in the world.
In the next section, we’ll explore why your brain gets stuck in this cycle — and how your body plays a much bigger role than you might think.
How Your Body Keeps Fueling the Overthinking Spiral
When you’re caught in constant overthinking, it’s easy to believe your mind is the problem. That you’re just too anxious, too sensitive, too much. But the truth is, your thoughts aren’t misbehaving — they’re reacting. Overthinking is what happens when your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.
⚠️Your nervous system is designed to protect you. When it senses danger — whether real or imagined — it shifts into fight, flight, or freeze. In this state, your heart rate speeds up, your digestion slows down, and your brain starts scanning for threats. That scanning? That’s the mental spiral. It’s your mind trying to think its way out of danger, even if there’s no real danger there.
🦁😨Think of it like this: if you were standing in a lion’s den — but you couldn’t see the lions — your entire body would be on high alert. You’d feel the adrenaline, your muscles would tense, and your mind would race through every possible escape plan. You wouldn’t be thinking clearly — you’d be trying to survive.
🚨That’s exactly what your nervous system is doing when you’re overthinking. It doesn’t realise you’re safe — it’s sounding the alarm just in case the lion appears.
Now compare that to being on a peaceful beach. The sun’s warm, the sea is calm, and there’s a drink in your hand. You’re not scanning the horizon. You’re not thinking about escape routes. You’re just… safe. Your nervous system is regulated. Your mind is quiet because there’s nothing to prepare for.
⚠️This is the difference between a dysregulated and a regulated state. When your nervous system feels unsafe — whether because of past trauma, prolonged stress, or subtle emotional wounding — it tells your brain to stay alert.
🌀That means spiralling thoughts, obsessive planning, and constant anxiety. Not because something is wrong, but because your body is convinced something might be.
But your nervous system can change. It's adaptable. And when you begin to gently signal to your body that it’s safe — through breath, movement, grounding, and energy work — you begin to shift out of survival mode. You start to feel more present. More calm. More clear.
🌿This is how you begin to learn how to calm overthinking, how to calm obsessive thoughts, and how to calm overwhelm — not by silencing your thoughts, but by showing your body that the lions are gone.
In the next section, we’ll go deeper into the energy side of all this — and why your chakras and self-concept might be keeping your nervous system stuck in the same loop.
The Real Reason You Can’t Stop Overthinking
So many people try to stop overthinking by forcing themselves to “think differently.” But if you don’t feel safe in your body… if you don’t trust yourself… if your energy is stuck — your mind will keep trying to take control.
🛡️Because overthinking isn’t just a bad habit — it’s a survival response. Let’s look at three of the most important chakras involved in this spiral:
🔴 Root Chakra — Safety & Survival
Your root chakra is your foundation — the part of your energy system that governs how safe, grounded, and secure you feel in the world.
🚫When it’s blocked or imbalanced, that sense of safety is missing. You might not even realise it, but your body is constantly on edge — scanning for what might go wrong, bracing for impact, or feeling like the ground beneath you could give way at any second.
And that’s exactly where overthinking starts.
🚨Because if your energy says “I’m not safe,” your nervous system responds with alarm. And your brain? It jumps in to help — spiralling through possible outcomes, replaying conversations, planning for danger that might not even exist.
It’s like your body believes you’re back in the lion’s den — and even if you can’t see the lions, your system is convinced they’re there. So of course your thoughts go into overdrive. That’s your mind trying to survive.
But when your root chakra is open and balanced, the opposite happens. You feel a quiet sense of trust in life. You feel stable in yourself, grounded in your emotions, and connected to your body. You don’t need to panic or prepare — because you feel safe. And when you feel safe, your thoughts soften.
If this part really speaks to you, you might also love my post: Heal Anxiety with Chakras and Nervous System Calm
🔆 Solar Plexus Chakra — Confidence & Inner Authority
This chakra is the seat of self-trust. When your solar plexus is blocked, you constantly doubt yourself. You second-guess your choices, replay conversations, and hesitate to act — not because you’re indecisive, but because deep down, you don’t fully trust your own judgment.
That creates the perfect environment for overthinking to thrive.
💛✔️When you’re unsure of your own power, you start outsourcing your certainty — seeking approval, reassurance, or “proof” before you can rest. But when this chakra is balanced, you feel clear in yourself. You know what’s right for you. You can make aligned decisions without needing to analyse them ten different ways afterward.
This kind of internal authority also makes it easier to express yourself and set boundaries — which is something I dive into in The Reason You Struggle to Speak Up & Set Boundaries.
🙇♀️And if you often feel like you’re “too sensitive” or easily overwhelmed by life or others, that’s often a sign of energetic dysregulation rooted in the lower chakras. You might find You’re Not Too Sensitive… You’re Energetically Overloaded really helpful, too.
🔮 Third Eye Chakra — Intuition & Inner Knowing
When your third eye chakra is blocked, it’s hard to connect with your inner knowing — so instead of feeling your way through life, you start trying to think your way through it.
❓You question everything, overanalyse the smallest details, and constantly look outside of yourself for answers. It creates a deep mental fog where you can’t trust what you feel — only what you can mentally dissect.
That disconnection from your intuition is what pulls you up into your head. You crave certainty because you don’t feel clear. So your thoughts spiral, trying to find a “right” answer you can feel safe with.
🧘♀️But when your third eye is open and flowing, you don’t need to obsess over every outcome — because you trust yourself. There’s a calm clarity that rises. You can hear your own intuition, see the bigger picture, and respond with ease instead of panic.
💌 If this resonates, you’ll love my Free Chakra Ebook
It’s a beautifully laid-out, easy-to-read resource that explains what each chakra actually does, how it impacts your mind and body, and how to tell when one is blocked — with tangible symptom lists that make it simple to recognise your own energetic patterns.
Whether you’re brand new to this or already deep in your healing journey, this guide is packed with clear, transformative insights that will help you start shifting things from the root up.
How to Calm the Overthinking Spiral
You don’t have to live in your head forever.
✅Overthinking might feel automatic now, but your mind and body can be gently retrained to feel safe — without constantly scanning for danger, analysing every detail, or preparing for pain that may never come.
This part is about getting out of your head and back into your body — because that’s where true healing starts. Here are two powerful ways to begin.
Calming Your Nervous System
Overthinking is a symptom of an overwhelmed nervous system. So the first step is regulation — creating daily signals of safety that help your body soften out of survival mode. These aren’t complicated, but they’re incredibly effective when done consistently.
🌬️Deep breathing with long exhales – this tells your body it’s safe, especially when you double the length of your exhale
🤲EFT tapping – helps release emotional tension while calming the brain’s fear response
💃Somatic shaking or movement – physically discharges built-up stress, bringing your system back to baseline
🌍Grounding practices – like walking barefoot on grass, cold water on your skin, or lying on the floor — anything that reconnects you to the earth
⏰Simple daily routine – regulating your sleep, light exposure, and meals creates internal stability your system can lean on
⏸️Intentional pauses – brief check-ins where you remind your body: we’re okay right now
These tools don’t just calm your nerves — they give your brain proof that the lions are gone.
This is how you learn how to calm overthinking, how to calm obsessive thoughts, and how to control overthinking at the root — by speaking the language your body actually understands: safety.
Balance Your Chakras
Once your nervous system begins to regulate, your energy body becomes more accessible. Chakra work helps shift the deeper patterns that fuel overthinking — and reconnects you to the grounded, intuitive part of yourself that doesn’t need to mentally control everything.
Here’s how to work with the three chakras most connected to the overthinking spiral:
🔴Root Chakra
Ground yourself in the present moment and create a sense of internal safety. Walk barefoot, massage your feet, sit directly on the earth, or repeat grounding mantras like “I am safe. I am supported. I am here.” These practices help signal to your body that the danger has passed — that you’re no longer in the lion’s den.
🟡Solar Plexus Chakra
Rebuild confidence and decision-making power. Do core work, spend time in the sun, or repeat affirmations like “I trust myself” and “I know what’s right for me.” This helps quiet spirals of self-doubt and strengthens the inner voice that doesn’t need to obsess or over-analyse.
🟣Third Eye Chakra
Reconnect with your intuition and inner clarity. Instead of seeking certainty through thought, practice stillness. Try visualisation, gentle meditation, or simply tuning into your gut feelings. You don’t need all the answers — you just need to trust yourself enough to stop looking for them outside of you.
You don’t have to heal everything at once. Just choosing one small practice a day can begin to shift the energy that’s been keeping your thoughts stuck on loop.
Final Thoughts — You’re Not Crazy, You’re Overloaded
If you’ve been stuck in cycles of overthinking, it’s not because you’re broken. It’s not because you’re weak, or dramatic, or just “can’t let things go.”
It’s because your system — your nervous system, your energy, your sense of internal safety — has been under pressure for far too long. Overthinking is a symptom of deeper dysregulation, not a personality flaw.
😬You don’t need to learn how to think less.
✅You need to feel safer in your body.
Because when your body feels safe, your mind naturally quiets down.
And the most powerful thing you can do?
Isn’t to silence your thoughts — it’s to soften the systems that keep creating them.
When your nervous system is calm, and your energy is clear, there’s no reason for your brain to spiral. The lions are gone. You get to live your life from a place of clarity, not survival.
💌 If you feel stuck, off, or overwhelmed — there’s likely an energetic reason.
My Free Chakra Ebook helps you pinpoint which chakras are out of balance and how that might be affecting your thoughts, emotions, physical health and more. This is the awareness that finally makes healing make sense.