Key Points at a Glance

• Worries and overthinking are a part of life, but they can become a burden if they constantly dominate your daily life.
• Brooding often doesn’t lead to a solution; instead, it keeps thoughts stuck in an endless loop.
• People who learn to consciously recognize distressing thoughts can better distinguish between helpful reflection and ruminative thoughts.
• Small changes in your daily routine can help stop your mind from racing.
• If worries persist over a long period of time and affect your well-being, professional support can provide relief.

Everyone worries. Before an important conversation, when dealing with financial issues, or when a family member is sick—worrisome thoughts are a part of life. They can even be helpful because they encourage us to solve problems or prepare well for decisions.

Sometimes, however, worries take up so much space that they come to dominate our daily lives. My thoughts keep circling back to the same questions; I run through possible scenarios over and over again, and even in quiet moments, I find it hard to switch off mentally.

Many people who experience this describe the feeling as a whirlwind of thoughts. The more you try to get rid of your thoughts, the more persistent they seem to become.

Worrying or brooding—what’s the difference?

Worries are usually about the future. They often arise from a desire to prepare for potential challenges or to avoid risks.

Brooding, on the other hand, often involves dwelling on the past or on questions that have no clear answer. Typical thoughts might include:

• Why did I say that?
• Should I have decided differently?
• What do other people think of me now?

While constructive thinking can lead to new insights or solutions, brooding often results in the same thoughts repeating themselves over and over—without bringing you any closer to a solution.

Why is it so hard to switch off?

Our brain tries to reduce uncertainty. When something is unclear or we’re worried, we look for answers. That makes sense in principle.

It gets difficult when we try to solve problems that can’t be solved right now. Then the thoughts keep going round and round, even though they no longer yield any new insights.

This takes energy and can cause your attention to keep returning to the same topics.

Recognizing Brooding

It’s not always immediately obvious when thinking has turned into brooding. Examples of such situations might include:

• Thinking about the same situation over and over again.
• It’s hard to focus on other things.
• Keep questioning your decisions.
• Even in the evening or on the weekend, my thoughts won’t settle down.
• It’s hard to fall asleep because my mind is still racing.

Almost everyone goes through phases like that. The key question is whether they are temporary or will persist over a longer period of time.

Approaching the thought with a little distance

A first step might be to consciously observe your own thoughts instead of letting them carry you away:

• Am I actually thinking about a solution, or am I just going around in circles?
• Is there anything I can do to change this situation right now?
• Does this thought help me?

Often, this alone helps create a little more distance from the whirlwind of thoughts.

Things That Can Help in Everyday Life

There is no magic formula for dealing with worries or overthinking. For many people, however, small changes that help refocus their attention on the present moment can be helpful.

Some people write down troubling thoughts to get them out of their heads. Others deliberately set aside a specific time each day to deal with their worries, rather than letting them take over all the time.

Physical activity, a walk, talking with people you trust, or an activity that requires your full attention can also help break the cycle of racing thoughts.

Not every strategy works equally well for everyone. It’s worth figuring out what works for you personally.

You don’t have to carry every worry on your own

When thoughts keep circling in your mind for a long time, it’s easy to start feeling like you’re alone with your worries. However, it often helps to share them with someone you trust.

A conversation often opens up new perspectives and can help put situations into a more realistic context. Sometimes just talking things through is enough to gain a little more clarity.

When It Makes Sense to Seek Support

If worries or rumination persist for weeks, interfere with sleep, or increasingly dominate your daily life, it makes sense to seek help.

This is also true if you feel like you can hardly relax anymore or if stressful thoughts are taking up more and more of your mind.

Seeking help early on can help you develop new ways of dealing with distressing thoughts.

In a nutshell

Worries and brooding are a part of life. They become a burden when they take up more and more space and make it almost impossible to find peace. Those who learn to distinguish between helpful reflection and ruminative thoughts can deal with them more consciously. Small changes in your daily routine and talking with others can help you break out of the cycle of racing thoughts and regain a sense of calm.

Your Next Step

Even just a few minutes of reflection can help you apply what you’ve read to your own situation.

Observe your thoughts for a moment:

• Am I currently dealing with a problem that I can actually solve?
• What thoughts keep going round and round in your head?
• What usually helps me regain some perspective and find peace?