In short
Overthinking is going over the same thoughts again and again without getting anywhere. Psychologists call it rumination when it is about the past and worry when it is about the future. It feeds low mood and anxiety, and it is a habit that can be changed. Setting a daily worry time, switching from “why” questions to “what next”, getting active and cognitive behavioural therapy all have evidence behind them.
On this page
What is overthinking?
Overthinking is turning the same thoughts over and over without reaching a decision or feeling any better. It comes in two main forms:
- Rumination looks backwards. You replay a conversation, a mistake or how bad you feel, and ask why it happened
- Worry looks forwards. You assume the worst about something that may happen1
Researchers group the two together as “repetitive negative thinking”, because they work in a similar way and respond to the same treatments.2
Why overthinking is a problem
It feels like problem solving, but the research says it does the opposite. A major review found that rumination makes low mood worse, makes thinking more negative, gets in the way of solving problems and wears down support from other people. It predicts who goes on to develop depression, and it is also linked with anxiety.3
Some worry is useful. It can push you to prepare for an exam or an interview, and it usually passes. It becomes a problem when it is hard to control and stops you from doing things.1
Want to talk it through?
Talk it through with an Australian doctor online. No referral needed.
How to stop overthinking
1. Give worry a time and a place
Pick a 30-minute slot each day, in the same spot, and save your worrying for then. When a worry turns up at another time, note it down and postpone it. In a randomised trial of 53 people who worried a lot, two weeks of this reduced worry, anxiety and insomnia more than a comparison approach.4
2. Swap “why” for “what next”
Rumination tends to run on big, abstract questions, such as “Why does this always happen to me?” A therapy designed around rumination trains people to spot the habit and shift to concrete, specific thinking: what happened, and what is one step I can take? In a trial of people with lingering depression, adding this therapy to usual care improved symptoms, and the benefit came through reduced rumination.5
3. Do something absorbing
Dozens of experiments show that a positive distraction lifts mood in the short term.3 Choose something that takes your attention: exercise, a conversation, a task with your hands.
4. Get outside
In one study, healthy adults who took a 90-minute walk in a natural setting reported less rumination afterwards. Those who walked for the same time in an urban setting did not.6
5. Practise noticing thoughts without following them
Mindfulness means focusing on the present moment. It can help stop you from getting caught in unhelpful thoughts about the future.7
6. Write it down at night
If your mind races in bed, put tomorrow’s tasks on paper before you turn in. See how to fall asleep fast and waking up at 3am.
Does therapy help with overthinking?
Yes. A meta-analysis of 55 randomised trials with almost 5,000 people found that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) reduced repetitive negative thinking, with a moderate effect. Treatments aimed specifically at rumination and worry worked better than general ones.2
It may also prevent problems. In a trial of young people who were heavy worriers, a short program targeting worry and rumination cut the rate of depression over the following year to about 15 per cent, compared with 32 per cent in those on a waiting list. Rates of generalised anxiety disorder fell to about 17 per cent, compared with 42 per cent.8
Is overthinking a mental health condition?
Not on its own. But excessive worry is one of the main symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder, where a person worries about many areas of life on most days, for six months or more.1,9 Rumination is a core feature of depression.3 See anxiety symptoms and high-functioning anxiety.
When to see a doctor
- You find your worrying hard to control1
- It is stopping you from sleeping, working or enjoying things
- You feel low, hopeless or on edge most days
- The thoughts are distressing or intrusive and you feel driven to act on them
Your GP can refer you to a mental health professional.1 If you are having thoughts of suicide, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.
Next step: talk to a doctor
Answer a few quick questions and you’ll get an email about your eligibility. A consultation doesn’t guarantee any particular treatment.
References
- healthdirect. Excessive worry.
- Stenzel KL, Keller J, Kirchner L, et al. Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy in treating repetitive negative thinking, rumination, and worry - a transdiagnostic meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2025;55:e31.
- Nolen-Hoeksema S, Wisco BE, Lyubomirsky S. Rethinking Rumination. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2008;3(5):400-24.
- 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.
- 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):317-22.
- Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Hahn KS, et al. Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(28):8567-72.
- healthdirect. Mindfulness.
- Topper M, Emmelkamp PM, Watkins E, et al. Prevention of anxiety disorders and depression by targeting excessive worry and rumination in adolescents and young adults: A randomized controlled trial. Behav Res Ther. 2017;90:123-136.
- healthdirect. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
This guide is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t replace a consultation with a doctor who knows your history. In an emergency, call 000.