Is overthinking just a brain glitch?

Imagine walking down the street, lost in thoughts filled with worry and ease, footsteps echoing as people get closer to their goals and success. And there you are in the middle of the crosswalk, feeling anxious and guilty at the same time, overthinking small details that have already happened—for example, how your tie looks a little crooked, how that stranger looked at you strangely, what the dog thinks of me, or when I will settle down like the lady with a kid.

Let me tell you,

It's just a brain glitch.

Overthinking is a mental loop where thoughts spiral without hesitation, magnifying small details, and questioning everything. Overthinking is not just one category. There are actually many different emotions that can be involved. 

1. Worry: This is your “What if…” questioning. The brain keeps replaying a scene over and over, trying to imagine all the possibilities. 

   1. What if I am not prepared? 

   2. What if I did something wrong?

   3. What if I mess up?

2. Rumination: This is when the brain decides to replay past events over and over again, trying to change the outcome even though what was done cannot be undone.

   1. Why did I say that?

   2. Did they think I was weird?

   3. What if I did this instead?

3. Self-criticism/Envy: This is when the brain decides to attack itself, creating a sense of failure as an individual. 

   1. I should have known this.

   2. She has such beautiful skin

   3. I am such an idiot

All of these overthinking types do drain mental energy. But not every overthinking is bad! We can further categorize these overthinkings into Helpful or non-helpful. Helpful overthinking can support what people are doing, such as planning, reflecting on mistakes, and preparing for tasks. This helpful thinking leads to learning, productivity, and more certainty about what is about to happen. On the other hand, unhelpful overthinking can become a negative spiral, including imagining worst-case scenarios, getting stuck on things we cannot change, and being overly self-critical about ourselves. There are so many thoughts floating in the brain that it affects daily life by draining the emotional battery. 

What can we do about overthinking? Here are a couple of tips that work for us. 

1. Schedule a Worrying Time: By having a designated slot for worrying, we don't need to carry or think about the worry because we know we have a scheduled time to do it later. After that time slot, we can move on with the rest of our day until the next scheduled time. To the brain, “We will think about it later”

2. Talk It Out: Talking through what we are thinking can be useful. This can help the brain process the thoughts more clearly as we speak or write it out. 

3. Exercise: Walking and stretching can help lift our mood up and be more mindful of what we are thinking about. This is a productive way of not only helping our bodies but also being more grounded. 

Overall, overthinking is part of human nature, an unavoidable event. The only thing that we can do is learn how to recognize and approach dealing with it. What are your common overthinking signs? For us, it is a foggy brain, feeling not motivated, feeling in a slump, feeling overwhelmed and not excited for life. Acknowledge your feelings and try to use some of the strategies to divert our brain’s attention away from going down that rabbit hole. If you need extra help, consider reaching out for other resources such as therapy. When in doubt, please remember you are not alone in this journey. Everyone has experienced this in their lifetime before. 

Best regards,

Angelina C. and Haya

References

Sayson, M. (2024, August). HELPFUL vs UNHELPFUL WORRY: What’s the difference and why that’s important. Maudsley. https://maudsleyhealth.com/helpful-vs-unhelpful-worry-whats-the-difference-and-why-thats-important/

Wignall, N. (2025, September 29). The 5 Types of Overthinking - Nick Wignall. Nick Wignall. https://nickwignall.com/5-types-of-overthinking/

Witmer, S. A. (2023, March 24). What Is Overthinking, and How Do I Stop Overthinking Everything? GoodRx. https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/mental-health/how-can-i-stop-overthinking-everything