How to Stop Overthinking: What Studies Show

No single method ends overthinking overnight; the table shows what helped whom in trials. If you need help now: in a life-threatening emergency, call your local emergency number (911 in the US) or go to the nearest emergency room. If you’re in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, in the US, call or text 988; elsewhere, Find A Helpline lists local lines (more below)^1,2,3.

What is overthinking?

Overthinking is the everyday word for repetitive thinking that keeps circling a problem. Researchers distinguish rumination, which dwells on past stressful events, from worry, which runs ahead to feared future ones⁴. In one influential theory, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema described rumination as a response to low mood: focusing on your symptoms and their possible causes and consequences⁵. Repetitive thinking can help you recover from upsetting events and plan ahead, and it can also harm your health⁶.

Thinking it through or overthinking?

A review names abstract versus concrete thinking as one of several possible reasons repetitive thought helps or harms⁶. Brooding is self-critical and judging, as in “Why can’t I handle things better?”⁶ Research also separates rumination from more adaptive self-reflection⁷. A quick self-check (ours):

Do your questions ask why, or how?
Are you judging or comparing yourself?
Does the thought end in a next step?

Why rumination rarely moves you forward

In studies, rumination tended to deepen low mood and get in the way of problem solving, and a later review concludes that it magnifies and prolongs negative mood^7,8. In lab studies of people in low mood (dysphoria), those prompted to ruminate, rather than distract themselves, were more pessimistic about good things ahead in one study and came up with weaker solutions to problems with other people in another⁹.

Why do I overthink everything?

A proposed model of depressive rumination starts with a gap between where you are and a goal. Thinking set off by that gap can become automatic when repeated in the same context, such as a place or a mood¹⁰. It becomes a rumination habit when the focus stays passive, negative, and abstract¹⁰. Our reading: it often shows up where goals are open and the setting repeats, after work or in bed.

Can overthinking become a habit?

Researchers propose that it can: they describe depressive rumination as a mental habit, cued by context and hard to change¹⁰. Our advice: notice your cue, such as the commute, your bed, or the post-meeting inbox.

What helps: the techniques, checked against the studies

A systematic review concluded that mindfulness-based and cognitive behavioral methods may reduce both rumination and worry, and that methods that change your thinking style, or help you step back from your emotional response, could help¹¹. A meta-analysis of randomized trials found medium average effects on rumination and small-to-medium effects on worry, larger when a health professional delivered the method; no single type beat the others head to head⁴. Most trials tested people with low mood, high worry, or depression; each row says who.

Techniques and their trials
Technique	How	Tested on whom?	Result	Limit
Concreteness training	Repeated mental exercises that switch an abstract thinking habit to a concrete one¹²	60 people with low mood¹³; separately, people meeting criteria for current major depression¹²	Depressive symptoms eased more than with sham training or waiting, rumination more than with waiting¹³. In depression, added to usual care, symptoms improved after treatment and up to six months later; versus relaxation, no difference in symptom change, and rumination fell more¹²	Both trials come from the same research group (Watkins)
Worry postponement (worry time)	When a worry comes up, note it and save it for a set daily slot: 30 minutes in two trials^14,15	McGowan: 53 people with high trait worry, two weeks¹⁴. Versluis: self-selected people from the general population, with high trait worry overall, online, six days¹⁵. McCarrick: 186 people online, average age about 30, 14 days¹⁶	McGowan: less worry, anxiety, and insomnia than a control told not to avoid worry¹⁴. Versluis: the 188 who only logged worries and the 163 who postponed did not differ in worry¹⁵. McCarrick: with an if-then plan, people reported worrying about 15 minutes less per day than with postponement alone; sleep did not improve more than in the control groups¹⁶	McGowan’s support is preliminary; online, people found postponing hard^14,15
Deliberate distraction	Turn to a positive distraction	Lab participants with low mood⁹; formerly hospitalized patients with depression¹⁷	As optimistic and as good at solving problems as people without low mood⁹; after a negative mood was induced in the lab, a distraction task led to a better course of negative mood than rumination¹⁷	Experiments show relief; correlational studies have not consistently linked it to fewer depressive symptoms; lab tasks, not a practiced habit (our reading)⁷
Mindfulness	An online, instructor-led course¹⁸	60 who completed it versus 58 on a waitlist, aimed at recovery from work¹⁸; in a meta-analysis, patients with depression¹⁹	Less work-related rumination and fatigue, and better sleep quality, held at three and six months¹⁸; in depression, less rumination than usual care and no difference from other active treatments¹⁹	Work course: results for completers only, and its abstract doesn’t say who took part
Bedtime to-do list	A very specific to-do list, written for five minutes at bedtime²⁰	57 healthy adults aged 18 to 30, one night in a sleep lab²⁰	Fell asleep faster than people who listed completed tasks; the more specific, the faster²⁰	Compared with a completed-task list, not with no writing; measured sleep onset, not worry²⁰
Thought suppression (can bring thoughts back)	Push the thought away; telling yourself “stop” counts too (our reading)	Controlled studies; only a few included clinical samples²¹	A small to moderate rebound: the thought tends to come back more often²¹	Individual lab studies gave mixed results²¹
Rumination-focused therapy	CBT aimed at rumination; up to twelve sessions in one trial²²	36 trials of CBT for current or previous depression²³; people with medication-resistant residual depression²²	Among the larger effects on repetitive negative thinking²³; added to usual care, better residual symptoms and remission rates²²	No attention control; the method’s developer earns royalties from its manual^8,22

From why to how

The why-and-how contrast comes from a separate writing experiment: after a failure, people wrote abstractly (“Why did you feel this way?”) or concretely (“How did you feel moment-by-moment?”). Only in the more preoccupied did abstract writing leave more negative mood twelve hours later⁶. Our steps: notice the why-question, ask concrete how-questions about the situation (“How exactly did it go?”), then pick one small next step. Facing a decision? Ask: “How would I start on each option?”

We think the how-question is a good first step: training to think more concretely helped people with low mood in one trial and people with depression in another, and you can try the question tonight^12,13.

Worry time: what the studies show

The evidence is mixed. A daily worry period helped high worriers in one trial and showed no effect in an online trial of other high worriers; in a third, adding an if-then plan shortened worry more than postponement alone^14,15,16. Krzikalla’s team writes that it appears to be effective in non-clinical samples, while earlier, preliminary research in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) did not support it; in their own waitlist trial, which also included people with another diagnosis, worry fell significantly only in the GAD group²⁴.

How to stop overthinking at night

A very specific to-do list, written for five minutes at bedtime, may help you fall asleep. In a sleep-lab study of healthy young adults, those who wrote one fell asleep faster than those who wrote about completed tasks; worry was not measured²⁰. As soon as nighttime worry weighs on your days, get support.

How to stop overthinking about work

In an online mindfulness course aimed at recovery from work, those who completed it reported less work-related rumination and better sleep quality than people on a waitlist¹⁸. Our advice: take the meeting you keep replaying and swap the why for a how: “How exactly did the meeting go, and what’s my next step?”

One evening, step by step

Our example: a team lead leaves a reorg meeting and replays one line all evening: “Why did she say that in front of everyone?”

Name the loop: “I’m asking why again.”
Ask concrete questions (our wording): “How exactly did the conversation go, and what happened next?”⁶
Set an if-then plan: “If worries about the reorg grab me again after dinner, I’ll write them down and save them for tomorrow after work.”¹⁶
At bedtime, write a very specific to-do list for five minutes²⁰.

When it’s more than overthinking

If you’re in danger or in crisis, reach out now.

In a life-threatening emergency: call your local emergency number (911 in the US) or go to the nearest emergency room¹.
In the US, if you’re suicidal or in emotional distress: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and open 24/7, and you don’t have to be suicidal to call^1,2,25.
Outside the US: Find A Helpline lists free, confidential helplines in over 150 countries³.

Our advice: as soon as overthinking weighs on your daily life, talk to a primary care doctor or a psychologist²⁵. Clinicians diagnose GAD when worry is hard to control on most days for at least six months, along with at least three symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, or trouble sleeping. They diagnose depression when symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, including a depressed mood or loss of interest^25,26. You don’t need to meet these criteria to ask for help.

Frequently asked questions

Is overthinking a mental illness?

Overthinking is an everyday word and not a diagnosis of its own (our reading). Researchers study it as rumination and worry. Rumination is linked to several mental health conditions, and repetitive thinking in general can harm your health^4,6,7,8. Clinicians diagnose GAD when worry is hard to control on most days for at least six months, along with at least three symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, or trouble sleeping. You don’t need to meet that bar to talk to someone²⁵.

Can overthinking cause depression?

Studies show a link over time; they don’t prove cause. In one study, rumination predicted depressive disorders, including new episodes, and anxiety symptoms²⁷. A review found it appears to predict the onset of depression more consistently than its duration⁷.

Can you just stop thinking about it?

Usually not on command. Trying to suppress a negative thought can bring it back more often; a meta-analysis of controlled studies found a small to moderate rebound²¹. Our advice: give the thought somewhere to go instead, such as a concrete how-question or a set worry slot.

Is it true that most worries never come true?

In one small study, most did not. Of the testable worries that students with GAD logged during a journaling treatment, 91.4% did not come true within 30 days, and they had expected far more to come true²⁸. The sample was small, and GAD was diagnosed by questionnaire, not by a clinician²⁸. We found no study that measured this in the general population.

Where to start tonight

Our advice: tonight, ask one how-question about the loop, such as “How exactly did it go, and what’s my next step?” Then write a very specific to-do list for five minutes before bed^6,20. One evening won’t end it. It’s a start.

Sources

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Help for Mental Illnesses. nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help (retrieved November 1, 2026)
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Get Help. 988lifeline.org/get-help (retrieved November 1, 2026)
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP): Crisis Centres & Helplines. iasp.info/crisis-centres-helplines (retrieved November 1, 2026)
McCarrick D, Prestwich A, Prudenzi A, O'Connor DB. Health effects of psychological interventions for worry and rumination: A meta-analysis. Health Psychol 2021;40(9):617-630. (abstract) doi:10.1037/hea0000985 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Nolen-Hoeksema S. Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. J Abnorm Psychol 1991;100(4):569-582. (abstract) doi:10.1037//0021-843x.100.4.569 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Watkins ER. Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychol Bull 2008;134(2):163-206. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2672052 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Nolen-Hoeksema S, Wisco BE, Lyubomirsky S. Rethinking Rumination. Perspect Psychol Sci 2008;3(5):400-424. (abstract) doi:10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Watkins ER, Roberts H. Reflecting on rumination: Consequences, causes, mechanisms and treatment of rumination. Behav Res Ther 2020;127:103573. (abstract) doi:10.1016/j.brat.2020.103573 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Lyubomirsky S, Nolen-Hoeksema S. Effects of self-focused rumination on negative thinking and interpersonal problem solving. J Pers Soc Psychol 1995;69(1):176-190. (abstract) doi:10.1037//0022-3514.69.1.176 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Watkins ER, Nolen-Hoeksema S. A habit-goal framework of depressive rumination. J Abnorm Psychol 2014;123(1):24-34. (abstract) doi:10.1037/a0035540 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Querstret D, Cropley M. Assessing treatments used to reduce rumination and/or worry: a systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2013;33(8):996-1009. (abstract) doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.08.004 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Watkins ER, Taylor RS, Byng R, et al. Guided self-help concreteness training as an intervention for major depression in primary care: a Phase II randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med 2012;42(7):1359-1371. (abstract) doi:10.1017/S0033291711002480 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Watkins ER, Baeyens CB, Read R. Concreteness training reduces dysphoria: proof-of-principle for repeated cognitive bias modification in depression. J Abnorm Psychol 2009;118(1):55-64. (abstract) doi:10.1037/a0013642 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
McGowan SK, Behar E. A preliminary investigation of stimulus control training for worry: effects on anxiety and insomnia. Behav Modif 2013;37(1):90-112. (abstract) doi:10.1177/0145445512455661 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Versluis A, Verkuil B, Brosschot JF. Reducing worry and subjective health complaints: A randomized trial of an internet-delivered worry postponement intervention. Br J Health Psychol 2016;21(2):318-335. (abstract) doi:10.1111/bjhp.12170 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
McCarrick D, Prestwich A, Ferguson E, O'Connor DB. Effects of worry postponement on daily worry and sleep: a randomised controlled trial. Psychol Health 2025 (online ahead of print). (abstract) doi:10.1080/08870446.2025.2590072 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Huffziger S, Kuehner C. Rumination, distraction, and mindful self-focus in depressed patients. Behav Res Ther 2009;47(3):224-230. (abstract) doi:10.1016/j.brat.2008.12.005 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Querstret D, Cropley M, Fife-Schaw C. Internet-based instructor-led mindfulness for work-related rumination, fatigue, and sleep: Assessing facets of mindfulness as mechanisms of change. A randomized waitlist control trial. J Occup Health Psychol 2017;22(2):153-169. (abstract) doi:10.1037/ocp0000028 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Perestelo-Perez L, Barraca J, Peñate W, Rivero-Santana A, Alvarez-Perez Y. Mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of depressive rumination: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2017;17(3):282-295. (abstract) doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2017.07.004 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Scullin MK, Krueger ML, Ballard HK, Pruett N, Bliwise DL. The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. J Exp Psychol Gen 2018;147(1):139-146. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5758411 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Abramowitz JS, Tolin DF, Street GP. Paradoxical effects of thought suppression: a meta-analysis of controlled studies. Clin Psychol Rev 2001;21(5):683-703. (abstract) doi:10.1016/s0272-7358(00)00057-x (retrieved November 1, 2026)
Watkins ER, Mullan E, Wingrove J, et al. Rumination-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy for residual depression: phase II randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry 2011;199(4):317-322. (abstract) doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.110.090282 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
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Krzikalla C, Buhlmann U, Schug J, et al. Worry Postponement From the Metacognitive Perspective: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial. Clin Psychol Eur 2024;6(2):e12741. (abstract) doi:10.32872/cpe.12741 (retrieved November 1, 2026)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What You Need to Know. nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad (retrieved November 1, 2026)
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Published November 1, 2026

This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice. In a life-threatening emergency, call your local emergency number (911 in the US) or go to the nearest emergency room. If you’re struggling, the section When it’s more than overthinking lists 988 for the US and Find A Helpline for other countries.

Keep exploring

The wheel of life helps you choose one area of your life and one next step. The sleep calculator suggests bedtimes for your wake-up time, and the habit formation calculator shows how long new habits took to form in one study. When you need a pause, try the breathing exercise timer.