Introduction: It’s Not Just in Your Head—It’s in Your Healing

 

 

 

 

You replay the text five times.

You question whether you said too much… or not enough.

You imagine a hundred outcomes, and none of them feel good.

You’re tired, but your brain keeps clicking through tabs like it’s on a deadline you never agreed to.

 

That’s overthinking.

And no, you’re not broken. You’re human. You’re protective. You’re deeply self-aware.

But somewhere along the way, your brain started doing something it wasn’t designed to do: solve emotional uncertainty with mental control.

 

Let’s be real—overthinking is exhausting. It drains your joy, delays your decisions, and dims your energy. And worse? It keeps you from claiming what’s already meant for you—whether that’s love, peace, clarity, or the next version of yourself.

 

But here’s the truth most self-help books don’t tell you:

You don’t need to "think less."
You need to feel safer.

Because when your nervous system is calm, your mind doesn’t have to scream.

 

Why We Overthink

Overthinking is often the mind’s way of trying to:

• Avoid emotional pain

• Stay in control

• Predict outcomes to avoid disappointment

• "Fix" the past or “perfect” the future

But in reality? It only pulls us further out of the present moment, where power and peace actually live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this guide, we’re going to explore how to stop overthinking—not by fighting your thoughts, but by shifting your energy, creating new habits, and gently coming back to yourself.

 

You’ll learn how to:

• Stop stressing over things you can’t control

• Detach from the person you can’t stop thinking about

• Rewire the overthinking loop using Atomic Habits principles

• Heal the root with inner child practices

• Create a calming visual space with a Self Care Vision Board

• Reclaim your power through aligned manifestation and nervous system work

And because you’re not alone in this journey, I’ll also share 5 books that will help quiet your mind and bring you back to center—written by brilliant minds who get it.

 

 

 

 

 

Because here’s the bottom line:

 

You don’t need to think harder. You need to feel safer, clearer, and more grounded in who you are.

 

Your peace isn’t hiding from you.
Your intuition isn’t broken.

And what’s meant for you?
It doesn’t require anxiety. Just alignment.

 

We have launched our highly requested first journal and workbook for Anxiety & Overthinking! It is the product Karmen our Founder has always wanted to help her manage stress in her life. We hope these pages will help you calm down the same way she managed to get a hold of her anxiety using these techniques!

 

 

 

1. Stop Trying to Think Your Way Into Safety

 

Overthinking convinces you that if you just think a little harder, you’ll feel better.

 

 

 

 

If you replay the convo, stalk the social media, recheck the tone of your last text—somehow, you’ll land on peace.

But you won’t. Because peace doesn’t live in the mental loop—it lives in the nervous system.

 

When your brain is stuck in overdrive, what you actually need is regulation, not more logic.

That means reconnecting to your body, your breath, and your present moment, so your mind no longer feels the need to spin.

 

 

Overthinking = Mental Exhaustion.

 

Safety = Nervous System Regulation.

 

 

Try This Instead of Spiraling:

 

 

 

 

• Do a "5-4-3-2-1" Grounding Reset:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste
  This simple exercise helps shift your brain from anxious loops into sensory awareness—a fast track back to your body.

• Place your hand on your heart and ask:
  “What do I actually need right now?”
  Most overthinking is a call for comfort, not answers.

• Use this reframe:
  “I don’t need to control this. I just need to return to myself.”

 

Real Talk:

 

Overthinking is often a trauma response. If you grew up in an environment where things felt unpredictable, you may have learned that “figuring it out” keeps you safe.

But now? Overthinking might be keeping you stuck instead of safe.

 

 

Optional Tools to Support This Step:

 

• Light a candle and create a Self Care Vision Board with peaceful imagery, affirmations, and calming quotes

• Keep a comfort kit: essential oil, soft blanket, calming playlist, favorite grounding scent

• Try somatic practices like shaking, stretching, or deep belly breaths

 

2. Detach From the Loop: How to Stop Thinking About Someone 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes overthinking isn’t about everything—it’s about someone.

The person you dated.The friend who ghosted.

The situationship that never became something solid.

 

You don’t even want to think about them anymore.

And yet… your brain keeps circling back like it’s trying to solve an emotional puzzle that never had all the pieces.

 

Sound familiar? You're not alone.

 

 

Why You Can’t Stop Thinking About Them

 

It’s not because you’re weak. It’s because your brain is trying to complete the story.

When there’s no closure, the mind fills in the gaps with scenarios, overanalysis, or “what ifs.”

But here’s the thing: You don’t need closure from them to create peace within yourself.

You need detachment, self-soothing, and a little energetic cleanup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try This 3-Part Detox Practice:

 

1. Name What You’re Actually Missing

 

Often, we’re not missing them. We’re missing:

• Feeling seen

• Feeling chosen

• Feeling desired
  Once you identify the emotional need, you can start meeting it from within or in other healthy connections.

 

2. Reclaim Your Mental Real Estate

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every time they pop into your mind, gently interrupt the thought with:
“I lovingly call my energy back to me.”

It sounds small, but repeating this consistently reminds your brain—and spirit—that your thoughts are your space.

 

3. Get It Out of Your Head and Onto Paper

 

Write a letter to them (don’t send it). Say what you never got to say. Then burn it, tear it, or toss it.

This tells your nervous system: “We’re done holding this now.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use This Affirmation:

 

"I release what isn’t choosing me. My energy belongs with what aligns."

 

 

Bonus Tool:

 

Add their name, or even just a symbol of them, to your Self Care Vision Board—with a big red “X” or a peaceful quote like: “Closure is something I create, not something I wait for.”

Turn the obsession into artful release.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Build New Mental Pathways Using Atomic Habits

 

If overthinking feels automatic, that’s because it is.

Your brain has rehearsed those spirals so many times, they’ve become a habit loop—cue, thought, overanalyze, repeat.

But here’s the good news: what’s been wired can be rewired.

 

Enter: Atomic Habits by James Clear.

This book isn’t just about productivity—it’s a blueprint for behavior change, including mental patterns. And when you apply these principles to your overthinking habit? That’s when transformation starts.

 

Step 1: Identify Your Overthinking Cues

 

 

 

 

Every habit has a trigger—and overthinking is no different.

Common cues include:

 

• Silence (no response = mental chaos)

• Downtime (your brain fills empty space with loops)

• Emotional discomfort (uncertainty, shame, fear)

Mini Habit Audit:

 

“When I start overthinking, what just happened?”

“What am I really trying to control or avoid?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Replace the Habit, Don’t Just Remove It

 

You don’t stop overthinking by telling your brain to stop. You stop it by giving your brain something better to do.

 

Try replacing the overthinking moment with:

• 2 minutes of conscious breathing

• Writing 3 grounding truths (“I am safe. I am enough. I release control.”)

• Scripting something you want to manifest instead (see next section!)

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s pattern disruption.

 

 

Step 3: Make Calm the Default

 

James Clear teaches us that small, consistent shifts change lives.
So instead of trying to become “zen” overnight, try this:

 

• One quiet morning ritual

• One screen-free walk per week

• One “off switch” phrase when spiraling starts (like “Not helpful. Not now.”)

Every time you choose peace over panic—even for 30 seconds—you’re building a new neural path. That’s how you stop overthinking long term.

 

 

Pair It With Your Self Care Vision Board:

 

 

 

 

Create a visual cue with calming images, affirmations, and your new “pattern-breaking” habits.

This board isn’t just pretty—it’s neurological architecture for peace.

 

 

Suggested Read:

 

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Life-changing. Simple. Totally applies to mental spirals.

 

 

4. Heal the Root with Inner Child Work

 

Let’s be honest—most overthinking isn’t about the thing. It’s about the feeling underneath the thing.

And often, the voice driving your anxious thoughts isn’t your grown, wise self… it’s your inner child—the version of you who felt ignored, unsafe, or like they had to be perfect to be loved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overthinking, in many cases, is the mind’s way of saying:

“If I just think hard enough, I can keep myself safe.”

 

But you don’t need to hustle for safety anymore.

You need to reconnect with that younger part of you and say:
“I’ve got you now.”

 

 

Inner Child Healing + Overthinking

 

When your inner child didn’t feel:

• Heard

• Chosen

• Safe

• Supported through failure or discomfort

 

…they learned to over-function mentally to survive emotionally.
Now, as an adult, your healing is learning how to soothe yourself rather than solve everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gentle Inner Child Practice

 

1. Find a quiet moment and place your hand over your heart.

2. Imagine your younger self in front of you—at 5, or 10, or 15 years old.

3. Ask: “What were you feeling that no one helped you process?”

4. Say: “You don’t have to figure it all out anymore. I’m here now. You’re safe.”

 

Yes, it might feel a little strange. But this kind of emotional re-parenting is powerful. It tells your system: We’re safe now. We can soften.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Integration Tip

 

Create a section on your Self Care Vision Board just for your inner child.

 

Add:

• A childhood photo

• Comforting phrases like “You are not too much.”

• Visuals of play, softness, joy

This reminds your nervous system—visually and energetically—that it’s safe to exist without constant overthinking.

 

 

 

 

Book Recommendation:

 

Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child by John Bradshaw

Deep, insightful, and ideal for learning how childhood pain wires adult behavior.

 

5. Shift Into Positive Energy and Manifest What’s Meant for You

 

 

 

Once you’ve interrupted the spiral, replaced the pattern, and healed the root—it’s time to fill the space with intention.

This is where we stop obsessing over what might go wrong and start focusing on what we actually want to call in.

 

Because guess what?

Overthinking keeps you stuck in fear. Manifestation moves you into faith.

And you can’t do both at the same time.

 

 

Why Manifestation Helps Overthinkers

 

Manifestation isn’t just “think positive.” It’s about choosing energy over anxiety.

When you decide to believe that something better is coming, you stop wasting energy trying to control outcomes that don’t serve you.

 

The result?

 

 

 

You move from:

“What if this goes wrong?”

To:
“What if this works out better than I imagined?”

 

3-Step Manifestation Ritual to Rewire the Overthinking Loop:

 

1. Rewrite the Thought

Turn spirals into mantras.
“What if I mess this up?” → “I trust myself to handle whatever comes.”

 

2. Visualize Your Ideal Outcome

Close your eyes. Picture how it feels to live in peace, clarity, love, and alignment. Let your body feel it.

 

3. Anchor It Physically

Use a crystal, candle, or image on your Self Care Vision Board as a visual anchor.

Every time you look at it, take a deep breath and remind yourself:

“This is what I’m moving toward.”

 

 

Book Recommendation:

 

Ask and It Is Given by Esther & Jerry Hicks

Ideal for shifting from control to trust, and understanding how to co-create your reality.

 

 

Affirmation to Repeat Daily:

 

"I don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward. What’s meant for me is already making its way to me."

 

Final Thoughts: Overthinking Doesn’t Protect You—Presence Does

 

 

 

Overthinking tells you that if you just keep thinking, you’ll finally feel in control.

But the truth? You don’t need more thoughts. You need more trust.

 

You’ve now seen that stopping overthinking isn’t about silencing your mind—it’s about soothing your nervous system, meeting your unmet needs, and gently guiding yourself back into the present moment, where peace actually lives.

 

You’ve got the tools now:

• Awareness of your thought patterns

• Habit-breaking strategies from Atomic Habits

• Emotional healing through inner child work

• A shift toward positive energy and manifestation

• Grounding visuals through your Self Care Vision Board

And most importantly?

You have permission to let go.

Permission to stop rehearsing your worth, predicting your pain, or micromanaging outcomes that were never yours to control.

 

 

5 Powerful Books That Can Help You Overcome Overthinking

 

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear
   → For rewiring thought patterns through small, intentional actions.

2. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
   → A powerful guide to learning how to observe, not become, your thoughts.

3. Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton
   → Practical and accessible tools to quiet mental spirals.

4. Homecoming by John Bradshaw
   → Inner child healing and emotional reconnection to soothe the root of anxiety.

5. Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
   → Shifting from reaction to intention, and learning how to reclaim inner peace.

Before You Go:

 

If you’re someone who thrives on visual clarity and aesthetic motivation, check out our Self Care Vision Board — a gentle, guided tool that helps you:

Focus your energy
Create space for peace
Align your goals, emotions, and intentions in one calming visual

 

Because your life isn’t meant to be lived in your head—it’s meant to be felt in your body, claimed in your actions, and loved in your soul.

 

Final Reminder:

 

What’s meant for you won’t require you to overthink yourself into exhaustion.
It will feel like calm. Like trust. Like home.