There are days where your brain feels like it is running without your permission. You wake up already thinking about something that happened in the past, something happening right now, and something coming up that you are nervous about. And the more you try to stop thinking about it, the louder everything gets.

So let me answer this right away.

You stop overthinking by interrupting the loop, grounding yourself in what is real, and reminding your brain that thoughts are not emergencies. Overthinking is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It is a sign that something matters to you.

I’ve been through this more times than I’d like to admit.

One morning everything in my head hit at once.
“I woke up thinking about something I did in the past, something that’s happening right now, and something coming up that I’m nervous about. All of those things hit me at the same time and I couldn’t shake it.”

I tried everything to distract myself. I went to the gym. I walked around. I worked. I scrolled. Nothing shut my brain off. The noise followed me everywhere. At one point I reminded myself of something that has become a rule in my life:
“We can really drive ourselves crazy like that. Get out of your head and into the world.”

Overthinking is what happens when you are living more in your mind than in your actual life.

Why You’re Overthinking

Overthinking usually comes from one of three places.

1. The past

You’re replaying something you wish you handled differently.

2. The present

A situation feels unclear or out of your control.

3. The future

You’re anxious about something you cannot predict.

When all three hit at once, your brain treats every thought like an emergency.
“It felt like all of those emotions came flooding at me at once and I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t get it under control and I just couldn’t shake it.”

Your mind doesn’t want clarity.
Your mind wants control.

Why You Can’t Think Your Way Out Of It

Most guys try to solve overthinking with more thinking.

You replay every detail.
You try to predict the future.
You analyze every angle.

But thinking harder is what created the spiral in the first place.

And your mind is not looking for what is true when you are anxious.
“Your mind doesn’t look for the truth. Your mind looks for something to blame.”

Usually, the first person it blames is you.

Overthinking doesn’t look for logic.
Overthinking looks for a villain.
And it almost always chooses you.

What Overthinking Actually Does

It makes small problems feel huge.
It makes neutral moments feel threatening.
It makes you imagine the worst version of the story.

“Joy couldn’t be present because I was so anxious about everything. Positivity felt so far away.”

That is what overthinking does.
It steals your ability to feel okay in the moment you’re actually in.

How To Stop Overthinking In The Moment

These are the things that actually help.

1. Move your body first

Movement interrupts spiraling.

Walk.
Lift.
Shower.
Clean something.
Go outside.

Your body pulls your mind back into the present.

That reminder still helps me today: get out of your head and into the world.

2. Put your thoughts on paper

“I wrote it all out on pen and paper. The past thing, the present thing, the future thing. Seeing it on paper took the weight away because it wasn’t just swirling in my head anymore.”

Writing doesn’t solve the problem.
It shrinks it.

A thought you can see is a thought you can manage.

3. Focus on the smallest possible step

Overthinking happens when every thought feels equally urgent.

Most things are not emergencies.

You don’t need the full solution.
You just need the next step.

Sometimes reading How To Stop Caring What People Think helps you refocus on what you actually control.

4. Call someone who knows you

“I called a friend. I also called a family member. And life just kind of took back over.”

Talking pulls you out of your own head.
Connection breaks the pattern.
It reminds you of who you are outside the spiral.

5. Do something that brings you back to yourself

Make coffee.
Get dressed.
Go outside.
Listen to music.

These small grounding actions rebuild confidence and calm.

Momentum starts small.

6. Remember that thoughts pass

When everything felt overwhelming, I eventually realized something simple and true.
“I don’t know why it went away, but eventually it did. It faded. It didn’t feel as heavy. It passed.”

Thoughts are weather.
They move.
You won’t feel like this forever.

Why It Feels So Personal

Overthinking attacks the things you care about most.

Your identity.
Your relationships.
Your future.
Your self image.
Your sense of control.

Overthinking doesn’t attach itself to what you don’t care about.
It attaches itself to what matters.

But it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
It means something matters to you.

Where You Go From Here

You don’t need to eliminate overthinking.
You just need tools to interrupt it.

You have a life outside your thoughts.
You have momentum.
You have people who care about you.
You had value before the spiral.
You will have value after.

Your mind is loud, but it is not in charge.

If this helped, read How To Stop Caring What People Think next.

FAQ

Why do I overthink everything?
Because your brain is trying to create safety or certainty. Overthinking is your mind trying to protect you from discomfort.

How do I stop spiraling when it starts?
Interrupt the pattern. Move your body. Write things down. Call someone. You just need a pattern break.

Why does overthinking feel so personal?
Because your thoughts involve the parts of your life that matter most. That makes everything feel heavier than it is.

Should I trust my thoughts when I’m anxious?
No. Thoughts during anxiety are exaggerated and urgent. They are not accurate.

Does everyone overthink?
Yes. Especially guys navigating relationships, confidence, identity, and pressure.

How do I know if it’s intuition or overthinking?
Intuition is calm. Overthinking is loud. Intuition is grounded. Overthinking is frantic.

Episodes Referenced

For deeper insight, listen to Episodes 56 and 129 of the Guyset Podcast, which informed the quotes and advice in this guide.