Overthinking

Overthinking is often not considered to be part of a trauma response.

It’s deeply connected to hypervigilance and often tied to anxiety and post-traumatic stress. I like to think of it as chewing gum for the mind, constantly in motion, but offering no real benefit. It keeps our minds occupied but rarely leads to resolution. Instead, it builds anxiety, creates mental tension, and often leaves us emotionally drained.

For many survivors, overthinking became second nature. When we had no control over what was happening to us, the only safe place to go was inside our minds. We learned to scan, to assess, and to second guess. We thought, planned, and replayed events endlessly, not because we wanted to, but because our survival seemed to depend on it.

But my question to you now is: Does it still serve you?
Is the mental loop helpful, or is it keeping you stuck?

These are rhetorical questions, of course.

Because if you're honest, the answer is no. Overthinking is no longer a protective shield rather, it’s a thief. It robs you of your presence, your peace, and your energy. It traps you in a cycle of worry that leads nowhere but further into exhaustion.

A powerful way to disrupt this is to ‘hand it over’. That might sound overly simplistic, but it’s often the most effective approach. If a situation is out of your control and you’ve done all you can, give yourself permission to let it go. Obsessing over it won’t solve it. Worry won’t make the outcome better. All it will do is raise your blood pressure, build tension in your body, and amplify your sense of helplessness.

If there’s action you can take, then do that. But if not, then continuing to loop through the same thoughts only reinforces your sense of anxiety. You’re essentially running circles in your mind, believing you're solving something, when in fact, you’re just ramping up the adrenaline in the body. I liken it to sprinting from room to room in your house looking for an exit that isn’t there. Burning energy, becoming breathless, but making no actual progress.

Here's some truth about energy.

Most people believe it’s physical or mental energy that takes the biggest toll, but the truth is, it’s emotional energy that depletes us the most. It takes first place every time.

Overthinking, and the constant worry that comes with it, drains us emotionally, but it also takes a physical and psychological toll too.

You might feel tired all the time, tense, or disconnected from others and yourself.

So how do we reclaim our energy?

By recognising that not everything is ours to carry.

Take charge of what you can. Meet the situation head on when necessary. But for those things that lie beyond your control, let them go. Start to believe that letting go isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom. It’s a strength born from knowing you deserve peace more than the illusion of control.

You’re not superhuman. You’re not meant to solve every problem or anticipate every outcome. You’re allowed to be here, in this moment, without fixing everything. That’s where real freedom lies.

My hope for you is this: a chance to breathe.
To pause the mental loop.
To reclaim the power you’ve unknowingly handed over to your thoughts.

You are in charge of your mind.
You are in charge of your thinking.
You are in charge of what happens next.

You didn’t have that power as a child. But you have it now. And that changes everything.

So take that power back.
Quiet the noise.
And step forward into the peace that is rightfully yours.