Can’t Stop Overthinking? Try These Techniques!
Ever find yourself replaying a conversation from three days ago, analyzing every word you said? Or maybe you’re lying in bed at night, unable to stop running through every possible worst-case scenario for something that hasn’t happened yet. Overthinking can feel like a never-ending loop, keeping you stuck in a spiral of rumination and anxiety. It can be exhausting, overwhelming, and frustrating—especially when you know it’s unhelpful, but you just can’t seem to stop.
Thankfully, there are mindfulness-based tools we can gain to support ourselves in not becoming consumed by our thoughts. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) introduces the concept of thought diffusion strategies, which helps create distance between you and your thoughts. Rather than getting caught up in them, you learn to observe them for what they are—just thoughts, not facts. Thought diffusion techniques can help you break free from over analyzing and regain mental clarity. Here are some powerful techniques to try:
1. Put Your Thoughts on Clouds
Imagine placing your thoughts on clouds floating in the sky. Watch as they drift away, reminding yourself that thoughts—just like clouds—come and go. They don’t define you or control you.
Example: If you keep thinking, “I always mess up,” visualize that phrase sitting on a fluffy white cloud as it moves further and further into the distance.
2. Use a Silly Voice
Write down the thought that’s consuming you, then say it out loud 10 times in the silliest voice you can muster—maybe as a cartoon character or your favorite actor. This is especially helpful for negative self-talk because it highlights how exaggerated or unrealistic these thoughts often are. When you hear them in a ridiculous voice, they start to lose their weight and credibility.
Example: If you're stuck on, “I’ll never be good enough,” try saying it in a high-pitched, exaggerated voice. The more ridiculous, the better!
3. File Your Thoughts Away
Visualize folders with labels like “worries,” “regrets,” “self-doubt,” or “what-ifs.” When an intrusive thought appears, mentally file it into the appropriate folder. This helps organize your mind and detach from emotional reactions.
Example: If you keep obsessing over a mistake at work, place it in your “learning experiences” folder and then bring your focus back to the present moment to move forward.
4. Name the Story
Repetitive thoughts often follow the same patterns. Identify them as familiar stories rather than truths. Thinking about them as repetitive stories helps you understand that you don’t need to have that narrative on replay—just like you wouldn’t re-read the same book over and over again.
Example: “Ah, here’s my ‘I’m-not-good-enough’ story again.” Recognizing it as a recurring narrative can help you create some distance from it.
5. Click the “X” Button
Imagine your thoughts as open browser tabs on a computer. Sometimes our thoughts can feel overwhelming in the same way too many open windows on a computer browser can become overwhelming. One by one, visualize yourself clicking the “X” button to close them. If the thought reopens, that’s okay—just keep clicking “X” as needed, like you would when managing too many tabs on a screen.
Example: If you're worrying about an upcoming presentation, mentally close that thought-tab and shift your focus back to the present moment.
6. Screen Your Thoughts
Picture your thoughts playing on a giant movie screen. Take a step back and just observe—without getting lost in the story. This helps you approach your thoughts with non-judgment, simply observing without intellectualizing, creating labels, or making meaning—just watching as you would a movie.
Example: If your mind keeps replaying an argument, watch it as if it’s a film you have no emotional attachment to.
7. Say, “I’m Having the Thought That…”
This simple phrase creates distance between you and the thought, loosening its grip on your emotions. Doing this highlights that you are having a thought rather than stating a fact.
Example: Instead of saying, “I’m a failure,” say, “I’m having the thought that I’m a failure.” It shifts the focus from believing the thought to simply noticing it.
8. Zoom Out
When you're caught in an overwhelming thought, imagine yourself rising high above the earth and looking down. From this perspective, how big does your problem seem? Thoughts usually don’t seem as catastrophic when we take a step back.
Example: If you're obsessing over a small mistake, picture yourself floating above your city, then your country, then the planet, noticing how the size and impact of your thoughts shift. Suddenly, you might find that the mistake feels even smaller.
Overthinking can be exhausting, but thankfully, there are tools we can implement to help alleviate some of that burden. Thought diffusion techniques can help you step back, gain perspective, and break free from the cycle of rumination. Next time you find yourself spiraling, try one of these tools and see what happens. With practice, you’ll learn that thoughts don’t have to control you—you can simply let them float by.
There are many more tools to share when it comes to reducing harmful thinking, and there’s a team of clinicians at Root to Rise Therapy who would love to support you in finding relief. Contact our Client Care Coordinator today to schedule a free 20 minute consultation call and match with a therapist who aligns with your needs!
Warmly,
Sophia Rodriguez, AMFT
